JD Vance downplays Watergate scandal, says it would be a short news cycle today
US Vice President JD Vance said during an appearance at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library that the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation would be a brief news story if it occurred today.
"If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story. The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy," Vance said on Thursday.
Vance, a potential candidate for the 2028 presidential election, added that Nixon's historical legacy is "enjoying a bit of a renaissance" and that it is deserving.
Democratic strategist David Axelrod responded on social media platform X, stating that Vance's comments "speaks volumes about the moral and ethical degradation of the Trump era."
The Watergate scandal began in 1972 when five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, DC. Nixon, who was seeking re-election, won a decisive victory in November 1972.
Investigative reporting by The Washington Post later revealed a widespread political spying operation and a cover-up involving senior White House officials. Facing impeachment proceedings, Nixon resigned in August 1974, the only US president to do so.
The remarks by Vance have drawn attention to differing views on the severity of historical political scandals and their impact on public discourse.
