Donald Trump vs Richard Nixon: Backdoor Dealings
BY MICHAEL MORONEY '23
In the last fifty years, the United States has witnessed two of the biggest presidential scandals to ever rock the nation. Both Donald Trump and Richard Nixon have been the faces of presidential controversy, from Nixon’s infamous Watergate scandal in 1972 to Trump’s sexual assault allegations and impeachment trials. These series of misconduct exposed the manipulative tactics each candidate used in their campaigns. In pursuing their personal agendas, Trump and Nixon undermined the integrity of the U.S. government.
During his campaign, Republican president Richard Nixon committed one of the most heinous acts of presidential treason. In the Watergate scandal of 1974, five men—Virgilio Gonzalez, Bernard Barker, James McCord, Eugenio Martínez, and Frank Sturgis—attempted to steal classified documents, hoping to undermine the Democratic presidential candidate. They were arrested as suspects for the breaking into of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.. Several CIA and FBI officials were also indicted for installing wires and listening devices inside the DNC. On July 27th, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved three articles of impeachment against the president. Nixon was formally charged and found guilty of employing agents to undermine the Democratic presidential campaign. On August 9th, 1974, Nixon signed a letter of resignation as President of the United States, having lost all support. Today, he is seen as the epitome of American government treason.
Similarly, Trump has faced his own set of controversies throughout his presidency. During his 2016 campaign, fifteen women accused him of sexual assault, and some recalled being offered bribes for their silence. Further, in 2019, Trump faced impeachment charges after whistleblower Alexander Vindman reported alleged collusion and foreign interference in Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. The president was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on December 13, 2019 but was later acquitted on February 5, 2020. Despite his acquittal, both controversies remain prominent on Trump’s legacy and will not be easily forgotten.
In addition, Richard Nixon’s presidential campaign in 1972 and Donald Trump’s in 2016 are eerily alike—both relied heavily on dirty campaign tricks, starting their terms on unsteady moral grounds. Nixon employed young Republican operatives to undermine the Democratic presidential campaign. His administration leaked personal information, threw Democratic campaign schedules into disarray, and conducted lengthy, unnecessary investigations on Democratic workers to slow their progress. Likewise, Donald Trump utilized the leak of hundreds of emails from the DNC during his 2016 campaign to hamper the efforts of his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.
On the judiciary side of each presidential campaign, both presidents disputed with private investigators hired to expose the truth. Nixon fired investigator Archibald Cox for no reason other than his apparent annoyance with Cox’s relentless pursuit of justice. Similarly, Trump fired FBI director James Comey for his inability to investigate the Hillary Clinton email controversy. Both presidents’ willingness to indifferently fire their employees reveals their arrogance and immaturity, leading us to question the ethics of their leadership.
The eras of Richard Nixon and Donald Trump are certainly two of the most inflammatory presidents in US history. Both presidents’ terms were scattered with scandals and sketchy dealings—their actions have undermined the ethical standards of our federal government as they prioritized personal gain over all else.
During his campaign, Republican president Richard Nixon committed one of the most heinous acts of presidential treason. In the Watergate scandal of 1974, five men—Virgilio Gonzalez, Bernard Barker, James McCord, Eugenio Martínez, and Frank Sturgis—attempted to steal classified documents, hoping to undermine the Democratic presidential candidate. They were arrested as suspects for the breaking into of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.. Several CIA and FBI officials were also indicted for installing wires and listening devices inside the DNC. On July 27th, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved three articles of impeachment against the president. Nixon was formally charged and found guilty of employing agents to undermine the Democratic presidential campaign. On August 9th, 1974, Nixon signed a letter of resignation as President of the United States, having lost all support. Today, he is seen as the epitome of American government treason.
Similarly, Trump has faced his own set of controversies throughout his presidency. During his 2016 campaign, fifteen women accused him of sexual assault, and some recalled being offered bribes for their silence. Further, in 2019, Trump faced impeachment charges after whistleblower Alexander Vindman reported alleged collusion and foreign interference in Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. The president was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on December 13, 2019 but was later acquitted on February 5, 2020. Despite his acquittal, both controversies remain prominent on Trump’s legacy and will not be easily forgotten.
In addition, Richard Nixon’s presidential campaign in 1972 and Donald Trump’s in 2016 are eerily alike—both relied heavily on dirty campaign tricks, starting their terms on unsteady moral grounds. Nixon employed young Republican operatives to undermine the Democratic presidential campaign. His administration leaked personal information, threw Democratic campaign schedules into disarray, and conducted lengthy, unnecessary investigations on Democratic workers to slow their progress. Likewise, Donald Trump utilized the leak of hundreds of emails from the DNC during his 2016 campaign to hamper the efforts of his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.
On the judiciary side of each presidential campaign, both presidents disputed with private investigators hired to expose the truth. Nixon fired investigator Archibald Cox for no reason other than his apparent annoyance with Cox’s relentless pursuit of justice. Similarly, Trump fired FBI director James Comey for his inability to investigate the Hillary Clinton email controversy. Both presidents’ willingness to indifferently fire their employees reveals their arrogance and immaturity, leading us to question the ethics of their leadership.
The eras of Richard Nixon and Donald Trump are certainly two of the most inflammatory presidents in US history. Both presidents’ terms were scattered with scandals and sketchy dealings—their actions have undermined the ethical standards of our federal government as they prioritized personal gain over all else.
