Nixon had no part in the Watergate cover-up and never obstructed justice
| Nixon had no part in the Watergate cover-up and never obstructed justice | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "President Richard Nixon said he had no prior knowledge of the Watergate break-in, took no part in a cover-up and never obstructed justice." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | Manipulation Propaganda Technique |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1972 |
| Origin | Nixon and the White House, in public statements and press conferences after the June 1972 break-in at Democratic headquarters. |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-31 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
After the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate complex, Nixon and his aides publicly denied any White House link. On November 17, 1973, Nixon told newspaper editors that the White House tapes would prove he had no prior knowledge of the break-in. He also said he never offered clemency to the burglars. In the same session he said that in all his years of public life he had never obstructed justice.
The record shows two different things. No evidence has been cited that Nixon knew of the break-in in advance. But his own tapes show he took part in the cover-up within days. The claim that he never obstructed justice is false.
What the evidence shows
[edit]- His 1973 denials. The Washington Post reported that on November 17, 1973, Nixon said the tapes would prove he had no prior knowledge of the break-in. He also said he never offered clemency to the burglars. He said he first learned of blackmail proposals on March 21, 1973.
- The smoking gun tape. The National Archives says the June 23, 1972 tape showed Nixon had obstructed justice. On it he ordered the CIA to ask the FBI to call off its Watergate investigation. The Miller Center says its release in August 1974 contradicted his claims that he had not interfered with the FBI.
- Republican support collapsed. The Miller Center reports that large numbers of congressional Republicans switched from defending Nixon to urging him to resign once the transcript was released. The Nixon Foundation likewise says the tape appeared to undermine his contention that he was not involved in the cover-up.
- Grand jury finding. The Library of Congress notes that the Watergate grand jury named Nixon an unindicted co-conspirator. Many of his closest aides had been convicted of illegal activities by mid-1974.
- What is not shown. The Nixon Foundation notes that none of 35 Senate committee witnesses accused Nixon of knowing about the break-in in advance. It says later analyses of the June 23 tape have offered different interpretations. The obstruction record rests on his later conduct and the tapes.
Why it matters
[edit]Nixon's denials were the central defense of his presidency, and the tapes he had ordered installed undid them. The case is a standard example of how a leader's public statements can be tested against his own records. It also shows why the full evidence matters, since the accurate account separates the break-in from the cover-up.