Garrett Graff, the author of “Watergate: A New History,” talks with WTOP about some of the myths surrounding the scandal and the ‘original sin’ that started it all.
As the 50th anniversary of the break-in approaches, a recent book charts the transformation of the Nixon administration’s bungled burglary to a redefinition of America’s relationship with its leaders and institutions.
At least Donald Trump s smoking gun tape is simpler than Richard Nixon s.
Schoolchildren can easily grasp Trump s high crime, in contrast to the complex, Machiavellian plot immortalized on the tape that led to Nixon s downfall. It will be harder to explain to them why congressional Republicans decided to hold Nixon accountable, but not Trump.
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It certainly wasn t for lack of evidence. The tape is clear. Children can identify the principle at stake. They understand cheating. They know that the loser of a race should not declare himself the winner. They know it s wrong for the loser to try to change the results of the race by threatening those who keep the score and enforce the rules.