It's Saturday. Today, the 40th anniversary of something that actually started on Friday and ended on Saturday that involved the presidency.
Image may be NSFW.
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Yes. On August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon became the first president -- and ideally the last -- to voluntarily resign from the presidency. On August 9, Nixon and his family left the White House and Gerald Ford, who had become vice president when Spiro Agnew resigned the Vice Presidency in October 1973 (he pled no contest to charges of bribery, tax fraud, extortion and conspiracy connected with his term as Governor of Maryland), was sworn in as the 38th President of the United States.
This is how I explained this in the context of a diary I wrote about Watergate in my US since 1865 series for History for Kossacks. We begin on May 9, 1974:
Finally, the House Judiciary Committee went on television to present the articles of impeachment they prepared on July 25. I CANNOT go any further without presenting you with Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-TX) on the subject of impeachment during this broadcast. It's not her complete remarks, but it's enough to let you know the impact. As you listen to her, think about the conduct of the House in preparing the articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton.Isn't it amazing that the three Republican presidents after Ford were arguably worse than Nixon? Happy Saturday, all.The next day, the House reported out three articles of impeachment: I. Preventing, obstructing, and impeding the administration of justice concerning the Watergate investigation: 27-11 (twenty-one Democrats [that's all of them] and six Republicans for). II. Conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens concerning illegal wiretaps, and misuse of the FBI, the CIA, and the IRS: 27-11 (twenty-one Democrats and six Republicans for). III. Failure to produce subpoena-ed material “to the manifest injury of the people of the United States” and in violation of the Constitution: 28-10 (twenty-one Democrats and seven Republicans for).
While the committee was voting, Nixon’s lawyers were listening to the tapes, and what they heard staggered them, especially the tape of June 23, 1972 – six days after the break in – in which Nixon ordered the CIA to stop the FBI from investigating. This was the “smoking gun” that for many people cinched the case. When tapes were released to the public on August 5, the pressure on Nixon to resign became overwhelming. It became clear to him that he could count on no more than 15 senators to support him. Thus, Nixon gave an unapologetic speech the evening of August 8, in which he told American people he’d resign.
Image may be NSFW.Gerald Ford was sworn in as President the next morning, and the Nixon family flew off to their residence in San Clemente, California.
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