Professor Nicole Hemmer

And then Barry Goldwater, when the evidence of the tapes comes out, he feels that Nixon had lied to them. He felt very betrayed, as did many people across the ideological spectrum in the Republican Party. And so he walks very famously down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Oval Office and tells Nixon that he has lost the support of his most ardent supporters.

And then Barry Goldwater, when the evidence of the tapes comes out, he feels that Nixon had lied to them. He felt very betrayed, as did many people across the ideological spectrum in the Republican Party. And so he walks very famously down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Oval Office and tells Nixon that he has lost the support of his most ardent supporters.

And so then it becomes very clear that there's going to be this transition and that he's either going to be impeached or he needs to resign. What's really interesting is, you know, of course, Gerald Ford gets this phone call. But one of the really interesting people that I studied in my recent book on cable television is this person called Clay Whitehead.

And so then it becomes very clear that there's going to be this transition and that he's either going to be impeached or he needs to resign. What's really interesting is, you know, of course, Gerald Ford gets this phone call. But one of the really interesting people that I studied in my recent book on cable television is this person called Clay Whitehead.

And so then it becomes very clear that there's going to be this transition and that he's either going to be impeached or he needs to resign. What's really interesting is, you know, of course, Gerald Ford gets this phone call. But one of the really interesting people that I studied in my recent book on cable television is this person called Clay Whitehead.

And he was actually part of this team that was assembled of... of former Nixon advisors and people that were really trusted, not because they were outside of the inner circles of this Watergate. And they started preparing for this transition. So they're starting to think, what will a transition look like? And, you know, this is happening throughout the summer of 74. So there's an entire team.

And he was actually part of this team that was assembled of... of former Nixon advisors and people that were really trusted, not because they were outside of the inner circles of this Watergate. And they started preparing for this transition. So they're starting to think, what will a transition look like? And, you know, this is happening throughout the summer of 74. So there's an entire team.

And he was actually part of this team that was assembled of... of former Nixon advisors and people that were really trusted, not because they were outside of the inner circles of this Watergate. And they started preparing for this transition. So they're starting to think, what will a transition look like? And, you know, this is happening throughout the summer of 74. So there's an entire team.

So it's not just Gerald Ford that's thinking through it. There's an entire team of people that, you know, were not embroiled in the Watergate scandal, that were known for bringing, you know, this public service, this commitment to public service, not this partisan politics, this corrupt politics from the Nixon administration that then were helping Gerald Ford prepare.

So it's not just Gerald Ford that's thinking through it. There's an entire team of people that, you know, were not embroiled in the Watergate scandal, that were known for bringing, you know, this public service, this commitment to public service, not this partisan politics, this corrupt politics from the Nixon administration that then were helping Gerald Ford prepare.

So it's not just Gerald Ford that's thinking through it. There's an entire team of people that, you know, were not embroiled in the Watergate scandal, that were known for bringing, you know, this public service, this commitment to public service, not this partisan politics, this corrupt politics from the Nixon administration that then were helping Gerald Ford prepare.

Ford was not involved in these final decisions that Richard Nixon is making. Indeed, many people who suspected that some deal was struck about a pardon that would come later would would fabricate this idea that there is this internal conspiracy. But in fact, the historical records don't show that at all.

Ford was not involved in these final decisions that Richard Nixon is making. Indeed, many people who suspected that some deal was struck about a pardon that would come later would would fabricate this idea that there is this internal conspiracy. But in fact, the historical records don't show that at all.

Ford was not involved in these final decisions that Richard Nixon is making. Indeed, many people who suspected that some deal was struck about a pardon that would come later would would fabricate this idea that there is this internal conspiracy. But in fact, the historical records don't show that at all.

And in fact, you know, Gerald Ford understood that this was likely going to play and that he was going to step in into this unprecedented role. And he focused his time not on influencing Nixon, but on preparing for this very heavy weight of responsibility that he was going to have to bear by taking up the presidency after something that was truly unprecedented, after a two year process.

And in fact, you know, Gerald Ford understood that this was likely going to play and that he was going to step in into this unprecedented role. And he focused his time not on influencing Nixon, but on preparing for this very heavy weight of responsibility that he was going to have to bear by taking up the presidency after something that was truly unprecedented, after a two year process.

And in fact, you know, Gerald Ford understood that this was likely going to play and that he was going to step in into this unprecedented role. And he focused his time not on influencing Nixon, but on preparing for this very heavy weight of responsibility that he was going to have to bear by taking up the presidency after something that was truly unprecedented, after a two year process.

constitutional crisis and that he was going to be the one, the unlikely leader to push people to help them grapple with the tragedy, the trauma that they had endured. And so that was his focus, more on the responsibilities that he knew he was going to assume at this unprecedented time.

constitutional crisis and that he was going to be the one, the unlikely leader to push people to help them grapple with the tragedy, the trauma that they had endured. And so that was his focus, more on the responsibilities that he knew he was going to assume at this unprecedented time.

constitutional crisis and that he was going to be the one, the unlikely leader to push people to help them grapple with the tragedy, the trauma that they had endured. And so that was his focus, more on the responsibilities that he knew he was going to assume at this unprecedented time.