45 years after Nixon, Trump faces impeachment

On August 7, 1974, a trio of top Republican leaders went to the White House and told President Richard Nixon that party support was eroding and impeachment was inevitable.

He resigned the next day.

Fast forward 45 years, and another US president, Donald Trump, is facing impeachment by the House of Representatives and a potential trial in the Senate.

Unlike Nixon, however, Trump appears to enjoy—at least for the time being—the support of Republican lawmakers, and has given no hint that he’ll buckle in the face of what he calls a partisan “witch hunt.”

“Part of the story of Watergate and the investigation is watching Republicans peel off, start to call into question their support for Nixon,” said Kevin Mattson, a professor of contemporary history at Ohio University.

“Now they just seem to be stiffening,” said Mattson, author of “Rebels All!: A Short History of the Conservative Mind in Postwar America.”

“Partisanship is so much stronger today than it was back in the days of Watergate.”

Trump is accused of withholding vital military aid from Ukraine, a country at war with Russia, in a bid to elicit political dirt on potential 2020 Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Adam Schiff, chairman of the Democratic-controlled House committee conducting the impeachment inquiry, claimed that Trump’s conduct goes “beyond anything Nixon did.”

“What we’ve seen here is far more serious than a third-rate burglary of the Democratic headquarters,” Schiff said in a reference to the 1972 break-in at the Watergate hotel that led to a cover-up attempt and eventually Nixon’s resignation.

Trump, like Nixon, is accused of “using the powers of the presidency for personal political reasons,” said Jon Marshall, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

But the accusations against Trump are indeed more serious than those facing Nixon, said Louis Caldera, who served as Secretary of the Army under president Bill Clinton and now teaches at American University. “One is just about domestic politics,” Caldera said, while Trump “withheld military aid to an ally at war.”

“He’s not advancing legitimate US national or foreign policy ends,” he said. “He’s basically trying to stir the pot to create problems for a political rival.”

 

45 years after Nixon, Trump faces impeachment

On August 7, 1974, a trio of top Republican leaders went to the White House and told President Richard Nixon that party support was eroding and impeachment was inevitable. He resigned the next day. Fast forward 45 years, and another US president, Donald Trump, is facing impeachment by the House of Representatives and a potential trial in the Senate. Unlike Nixon, however, Trump appears to enjoyat least for the time beingthe support of Republican lawmakers, and has given no hint that hell buckle in the face of what he calls a partisan witch hunt. Part of the story of Watergate and the investigation is watching Republicans peel off, start to call into question their support for Nixon, said Kevin Mattson, a professor of contemporary history at Ohio University. Now they just seem to be stiffening, said Mattson, author of Rebels All!: A Short History of the Conservative Mind in Postwar America. Partisanship is so much stronger today than it was back in the days of Watergate. Trump is accused of withholding vital military aid from Ukraine, a country at war with Russia, in a bid to elicit political dirt on potential 2020 Democratic rival Joe Biden. Adam Schiff, chairman of the Democratic-controlled House committee conducting the impeachment inquiry, claimed that Trumps conduct goes beyond anything Nixon did. What weve seen here is far more serious than a third-rate burglary of the Democratic headquarters, Schiff said in a reference to the 1972 break-in at the Watergate hotel that led to a cover-up attempt and eventually Nixons resignation. Trump, like Nixon, is accused of using the powers of the presidency for personal political reasons, said Jon Marshall, an assistant professor at Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism. But the accusations against Trump are indeed more serious than those facing Nixon, said Louis Caldera, who served as Secretary of the Army under president Bill Clinton and now teaches at American University. One is just about domestic politics, Caldera said, while Trump withheld military aid to an ally at war. Hes not advancing legitimate US national or foreign policy ends, he said. Hes basically trying to stir the pot to create problems for a political rival.