Vice President JD Vance has drawn a parallel between the downfall of Richard Nixon and the experiences of Donald Trump, suggesting a "deep state" orchestrated efforts against both presidencies. Vance spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California earlier this week as part of a media tour for his new memoir.
"If you look at the story of how the ‘deep state’ took down Richard Nixon, it’s not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions tried to do to Donald Trump and the first Trump administration," Vance stated, asserting, "There is a parallel."
Vance, 41, also appeared to compare his own career trajectory to that of Nixon, who became vice president in his early forties. "Young senator, vice president, writes some best-selling books, is hated by the media," Vance mused, adding, "It kind of sounds like JD Vance. … I’ve always liked Richard Nixon."
Regarding the Watergate scandal, which led to Nixon's resignation in 1974, Vance suggested its impact would be less severe if it occurred today. "As I joked … backstage, if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story," he said. "The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy."
The Watergate scandal originated from a 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington and subsequent efforts by the Nixon administration to conceal its involvement. Nixon ultimately resigned to avoid impeachment proceedings.
In contrast, Vance noted that Trump remained in office throughout two impeachment attempts. Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for his actions on January 6, 2021, preceding the Capitol riot.
Vance also spoke about foreign policy, comparing Nixon's withdrawal from Vietnam to Trump's approach. "One of the other lessons of Richard Nixon is it’s not just that he got out of Vietnam, but that he got out of Vietnam from a position of strength," Vance remarked. He elaborated, "It’s one thing to tuck tail and run. It’s another thing to clearly define an objective, to accomplish that objective and then to ensure that you don’t allow mission creep to transform a victory into a defeat."
Following Nixon's resignation, lawmakers did not proceed with impeachment. His successor, Vice President Gerald Ford, later issued a controversial pardon to Nixon.
