The Unknown Comparisons between Donald Trump and Richard Nixon during their Presidencies

    Trump’s impeachment inquiry wasn’t our first time dealing with this challenging process. While Richard Nixon never got impeached, his conduct exemplifies one of an impeached president. His behavior played a significant factor during Richard Nixon’s presidency and led to him resigning later on. Holding such a powerful position within the United States government requires extreme discipline and loyalty to the country’s needs. With more and more presidents incoming, it likely won’t be the last time a president is within grasp of impeachment. These scandals connected the ideas of abuse of power, covered-up involvement, and how it affected their public view.  

    Both Trump and Nixon, while never getting convicted, were accused of being a part of their respective scandals. Trump was accused of being involved in the Trump–Ukraine scandal, and Nixon was accused of being involved in the Watergate Scandal. Despite being more than 40 years apart, these scandals were highly similar. The Republican party was home to both of them and could be a substantial factor in what both of their scandals were focused on. The two scandals were involved in hindering their opposition, the democratic party. Nixon’s Watergate Scandal was mainly focused on the idea that he was involved in the Democratic National Committee headquarters break-in, which was located at the Watergate Office Building, hence the name, Watergate Scandal. Trump’s Trump-Ukraine scandal was mainly focused on the idea that he was pressuring Ukraine into publishing blemishing information about the candidate for the Democratic party, Joe Biden. It also included spreading false information about Russia being involved in the 2016 United States election. This information on the scandals is vital to comparing the two events. 

    Numerous points that aren’t explicit to the eye are shown in each that are connected. One issue is that they were accused of attempting to cover up specific events. Nixon was charged with having his administration cover up his involvement with the scandal, and Trump of having white house officials cover up his abuse of power for personal gain. These cover-ups are interchangeable in how both were perceived to deal with the accusations. These cover-ups show that there is a substantially big reason for having the motives to be involved. 

    Whistleblowers were pivotal in receiving information on both Trump and Nixon. Without whistleblowers, pushing the Trump-Ukraine and Watergate scandal wouldn’t have been possible. Both scandals had a main whistleblower exposing the information, Mark Felt who was known as “Deep Throat,” exposing Watergate, and Alex Vindman, an Army Lieutenant Colonel on Trump-Ukraine. The outcome of both of these presidents was due to the information whistleblowers were providing to journalists. 

    

    After carefully researching the motives for both Nixon and Trump, Nixon’s scandal was found to be connected to the Committee for the Re-Election of the President. In contrast, Trump’s scandal was found to be targeting his main adversary to become president again. When looking at both connections, they both lead back to the election process. This could be seen as a way for both of them to use the power that they currently have as president to give themselves an advantage when it comes to the election following their current term. In Trump’s case, whether or not the scandal affected is running, he was beaten out by Joe Biden, who was said to be targeted by his scandal. However, in Nixon’s case, he stepped down from the presidency, knowing he was within reach of getting removed from office. As shown by the motives between the two former presidents, there are clear connections. Overall, the ideas of abuse of power, covering up involvement, and how it affected their public view support the comparison of Richard Nixon’s Watergate Scandal and Donald Trump’s Trump-Ukraine scandal.

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