What Was Watergate?

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Mr. Beat explains the Watergate scandal.
Produced by Matt Beat. All images and video by Matt Beat, used under fair use guidelines, or found in the public domain. Music by @Electric Needle Room (Mr. Beat's band) and Underbelly & Ty Mayer. Thanks to Steven Beat for helping me with this video!
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Sources/further reading:
All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
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The Watergate: Inside America's Most Infamous Address by Joseph Rodota
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Watergate is the biggest political scandal in American history. It led to a major setback for the Republican Party, especially as they lost many seats in Congress in the 1974 midterm elections. Watergate dramatically increased cynicism and distrust of the federal government, which had already been on the rise due to its lies revolving around the Vietnam War. #watergate #ushistory #apush

[@iammrbeat]

How would Americans respond differently if Watergate happened today?

[@Snowboi1963]

POV of trumpies: "iT's FaKe NeWs By ThE DeMoCrAtS!!!!1!1!1!!"

[@Iamrightyouarewrong]

Has it not?

[@ottovonbismarck1352]

Honestly, it would be expected considering how cyclical the American public is.

[@freddyfootstomps6557]

Regardless of which wing, the other would vehemently deny that it happened or that it is important.

[@NineNoRouge]

It did happen, Trump constantly applied pressure to the Attorney General to fire anyone investigating him. And got away with it.

[@PsychoSavager289]

As a non-American, I always thought the Watergate scandal came out to the public, and then Nixon resigned shortly afterwards. I didn't realise there were several years and an election in between!

[@ScooterinAB]

Same. Good ol' coverups.

[@Licardo7]

Bro I thought this and I am American

[@haliegh134679]

me too… and i’m a 20yo american. ooooof. questioning my ap us history grade and test score lmaoooooo

[@JTCLT]

Sadly, many of the details of the Watergate Scandal were lost over time, but I remember it very well. I was in University as the Watergate Hearings began in Congress and spent hours of my time between class watching it “live” on television in the Student Center. Oddly enough, there are many similarities between Nixon and Trump in how they refused to cooperate with the Courts and Congressional requests for evidence and testimony. The real differences are: Nixon was a very astute attorney who over estimated his authority as POTUS, AND the Republican Party chose quickly to side with “truth” and not support the Watergate schemers and Nixon. Nixon surely would’ve been impeached and removed from office if he had chosen to stay in office, and he clearly knew this. I still have a “cassette” tape I made of his resignation speech!

[@haliegh134679]

@@JTCLT thank you so much for sharing your viewpoint!! i vaguely remember my AP Lang and AP US History teachers mentioning it, but honestly Red Forman's character in That Seventies Show was first thing to introduce me to anything about the political climate around Watergate (most specifically, around Nixon's pardon). Your take is very interesting, I really appreciate it! Also, you should see about getting those cassettes converted to digital media- the lifespan of tape in cassettes and VHS is limited, and eventually the footage will erode.

[@wglattli]

I was born in 1968 so this happened before I came along. But when I was a teenager, I asked my grandfather, who was a lifelong democrat and followed political news avidly, about his views on this event. He said that, "In my opinion, Nixon did not do anything that previous presidents had not done. He just got caught."

[@williamwingo8952]

And then he tried to cover it up and lied about it.

[@lisahayes8834]

How did this happen before you came along? You were born in 1968, and the Watergate scandal began four years AFTER, in June 1972.

[@supremeastro5300]

@@lisahayes8834 He was 4. Typically, 4 year olds are not very politically active

[@Themystergamerr]

@@supremeastro5300 still though, it didn't happen before he was born

[@nickthompson1812]

@@supremeastro5300 so… I’m not really here until I’m politically active?

[@patrickking5883]

I had a teacher who was asked what watergate was and he said “a hotel and office complex in Washington DC.” Gotta love that history teacher humor

[@ThePsychicFish]

😂😂 technically true lmao

[@arcanondrum6543]

Ahh yes, "...Those who DON'T know, Teach." I'll bet if you ask that same turd about "Lewinsky-Gate" he will get his Panties in a bunch over a Consensual Sexual Affair between 2 adults. ALL Articles of Impeachment are Public Record and so, can easily be looked up online and say; compared with one-another.

[@williamwingo8952]

And Chappaquiddick is an island off Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

[@arcanondrum6543]

@@williamwingo8952 Well, certainly driving drunk and (unintentionally) killing the woman that you were going to have Consensual Sex with is bad. Nixon however, intended to end Democracy - I'd say that is much, much worse.

[@williamwingo8952]

@@arcanondrum6543 Everything on that list is an assumption. It's possible that nobody actually knows what really happened. Ms. Kopechne was dead; and the senator, the only other witness, was possibly affected by fatigue, alcohol, shock, etc. Certainly there were enough inconsistencies in his official statements to cast doubt over the whole thing. But I think the biggest irony is that Richard Nixon and Edward Kennedy each forfeited the presidency, and in pretty much the same way: by making one monumental stupid mistake, and then lying about it. And Bill Clinton came close. Even today, if you say "Chappaquiddick," "Watergate," or "Monica Lewinski", everybody immediately knows what you're talking about.

[@gummy5862]

It's weird learning about this as someone born in the 2000s because I'm listening and I can't truly grasp the significance. Like, corruption and coverups are just something I've grown to expect and even accept.

[@Potatotenkopf]

Corruption was even more common back then, people were just way less alert than today.

[@CrawleonDunger]

I'm not from the US so this might be a dumb question but what actual coverups there has been done by the US government? I see these Americans everywhere talking about how deceptive and untrustful their government is but that's often related to some shady conspiracy theory type shit.

[@Jimmyvdpost]

That's pretty sad 😂

[@JoshPillault]

@@Jimmyvdpostwhat you doing here Jimmy

[@tristendraper9344]

@@Potatotenkopfexactly, the internet makes it harder for them to cover their tracks.

[@crying2emoji5]

My mom told me that the watergate scandal was the only thing she ever saw make her dad cry. She was watching him while he looked at the tv screen and he looked at her with tears in his eyes and said, “Lisa… we can’t trust our government anymore.” To hear a story like that about my hard ass militaristic grandfather was pretty jarring. I never met him but my mom stressed that he’d never question the government before that time

[@Potatotenkopf]

Nixon and the US government discreetly drop more bombs on a tiny Asian country than they did on nazi Germany; I sleep Nixon orders some cronies to break into the other party headquarters; REAL SHIT

[@radekseky4571]

Very sad in its way(

[@4gegtyreeyuyeddffvyt]

They’re all crooks and criminals! Biden is a crook! Trump is a crook ! Obama is a crook! Bush is a crook! Clinton is a crook!

[@classicist17]

No way bro cried bcz of that 💀😭

[@dingus6076]

@@classicist17I know you think it’s funny, your a kid or a teenager or something. The difference between you and the commenters grandad is you never lived in a loving community where you felt a strong connection to every person around. You never really loved your country like he did, fought for it like he did, or probably even talked about it like he did, so keep thinking it’s funny but you’ll never experience that same love for your country people of the past did and you’ll never trust your government like they once did

[@NoahRamseysGhost]

You gotta love how Nixon dropped 2.5 Million tons of bombs on Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, backed and armed Pakistan in the Bangladeshi genocide, and was involved in numerous coups and regime changes in Latin America, (including Pinochet’s regime, which imprisoned, tortured and killed 40,000+ people) but he’s only remembered as bad for this.

[@iammrbeat]

I mean, you can't pin ALL the blame on Nixon for the American war crimes of the era, but it is important to bring this up, and I'm glad you did.

[@prisonislandhead7610]

His and Kissimgers forwign policy reasoning was interesting I recommend looking into it. He had Wilsonian ideals for international relations.

[@prisonislandhead7610]

Kissinger*

[@tomhalla426]

Nixon also imposed wage and price controls, and vastly expanded Federal criminal law. Nixon was an offender of everyone.

[@prisonislandhead7610]

@@tomhalla426 don't forget about the EPA

[@m3rl707]

I remember back in 1992 there was joke by NPR that said Nixon was running for reelection. His slogan was "I didnt do anything wrong, and I wont do it again"

[@iammrbeat]

Wait NPR aired that joke? That's brilliant.

[@Compucles]

There's also the newspaper in the bad timeline in "Back to the Future 2" that said Nixon was running for a 5th term. Apparently, Biff Tannen became so powerful that he pushed down investigative journalism across the country to the point that Nixon was never exposed, and Nixon then became so powerful in turn that he managed to get the 22nd Amendment repealed.

[@m3rl707]

@@iammrbeat and people were furious so they called off the prank within minutes.

[@wwc51450]

NPR is, and always has been, a leftist organ. Biden makes Nixon look like a saint.

[@memookiwidoo]

"Tanned, rested, and ready"

[@zacharyparker995]

Amazing to me that Wills was only 24 at the time he discovered the break in. He had the wisdom to know something weird was going on and the composure to do the right thing about it. If it wasn't for him, Nixon might've gotten away with it.

[@iammrbeat]

And thank goodness Forrest Gump called him! Just kidding, yeah Wills was amazing.

[@alexanderg1297]

Forest Gump was the one who discovered it. Don’t let the opinion of one individual sway your interpretation.

[@kappadarwin9476]

I heard the whole Forest Gump thing was really something that a lot of people in the Black community hated. I didn't know why until I saw this video.

[@str.77]

"Nixon might've gotten away with it" Gotten away with what? It is unlikely that Nixon ordered the burglary.

[@EastBurningRed]

@@kappadarwin9476 I mean forest was also named after the creator of the kkk. It portrayed the black panther party very negatively. And bubba was a bad stereotype of an uneducated black person.

[@vizzraak7229]

17:10 ah yes, the system of checks and balances worked seamlessly. Nixon was able to escape all legal recourse by simply stepping down, allowing his own vice president to give him a full pardon. I sure am glad this executive branch power to pardon whoever you want isn't ridiculously overpowered.

[@davidtucker9498]

He could have pardoned himself. Congress only had the power to remove him from office. Nixon did it himself to maintain some dignity. The confusion comes from the fact the Impeachment is INTENDED to be enacted only when the President has committed a very serious crime, and historically every Impeachment charged the President with a crime, until Donald Trump, who was impeached without being charged with a single actual crime...

[@oscara8454]

Ford's pardon made him so unpopular that it torpedoed any chance he had at being elected.

[@samuelmade5776]

American democracy at its best

[@nicolelala10]

Ah, yes, the awakening of cynicism in America! I lived through this as a child, and later taught American History, and still struggle with truth v fiction.

[@elir6919]

Here’s the flaw in your argument the VP didn’t need to do so. Why he did it was to be in the graces of the republic party. Also it would look extremely bad if a former president was a prisoner. So yes the system does work it simply isn’t perfect because perfection is subjective.

[@haileym3088]

6:50 “John Mitchell had his wife kind of kidnapped” is a complete understatement. They held Martha Mitchell captive in a hotel and country club for more than a WEEK, got a doctor to drug her, and assaulted her to keep her from talking to the press. Afterwards they made every attempt to publicly humiliate, discredit her, ignore her and in the end was abandoned by her family. It’s truly disgusting and the fact that her own husband was in on it is heartbreaking.

[@jacksondimarcodavila8618]

@@haileym3088 Thank you for providing this. I will look into her story more. She deserves to, at the very least, be remembered. The complete betrayal. I cannot imagine.

[@MomentsInTrading]

I was 7 when this happened. One thing that cannot be understated was how much this changed the public view and trust of government.

[@republitarian484]

And yet the same idiuts that took Nixon down want the Federal Government to run everything. . . so much of your "trust of government" comment.

[@l3g3ndarybanana]

Ruby ridge is my fav representation of "your gov cares".

[@medes5597]

Most academics consider that to be a myth. It's an idealised view that people want to believe but within 6 years Republicans were the most popular party, more openly corrupt than ever and winning 50 state landslides.

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

History is written by the victors. In this case, the Left.

[@Heyu7her3]

You mean of the Silent Majority... other groups were already disillusioned

[@gordonhaire9206]

The security guard removed the tape, and didn't call the cops until he found the locks retaped open. The Watergate scandal made me change my major from psychology to journalism. It changed my life.

[@abm1623]

that is so cool

[@JohnSmith-ct5jd]

Yeah, and are you as interested in the scandals of the Biden Administration? Of course not. You only care about scandals related to those whose views you disagree. You are part of the problem, and why we have fake news. What is your opinion of Kyle Rittenhouse? Still think he shot peaceful protestors? How about Nick Sandman? Still think he smirked at a "Native American elder"?

[@Maxbronx4122]

Why did it make you change your major from psychology to journalism?

[@jdools4744]

I’m sorry to hear you

[@trpimirkarlovic838]

Very bad degree

[@leftyguitarist8989]

The funny thing is that the break-in was completely unnecessary since the 1972 primaries were a 3 way tie between George McGovern (who only won Massachusetts), George Wallace (wouldn't've done much better than he did in 1968), and Hubert Humphrey (who would've held his own but still likely would've lost to Nixon).

[@iammrbeat]

Which, almost unbelievably, makes Nixon somewhat of a tragic figure.

[@ReinholdOtto]

@@iammrbeat I once read that the objective of the break in was to make sure McGovern would become the candidate.

[@antoniokastrocarlisledemel6617]

i wrote a similar comment before i read yours..in the end there was no reason for him to cheat

[@str.77]

@@iammrbeat Indeed. Especially, since this whole chain of events was set of by Nixon's attempts to stop the leaking of information about the previous administration (Pentagon Papers). As the legal institutions like the Supreme Court refused to be of any aid in this, Nixon went down the covert path of the Plumbers, which eventually got out hand.

[@str.77]

@@ReinholdOtto The objective of the break-in (photos, wiretapping) was to get information. The break-in as such had no direct preferred candidate.

[@levi-ym3jv]

Who ever named the sub oceangate is some kind of prophet

[@qhu3878]

oh my fucking god you're right

[@justarandomgothamite5466]

Listen in the beginning I genuinely thought that was the name of the scandal it took me _days_ to realise I was wrong.

[@ChevailerHere]

"Water-Gate is arguably the biggest political scandal in American history" the timing of this video being months before the Jan 6th Commission is too perfect

[@noemitellez3098]

Can you elaborate? Was the riot not planned/enacted only by constituents?

[@ChevailerHere]

@@noemitellez3098 sorry i didn't mean the actual commission itself, rather the fact that all of the details of Jan 6th showing the extent of involvement of Trump and his circle being revealed to the public, showcasing the full scandal

[@mctriplefatal]

I’d say it was either watergate, the incident you described, or the discovery of COINTELPRO

[@jamaicanjuice8684]

@@ChevailerHere that would require there to be actual evidence. Of which there is none. Which is why he walks free. Bipartisan.

[@samuelbucher5189]

This didn't age well, lmao.

[@anarcho-boulangistllamaent2023]

"Sounds like someone´s breaking in" "Just the storm Dick, sit down"

[@prisonislandhead7610]

Why is HE here!? He lost!

[@josephcarter6294]

@@prisonislandhead7610 “ it appears the pentagon has been breached “

[@daviddickson1415]

“Gentlemen, in times like these, our capacity to retaliate must be-and has to be massive! -To deter all forms of aggression.”

[@JJMcCullough]

Along with "All the Presidents' Men," another good, and often forgotten film about Watergate is Oliver Stone's "Nixon" starring Anthony Hopkins. Although if I recall correctly, it also implies the 18 minute gap has something to do with Nixon knowing about the Kennedy assassination.

[@ChrisKat]

That’s Oliver Stone for ya. His films are fine historically, but he loves to attempt to push his own (sometimes crazy) connections and analysis into his docs and biopics.

[@prisonislandhead7610]

Oliver Stone is prone to conspiracy theory, he gets given a pass for some reason. I dislike the Nixon movie solely because of the Mao meeting scene

[@prisonislandhead7610]

@@ChrisKat friend of mine summed it up best as "He's michael Moore but with better film making"

[@elicarlson7682]

Hi JJ

[@georgeiii2998]

Hi JJ

[@matthewdrews]

Honestly, the greatest part of this story for me is the investigative reporting by Woodward and Bernstein.

[@iammrbeat]

Their work is a big reason why enrollment skyrocketed at Journalism schools across the country afterward.

[@shawnkennedy855]

@@iammrbeat The L.A.Times did as much if not more investigative reporting than those two frauds

[@ManuelFernandez-di4lx]

Saving distances, this movie also showed me how any research, even scientific and sociological should be carried out, do the right and factual thing disregarding feelings and trying to be as unbiased as possible, and if you're the superior trust in your employees/ researchers, let their body of work speak for them if the hypothesis is properly stated, the experiments well designed, the logic sound, and the facts are clear, the truth will find it's way naturally

[@smokindragn1]

For me it was Forrest Gump's involvement

[@deaddropholiday]

@@iammrbeat People are always more influenced by myths than reality. Had they known Woodward's origins and the folk he worked alongside prior to being parachuted into the Post (with very little experience) - I'm guessing they might not have been so impressed.

[@Maring0418]

I love your videos. The dead-pan approach to comedic stuff, the post ironic awkwardness of the dialogue between people, and the extremely well-informed and easy to understand information. All of it is just charming, fascinating and interesting. I'm from Sweden and learning about the U.S. of A. is an amazing way of understanding world politics of the 1900's.

[@eliskagray1546]

I always though Watergate had something to do with water or something to that. Boy was I wrong. I felt so dumb. Now I know. Thanks Mr Beat for educating me.

[@evantambolang3052]

Same here

[@therealtony2009]

nixons been stealin all of our watar!!!!

[@davidjohnmiller4849]

It was MILK , the dairy council was bribing then president Nixon to say “ all school kids must have three eight ounce glasses of milk per day “ and the head of the dairy council was Billy Graham ... ya that Billy Graham

[@heartz4tswift]

@@eliskagray1546 i thought watergate was connected to ocean gate, clearly i was wrong lmao

[@josemeraz4428]

Dems don’t talk about it

[@johnchessant3012]

Fun fact: Earl Warren, who despised Nixon starting from when he was governor of California while Nixon was a rising politician in the state, was visited by his former colleagues Bill Brennan and Bill Douglas in the hospital hours before he died in July 1974. They assured him that the court would vote unanimously in United States v. Nixon to compel the release of the tapes. Nixon resigned one month later.

[@justisolated5621]

Fact: Earl Warren was also the judge in the case of Jim Garrison accusing Clay Shaw for being connected with the assassination of Kennedy, Nixon's friend

[@arcanondrum6543]

MORE "Fun Facts" : Ronald Reagan's first choice (as President) for a position on the Supreme Court? Robert Bork -> 12:10 Bork the Dork eventually withdrew his name from consideration after push back from Democrats BUT the corporate owned media was already getting well practiced at muddying the waters for their "corporate boy" Reagan and did not cover the story in simple, clear terms. You had to know history to understand the importance.

[@arcanondrum6543]

...it was a very deliberate tactic by the way. All sorts Republican defense of Bork followed up with "anger" directed at Democrats. Once that smokescreen drama was over, Reagan simply appointed ANOTHER Republican scumbag and corporate owned media obediently yawned.

[@ninaappelt9001]

The very same Earl Warren that led and stood by the Warren report on the JFK assassination which in opinion was an 800+ page cover-up.

[@mrsnufflegums]

Watergate is huge, I'm studying law and I don't think I've had a semester where we haven't discussed Watergate since fall 2020. Apparently Barry Goldwater told Nixon that the votes for impeachment were there in the Senate the day before Nixon's resignation, by a long shot from members of both parties.

[@iammrbeat]

I read that, too. Nixon was like "you can't fire me, I quit!"

[@str.77]

The Senate doesn't vote on impeaching a president, the House does. Or are you saying that 67 senators were prepared to remove Nixon from office?

[@SandfordSmythe]

@@str.77 Senate will try him.

[@str.77]

@@SandfordSmythe I know. That's not what he said!

[@jeffbybee5207]

@@str.77 is right the house impeaches that is like an indiment and the senate tries the president alas there would have likely been 67 votes to convict

[@barbarakiewe2870]

Seems so quaint by today's standards. It seems like something similar happens everyday now and the public is just like "yawn". The only difference I see is the politicians today say "oh I disputed that so it's debunked" and the press is just like "oh, okay". The press's dereliction of duty is most likely what will ultimately be the cause of America's demise

[@iammrbeat]

I agree with you

[@TheJingles007]

Yup. Or the media straight up protecting politicians, like the did with Biden over the Hunter Biden laptop (which even CNN is now admitting is real and not fake news)

[@johndoe-fq7ez]

Exactly sir, what Nixon “did” wasn’t even that bad, things of that nature happened before and after him, he was just targeted as someone the intelligence agency’s wanted to take out. They can get rid of anybody if they want and they have enough on ALL recent past presidents to do so

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

The Press are a bunch of liars, and they enjoy being Liars.

[@mike04574]

Difference is the bribing

[@marb3909]

I feel like there would have been absolutely no justice if this had occurred in todays time

[@4gegtyreeyuyeddffvyt]

Biden and trump make Nixon look like a Choirboy! A choirboy’

[@omoba3000]

@@4gegtyreeyuyeddffvyt what about George f'ing Bush?

[@Livinthelife1992]

Amen!!!!!!

[@benandemmasmom]

I was a politically aware teenager when this was happening. I remember being angry when Ford pardoned Nixon. I'm far more scared for our country with Trump.

[@marktheshark2569]

Why, you should be scared that our current “president” can’t finish sentences and looks like a corpse

[@oliviahyerobrine]

@marktheshark2569 sounds like you can 'be ben' finish sentences so maybe we should be worried for all our old ass presidents and the iq of our people

[@chickentoucher55]

Seemed you never got over that teenage phase of not understanding the world

[@chickentoucher55]

@@oliviahyerobrineiq and the amount of times your phone autocorrects you aren’t correlated

[@marktheshark2569]

@@oliviahyerobrine mine was a typo on my phone but that’s how Biden always talks don’t know how you support a clown like that

[@onlythingtofearis]

As a non-American kid I thought that Watergate was a scandal relating to a water dam

[@lukedetering4490]

There are 4 types of gates: Watergate, Earthgate, Firegate, and Airgate. The avatar is the only one that can do all 4.

[@iammrbeat]

I think you came up with a great idea for a political tribute band.

[@andrewalderman9489]

Earthgate, Windgate and Firegate : You are a Shiningstar-Gate

[@bray7934]

2:54 I did not expect a Radiohead joke so out of left field. 10/10 Mr. Beat, keep up the good work!

[@iammrbeat]

My favorite band! I'm so glad you noticed. 🙂

[@mike04574]

That was? Thought it was just because of the play on the acronym

[@ezgolf1764]

@@mike04574 creep be playing in the background

[@hancocki]

musical puns always hit the right note for me. 😊😊

[@oliverplougmand2275]

@@iammrbeatRADIOHEAD IS MR BEATS FAVOURITE BAND?!?! OMG!!!!!

[@Jojo_jomo]

Virginian here…local legend has it that the lost tapes were burned in the fireplace of the Historic Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach and now there’s a distillery in the same basement as the fireplace called Tarnished Truth

[@abilshihadah4474]

Dude, your tutorials are hilarious. They always have me rolling with laughter. You need to post one on the Monica Lewinsky scandal

[@gorillaau]

Dressgate?

[@headlessnotahorseman]

She did a TED talk, it's very interesting.

[@jebharland1113]

Glad to see Mr. Beat standing up for the truth! #swallwelldidfartgate

[@iammrbeat]

Spread the word. Also, fun fact...the first album I ever bought was Under the Table and Dreaming by the Dave Matthews Band on cassette tape (currently it's your profile pic in case someone is reading this in the future after you change it)

[@republitarian484]

How about Mr. Beat do a video on how the Democrats have gotten us into almost all of our wars? How LBJ was responsible for the US officially entering the Vietnam War with the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

[@brenthunter7965]

​@@republitarian484 I dunno I guess he seems to like making videos that are informative and not cringe as fuck partisan dick sucking

[@Humanresouces]

​@@republitarian484There's a video called "Every presidents worst mistake." There he speaks about Obama and Trump overusing and wrongly using drone strikes, Johnson's escalation of the Vietnam war, W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq, Nixon's war on drugs, Clinton's telecom and crime bill, and so much more catastrophic decisions.

[@republitarian484]

@@Humanresouces . . . Trump overusing drone strikes? LOL. That was mainly Obama. How about you address my original point about how Democrats have gotten us into almost all of our major conflicts. Seems like we may be headed towards another with Ukraine.

[@SocialCreditScore]

I love a good American history scandal video from Mr Beat. It's always extremely informative

[@germanhess]

There is no American history

[@iammrbeat]

I'm so glad you think so. My social credit score just went up by hearting your comment.

[@jakubpociecha8819]

@@germanhess That's right, there's no United States, it's all Britain

[@jaeboogie2786]

If you find this scandal juicy you should check into all of Trumps scandal(s).

[@frazierl7898]

@@jaeboogie2786 if you think this one was juicy, you should look into the whole biden laptop issue, or the Hillary Clinton email debacle.

[@tsunderemerc2963]

Back then, Nixon steps down from president to avoid consequences. Now Trump steps up and becomes president to do the same thing. Crazy

[@RaisonDetre96]

@@tsunderemerc2963 If you think Trump is the worst thing to happen to politics, you have either a very myopic or childish view on the whole thing.

[@Autumn9]

I remember in my high school history class we watched All The President's Men, and while most of the other students were just bored and messing around on their phones I was actually fully entertained and riveted for the entire film. Good movie

[@grishmtandon40]

Honestly, compared to the corruption and nefarious behavior our politicians engage in today, watergate is a minor infraction.

[@iammrbeat]

You are forgetting the ridiculously corrupt politicians of the 1870s and 1880s

[@TheBeggies95]

@@iammrbeat He is not? He compared today to Watergate

[@Doublemonk0506]

​@TheBeggies95 , it's a colloquial phrase. It essentially mean, "If you think x is y, look at z"

[@Touhou-forever]

Kakuei Tanaka (田中 角栄) was Prime Minster of Japan said this"The pivotal role of the United States has not changed, so this internal affair will not be permitted to have an effect." His successor Takeo Miki (三木 武夫) also said this"At the time of the Watergate issue in America, I was deeply moved by the scene in the House Judiciary Committee, where each member of the committee expressed his own or her own heart based upon the spirit of the American Constitution. It was this attitude, I think, that rescued American democracy."

[@jorgeluz9560]

Great video, Mr. Beat! Times have truly changed... I highly doubt something would have the same repercussion today. I'd even argue the banalization of calling any minor scandal "-gate" helped make major political scandals seem much less important than they actually are.

[@WiloPolis03]

@Tom Edwards True, the problem is that the transition to third party would be really tough. We'd have two near identical Democrat & Republican candidates running.

[@jorgeluz9560]

@Dodger Gold yep, I don't know if it is true, but I remember reading somewhere that Watergate was one of the reasons Roger Ailes decided to found Fox News.

[@AllisterH]

@Dodger Gold Fox News EXIST because of Watergate. The founder of Fox News explicitly has said that he believed it was the liberal press of the time focusing on it and thus he created Fox News to be a supporter of the Republican party

[@traceandersonmusic]

One note about Forrest Gump, his Vietnam experience is loosely based on Medal of Honor recipient Sammy L. Davis. His Medal of Honor award ceremony footage was used and Tom Hanks’ head was superimposed over Davis’

[@draviddecoteau]

0:13 Bill-gate

[@Ricewarrior01]

I remember asking my uncle what is the watergate scandal and he told me that Nixon and his buddies went to his opponent's hotel the night before the debates and dug up a moat to stop them. I know what it is now, but I still picture bunch of old politicians digging a moat laughing like a Saturday morning cartoon villian every time it's mentioned.

[@scrapper70]

Love that this came out the day after I watch "all the presidents men" and "Nixon 1995" 😂 perfect timing

[@iammrbeat]

What did you think of those films?

[@scrapper70]

@@iammrbeat I quite liked both of them, this video basically summarized it all really well. I'm not to too familiar with American politics and past stuff (since I'm Canadian) but recently I've gained a massive fascination over it all

[@catatonicchutoy4970]

Hey Mr. Beat i hope you read this but, i just want to let you know your videos are amazing, your videos have always been able to help me deal with my life’s problems. Thank you

[@iammrbeat]

Well thank you 🤗

[@Respectable_Username]

Thanks for the comprehensive go-over! As somebody born well after the scandal but surrounded by adults who knew the scandal too well, I never actually leaned what most of it was about as everybody who knew assumed everybody else knew and just took that for granted. (I'm also not American)

[@Deeplycloseted435]

Always important to remember, that a gentleman by the name of Jacob Rubinstein (aka Jack Ruby) was a former staffer for Richard Nixon back in the late 40’s when Nixon was a California state rep.

[@12grain]

Makes you wonder how much of an impact this had on journalism in America and if people would have viewed journalists differently today if this never happened

[@ImGoingSupersonic]

journalism enrollment exploded across the country.

[@str.77]

It also increased many journalist's sense of entitlement and self-importance.

[@iammrbeat]

@@str.77 I think most people feel that their careers are important regardless of major events.

[@str.77]

@@iammrbeat Sure. IMO the sense of entitlement is the bigger problem.

[@wPatrickSF]

The only three things that I remember from Journalism 101 (this was 1968) were 1: Hit them with the Headline (Clickbait) 2: Most of your audience will never read past the first paragraph. 3: The writing style has to be pointed at a 7th grade reading level. This episode changed investigative journalism forever.

[@abrahamlincoln937]

Congratulations on reaching 500,000 subscribers, Mr. Beat!

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks Abe!

[@abrahamlincoln937]

@@iammrbeat Thanks for your great content!

[@jacobm04]

Hey Mr. Beat, I just wanted to share that I finished my first Canadian prime ministerial election video! Thank you so much for the inspiration you gave me, your content is truly amazing:)

[@iammrbeat]

Just watched it. Great job!

[@johnfitzgerald7618]

I liked it, too. Good job.

[@sierraalice8072]

This is scary in 2024 when US v Nixon has been overturned

[@mattisawesome4able]

Little did he know, he had presidential immunity all along

[@SOLOHUMAN.STUDIOS]

He stepped down humbly

[@matome3050]

As a german "John Ehrilichman" is quite funny in this context. Ehrilichman must once have been the german name "Ehrlichmann", which means "honest man". In this context, this is quite amusing.

[@1927su]

I was around 12 years old when all this was going on . Every radio in the neighborhood was playing the hearings ! Nixon resigned in disgrace on National television. It was really something

[@americangiant1003]

1927 the Nixon resignation was also seen live around the world as well.

[@coffeecat086]

My mom was a middle school student when that all went down. My grandparents basically made her watch it since they were working … They would get updates after making it home. When my grandfather asked her opinion, she knew he was guilty.

[@imjeremy51]

I like how at the end you said the scandal showed the checks and balances worked. And we all know it doesn't anymore with current events.

[@JasonRatnagar]

Good video Mr. Beat. Well done. All the videos I have seen of you have been first rate. 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@iammrbeat]

Thank you!

[@Sxdgefield]

During the 2010 General Election over here in the United Kingdom, we had “Bigotgate” where Prime Minister Gordon Brown called a woman a bigot over her stance on immigration. The media made a big thing about it and he apologised to her in person.

[@ricardobarahona3939]

I’ve heard about that, that was so stupid. The media outlets in the 2015 election didn’t like Ed Miliband because he wasn’t tough enough. So many talking political talking points are idiotic but people eat it up, as well as in the states.

[@Sxdgefield]

@@ricardobarahona3939 Bro Ed Miliband was doomed from the start. I remember the Daily Mail doing a poll a few months before the election where over half of people found Ed Miliband “too weird” - as if weirdness effects your ability to govern a country.

[@abrahamlincoln937]

@@Sxdgefield Gordon Brown would go on to lose to David Cameron who served as Prime Minister of the UK from 2010 to 2016. Brown was Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010 and he took over after Tony Blair resigned.

[@Sxdgefield]

@@abrahamlincoln937 I am aware.

[@str.77]

It was a scandal because it showed both Brown's two-faced nature (he acted all understanding to the woman on camera, only to call her a "terrible bigot" behind her back) and how out of touch he was with problems of the average people. Of course, it would be wrong to assume that Brown is somehow special in that regard. A decade later, politicians will openly cuss at voters, supported by digital lynch mobs.

[@tommyrobbins839]

Great video man! I will say that I'm not quite as confident in our checks and balances given that the only consequences Nixon faced were career and reputational. Sure he had to resign, but Ford's pardoning of Nixon is in my opinion one of the greatest political missteps in history. I firmly believe that much, if not most, of our modern political dysfunction can be attributed directly or in part to Ford's failure here.

[@iammrbeat]

Career and reputation, though, are kind of a big deal, but I do hear your points. I disagree with you about the pardon, but perhaps I need to learn more about it.

[@tommyrobbins839]

@@iammrbeat I concede that reputation and career damage isn't meaningless. Most of my issue with the pardon rests in the fact that it prevented punishment through official channels, which, in my opinion, would have been an important test for our system of governance, i.e. "is it possible to criminally charge a sitting or former president?". Thank you for taking the time to reply, I love your channel!

[@themurdernerd]

@@iammrbeat oh it was a BIG deal. A lot of Americans on all sides of the political divide were upset about it. Ford had 2 assassination attempts on him after that!

[@RealRamaladni]

@@iammrbeat why do you disagree about the pardon

[@forzaacmilan36]

⁠@@tommyrobbins839Well you’re about to find out if the Judiciary can handle charging a former president

[@AlekWheeler]

Sidebar: Elliot Richardson is definitely one of America’s unsung heroes. In addition to resigning on principle, simultaneous to Watergate, he was leading an investigation into Vice President Agnew, which culminated when the VP tried (and failed) to also cite executive privilege. He resigned before Nixon did. A man who I can say actually went into government for the right reasons.

[@EverettBurger]

I was born after Watergate. But, this sliver of history always fascinated me. When Deep Throat was revealed, I was super excited (on par with finding out who DB Cooper was). It was truly a 20th Century mystery. But, when it was revealed that he was #2 at the FBI and stated that he did it because he was passed over to a promotion, it really bugged me. I was hoping his motivation was due to altruism and righting a wrong. But, it seemed rather petty and I just couldn't see him as a hero, but another character within the circus that became Watergate.

[@userumbleandgettr4freespee501]

Watch America’s untold stories

[@wcvenus]

50 years ago today. Glad to see the Public takes a new eye on this, and realizes it wasn’t just Nixon.

[@michaelrochester48]

Actually the first scandal that came after Watergate using the “gate”…Since you’re not old enough, the next use of that was Koreagate when American congressman were being bribed by Tungsang Parks. The next year when President Carter’s brother Billy Carter was involved in a scandal involving him being a lobbyist for Libya …the press dubbed it Billygate. So only a couple of years after the scandal, the press started adding it to any type of scandal no matter how big or small.

[@oldteapot7534]

Thanks to your video, I finally managed to understand the whole Watergate scandal in its entirety.

[@SiVlog1989]

Some of my research on Watergate for my podcast that I recorded about Watergate was done by watching "Watergate: The Final Report" in it, it mentions other details about why certain people or Richard Nixon himself made certain decisions about Watergate. One of the things that got mentioned was that there was a break in on May 28th 1972, which was when the operatives of CRP and the White House Plumbers first planted the cameras, wiretaps and microphones in the DNC. It was the second break in, where they were tasked with repairing one of the wiretaps, where they were arrested

[@PincheBeto_Bass]

I like how I was never taught about Watergate in school. And I live in the US

[@nancy4don]

Very, very well done. I hope this video finds its way into some public school classrooms. 3 things that I hope you consider editing for a repost, maybe? 1. The pictures for Frank Martinez and James McCord are switched (or the captions are). 2. The recording devices were in the Oval Office, some phones near it, and in the President's Executive Office Building hideaway office. (Cabinet might also have had them, but unimportant.) 3. The July 24 Supreme Court decision led to the release of the June 23, 1972 "smoking gun" tape with Nixon actually committing obstruction. THAT was what got Barry Goldwater, Hugh Scott, and John Rhodes to go to the White House and tell Nixon he would be impeached and removed from office. Not meaning to be critical, but I'm a history nerd myself and I love your videos! Keep rolling!

[@IbrahimAli-jl8fu]

I saw it from a mile away, but the Forrest Gump reference was great! Also, everyone knows Watergate never happened, this is just an April Fools joke. Wait, Nixon resigned?

[@iammrbeat]

lol yes I couldn't resist

[@Lookattheworldaroundyou]

What caused a scandal 50 years ago, is just par for the course now

[@jessicataylor2895]

My son absolutely loves watching your videos!

[@iammrbeat]

That's awesome

[@AIMLESS-NAMELESS]

When creep by radio head starts playing quietly in the background I lost it. Great work lol

[@armedandredee]

The fact you included Forest Gump in your retelling of factual events, earned you a subscriber!

[@zeldamorgan9260]

Nixon's resignation was one of the first news items I remember as a child. I was 7, still remember it, but didn't know all the details. Thanks for this video.

[@connorgallegos1906]

You forgot to mention that they actually were able to get in and out without issue. But went back in to fix a defective wiretap and when the security noticed it was taped AGAIN he called the police

[@Iamrightyouarewrong]

Funny cause, prior to 1972, "Watergate" was just a generic name for "communities" and land/real-estate, which still exist as these, in various places around America.

[@iammrbeat]

I should have mentioned that. Good on you for bringing it up!

[@Iamrightyouarewrong]

@@iammrbeat just a tid-bit.

[@elizabethflowers749]

2:55 i definitely was not expecting a joke about radiohead

[@LULUThaCannon]

2:56 this is why this is the best history channel on KZbin

[@rael5469]

6:18 I remember once when the press was hounding Nixon as he was walking from a car to a building. Nixon halted, grabbed his press secretary by the shoulders, spun him around, and shoved him at the reporters while saying, "do your job." Like.....wow. Poor impulse control.

[@zackcross7190]

My grandmother said to me that her first election she was able to vote in was the ‘72 election and she voted for Nixon because my great grandfather was a Nixon supporter. She told me that he was a supporter of his when he ran against Kennedy. Though my great grandmother (his wife) and her friends and sisters loved “that young Kennedy” because he was Catholic. My great grandfather was very disappointed in Nixon after Watergate.

[@iammrbeat]

I miss when people weren't quite as loyal to political tribes.

[@derpmcgerp8062]

Top 5 gates in American history: 5. Climategate 4. Travelgate 3. Bountygate 2. Watergate 1. Christina Applegate

[@iammrbeat]

What a scandal Christina Applegate was

[@derpmcgerp8062]

@@iammrbeat lol. Happy April Fool's Day Mr. Beat. I loved the video btw. There was a lot background info I genuinely didn't know beforehand. 🤘

[@bray7934]

Let's give a quick shout-out to Christina Applegate!

[@Compucles]

Travelgate wasn't even the worse scandal committed by Hillary Clinton! It was Emailgate that cost her the 2016 Presidential election to a buffoon!

[@cupcakes1001000]

& the Pizzagate 😢

[@GBuaccc]

I like how Nixon referred to his father as “My old man..” and how he said “nobody will probably ever write a book about my mother, and im sure alot of people would say this about their mother, but my mother was a saint.” His parents were just tough, struggling people who never gave up and that’s what mattered.

[@sweetykitty4427]

Literally read the Wikipedia article for this event and didnt understand it at all. Hoping this video will get through my thick head. Much love x

[@c.j.allday]

Hey, Mr. Beat! I've only been subbed to you and Chris for a little while(December) but I've learned so much! The knowledge that you've given me has completed the friend knowledge circle. There's me with American History and my one friend with current events... and uhh... oh wait that's it. Also I'm from Indiana so the deflate gate is a big thing. Thank you for the amazing content!

[@cyrusthegreat1893]

Excellent work! Could you also please make a couple of videos about the differences between Fascism & Nazism and the Leninist-Communism vs Maoist-Communism? That’ll be great! Thanks!

[@prisonislandhead7610]

For the latter, it's broadly a difference in material conditions and how Mao saw his ideology. Mao didn't want China to be at the whims of Moscow. Reading into the Sino-soviet split is a good way to learn about the differences in practice.

[@cyrusthegreat1893]

@@prisonislandhead7610 Exactly! And that’s why I wish Mr. Beat would also make a video about the Sino-Soviet split.

[@lalitthapa101]

How I'd put It is Nazism is the belief in the supremacy of the Aryan race meanwhile fascism is the big ideology that isn't only confined to the nazi and there are various examples of fascist regimes that never believed in the supremacy of the Aryan race.Ex-Japan. & The way I look at it, Leninist and western communism forms its base on the workers in factories industries Meanwhile maoism forms it on the farmers cause countries like China,Nepal and India were still not yet in their industrial age when Maoism was spreading. That's why Nepal for example had and still has such a strong Maoist scene cause the majority of the country is still agrarian. But that's just how I look at it. Very very oversimplofoef

[@cyrusthegreat1893]

@@lalitthapa101 Yes, that’s correct. Nazism is indeed based on racial superiority and hierarchy, while Fascism does not necessarily revolve around that topic. Regarding the Maoist Communism, if industrial development and expansionism was not important to that version of communist ideology, then why Mao implemented the highly costly Great Leap project?

[@lalitthapa101]

@@cyrusthegreat1893 it isn't that industrial expansion wasn't important.It was the only next logical step. It was that especially in China and south asia,communists realized that their majority base were farmers and not workers since industrial development hadn't happened like the west.Hence they had to form their movement from a farmer's base. Nepal in particular,the base was farmers,tribes and the dalits . Thats what I think. Western communism is industrial. Asian is agrarian. But again,that's just my oversimplified belief. I'd love to see a Mr beat video on the topic.

[@jamesfarrington9030]

John Dean was asked what was the lesson of Watergate. "Dont get caught."

[@JACKSON298]

My grandpa was actually in Washington D.C. when it happened. According to my grandma, he just said “Oh yeah, there was a break-in there the other day.”

[@Vidav99]

In the U.K. we had a scandal called “Plebgate”; in 2012 a Tory MP called called a policeman a pleb, a derogatory term for working class people. However, because it happened through a gate, it is also known as “Gategate”.

[@Kylefassbinderful]

Here's something interesting. The man who was Deep Throat was Mark Felt, a retired FBI Special Agent and Associate Director. He worked at the FBI from 1942 to 1973. The street he was living on when he was revealed is called Redford Place in Santa Rosa, CA. Coincidentally Robert Redford famously portrayed Bob Woodward in the 1976 film, All the President's Men. I saw this on an old local news report uploaded to KZbin that I can't find anymore but there's a Washington Post article that confirms it

[@themurdernerd]

This is awesome! One of the few good, in-depth breakdowns of one of the most consequential crimes in history...thank you!

[@missypead2293]

So how is someone exposing the corruption of the government make them a criminal? Why do you like your government to lie to you.

[@thedude1573]

3:28 although this has probably been pointed out by now. The pictures for James McCord and Eugenio Martinez are switched.

[@geezjunior]

0:50 Off topic but that Congressman sawell literally lifted himself up to fart 🤣🤣 I never heard of fartgate but that’s top comedy

[@paulname5483]

Wow, watching this two years later. Can’t wait to see an addendum to this video. Great work.

[@jacktorborg9862]

Was already subscribed but finally hit the bell. Just have never heard a Mr. Beat video/breakdown that didn't teach me something I didn't know, in a really interesting way. Great job as always!

[@iammrbeat]

Thank you Jack! I will strive to not let you down with future videos. :)

[@dalejoyner2495]

Mr. Beat I enjoy your report on the Watergate Scandal. I respectfully note the in your report you Identified Virgilio Gonzalez as James W. McCord Jr. And visa/versa. It’s not that big of a deal. I mention so you can correct it in further versions. Thanks, Dale Joyner

[@jb888888888]

I was 5-7 years old when it all went down, they were still talking about it on the news as I grew older. I didn't understand why it was called "Watergate." And also I didn't understand why they kept calling him "President Nixon" even after he resigned. I have a memory of watching the news and they were talking about President Nixon and the Watergate tapes -- but I thought he had resigned, so why are they talking about "President" Nixon? Did I only imagine that he had resigned? Is this a _rerun_ of the nightly news? This stuff is OLDs not NEWs.

[@evi602]

The intro is so perfect after oceangate....

[@kismemoria]

wrd

[@KKMfan60]

The first section about gate… you’re so right

[@DogWalkerBill]

Nixon, assured us all, on national television, "Your President is Not a Crook!" Right up there with Clinton, looking innocently in the camera and telling us, "I did not have sex with that woman."

[@iammrbeat]

Politicians never lie! 🙄

[@williamwingo8952]

That's an interesting point: Nixon was not accused of actual complicity in the break-in. He let his subordinates get out of control, and then tried to cover up for them when they got caught. Basically, Nixon and Clinton were both accused of the same thing: lying. The difference was the spin that the media put on it.

[@annielynn8730]

Crazy to think that this used to be the worst of what we had to deal with

[@psygonzo7974]

Thank you Mr Breast, very informative. I like this calmer style.

[@famzluvsyou]

@@psygonzo7974 Beat*

[@Daz86.]

as a first time viewer i was immediately encapsulated by your passionate expression and unrelenting enthusiasm. thanks for the great content. subbed.

[@Captainsparkist]

Thank you Mr. Beast for teaching me history.