The Nixon aide and the president's secrets

More than four decades after Richard Nixon resigned the presidency over the Watergate scandal, there is still more to learn from a close aide who left the Oval Office with dozens of boxes of documents, some classified. David Martin spoke with that aide, Alexander Butterfield, and with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, author of "The Last of the President's Men."

[@kensmith7048]

Now we have politicians who are not only willing to lie but also seem to have no regret about it.

[@sanfordschmidt2035]

Neither did Nixon.

[@dudermcdude9245]

And wee still do.

[@MattSmith-iq1ld]

Nixon would've been better off as a history professor at an elite American university. Very smart man, unlike what many of his adversaries felt. He was extremely paranoid and too interested in everything little thing people were people were trying to say about him. Never learned to delegate. Was overly paranoid of his adversaries. People forget that this man started the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He wasn't as far right wing as people thought.

[@kaymuldoon3575]

You’re right. He was very smart. His biggest downfall was his paranoia…everyone was out to get him. He even kept a list of enemies. Gerald Ford was quoted as saying “If you have to keep a list of your enemies, then you have too many enemies.”

[@1999glock]

What we see today is leaps and bonds beyond this petty "pranskerism" called Watergate. Back then the government, the people and the system cared about right and wrong no matter what your party affiliation was. Today we care only about right and left and what side are you on.

[@lauralishes1]

I'd say that applies more to the hypocritical morally bankrupt republicans, as we've seen again today and most days especially since Traitor Trump occupied the white house.

[@georgefranklin4872]

Butterfield's refusal to lie broke open the Watergate case

[@pablocruise678]

George Franklin his long pause ...ooof..

[@robertbates6249]

@@pablocruise678 wow the balls of Butterfield

[@SiVlog1989]

Like he said in this piece, it was actually a question not asked in public that broke the conspiracy, where a Watergate Committee staff member asked Butterfield before being brought to the committee, "was there ever any other listening device in the Oval Office?" It was a direct question, exactly the right question, and he couldn't deflect it, answering, "I'm sorry you asked me that question, but the answer is yes, there were listening devices..."

[@davedee4382]

And it turns out that it was nothing. Nothing.

[@MJ-cf8dy]

Sam Ervin from NC old school Southern accent. " the sub committee will come to AWDUH"

[@rayali9854]

So funny.been hitting replay all day just to hear him.even trying to impersonate his voice.

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

This is why the Republicans hated Clinton so much; he was a "business-friendly" guy and he and Hillary had gotten rid of unions in Arkansas...but he sounded like Senator Sam "I'm just a simple country lawyer" Irwin. Also a big star of the Watergate circus was Fred Thompson, who was also on TV in the "Law and Order" series.

[@Gablesman888]

Sam Ervin also reputedly said, "General Lee, mah troops are ready fuh action."

[@jnmaher1967]

Fascinating. Trump’s history will be parallel to this but at a more severe level. Good luck GOP.

[@shikat2371]

Aw please. Did he order the CIA, the FBI, and the IRS to go after his enemies? NO! Did Trump compile an enemies' list? NO! Did he obstruct justice? NO! Did he order hush money payments be made? NO! Did he ever order the bombing of the Brookings Institution? NO! Is there any solid, clear-cut evidence that Trump committed any or all of the aforementioned criminal acts? NO! Case closed!

[@winninginlife]

Mr. John....Wow, foretelling you are psychic. Can you give me the numbers to the lottery? Lol

[@keithcrewson7129]

Shenanigans are STILL going on! Don’t be FOOLED!

[@JK-gu3tl]

That's the legacy of Nixon: He continued to ignore his own cabinet/advisors much to our detriment: War on Drugs, Cambodia, etc.

[@MsSoundguy]

Gee. Do you think anyone THAT honest is still in the current "administration"?

[@jantruitt9241]

MsSoundguy NO!!!

[@theflorgeormix]

Fascinating...

[@ProudArmyFamily]

“But surely, Nixon wasn’t the first, and won’t be the last president to privately say things he wouldn’t say in public?” Ummm 🤔🤨😂

[@CaptainCalculus]

Is that even legal for those documents not to be in the hands of the Nixon library?

[@scmrjim]

Why aren't theese in the Nixon Library?

[@113dmg9]

Alexander Butterfield is 97 years old today (04/06/2023).

[@danrode104]

Donnie diapers is so much worse.

[@georgeshepherd6431]

In his overly-long resignation speech, he did not take responsibility for his actions and he never admitted wrongdoing. It was a recitation of what he would like to see happen on the world stage, his hopes for what future administrations will achieve, and a statement that he didn't have adequate support to continue as president. At no point did he admit guilt over anything. He did not feel that he did anything wrong. In his interview with David Frost later, he said "if the president does it, then it is not illegal." He never got it. He just never belonged in that role. I feel sorry for his family. He was an embarrassment. For Ford to pardon him was an enormous mistake. He robbed the country of the national catharsis of seeing all of the legal wranglings over the tapes, and all the revelations during the hearings, culminate in Richard Nixon being locked in a cell.

[@johnmclaughlin3181]

NIXON WAS A GREAT MAN AND PRESIDENT. WHY DO LIBERALS CARRY SUCH HATE ?

[@howardgofstein9694]

John Mclaughlin I have no hatred. I am merely stating an observation about the speech

[@jefolson6989]

Butterfield got better looking as he aged. He was kind of thought of as the deep with the big mouth at the time.

[@NunYa953]

Could you imagine if Woodward and Bernstein put the same effort and devotion into exposing the politicians that they support? My oh my, that would be a HUGE development into the world of journalism.

[@FMD321]

Woodward Naval Intelligence

[@40colby]

Bob Woodward forgot to break out the violins during his responding to the interview questions....

[@jasoncimino3886]

Yup!

Well, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!

[@gjbdekuiper3286]

RESPECT I HAVE FOR NIXON, BECAUSEE HE DARE TO BECOME PRESIDENT/

[@ruthlesshack1279]

And Nixon was exposed and taken down for being the lying Crook he was, same as the fat orange POS Racist Crook in office now will.

[@jaycuthbert245]

He was also PETRIFIED of losing his presidency and ultimately damned himself and forever tarnished his legacy because he was too afraid to allow his actions to do the talking and not his plotting and schemes

[@Susanelll]

This is Journalism at it's best!

[@zoharfriberg7557]

Does the fact that Edna Rosenberg is a Jewish name have anything to do with the decision to investigate her?

[@studinthemaking]

Yes, Nixon hated all jews.

[@mikelomez9313]

@@studinthemaking except for Henry Kissinger

[@HarryRedmond45]

@@mikelomez9313 He called Kissinger "My little Jew boy" so I don't think he let that slip

[@danielh1830]

@@studinthemaking Yes, especially when Golda Meir asked for military aid and Nixon gave her everything she wanted, forever saving Israel from destruction. Yah, what an antisemitic Nixon was.

[@danielh1830]

@@HarryRedmond45 yes he gave Kissinger unprecedented power? Hmm?

[@akaJughead]

Their comments about Nixon are so quaint five years later.

Well, try being a president!

[@tomuscle1]

President Nixon...one of the giants of the 20th century. Wish we had him now.

[@KevinSmith-qi5yn]

Easily the greatest in terms of foreign policy which is why Clinton used him.

[@harryveras7486]

So he can kill more people

[@KevinSmith-qi5yn]

Nixon was one of the more peaceful presidents since Roosevelt. He ended the Vietnam war. He didn't engage in another foreign war. Only 1 other president since Roosevelt has not gotten involved in a foreign war. He also made allies with countries that no president would even attempt like Pakistan and opened the door into China.

[@lopezfan24]

Tom Edwards Nixon did some great things but Watergate will always be his legacy. I guess you also support his statement of “when a president does it, it is not illegal.”

[@ali_haq20]

How does an American president sleep at night?

[@RickMartinYouTube]

We'll be looking back at the current administration with the same dismay - how did we allow this to happen?

[@RickMartinYouTube]

we have thousands of tweets as documentation - don't need secret tapes or notes that exposed Nixon....

[@CapitanoGUC-gf6el]

Nixon was a hidden communist :-/

[@sniferlip]

This video reminds me of a time when Americans were shocked and appalled at the underhanded dealings of a president. Such a time I cannot even remember thanks to the orange fool in the WH

[@KesTheGreat]

Obama spied on Trump? I'd bet money to say you would be first in line to kiss his ass:p

[@patrickhoolihan336]

OK

[@ssd0040]

Haha “yeah but the level of contradiction and the depth of the fraud.” Talk about fraud and contradiction- for 1 week, lets treat the media the way they treat everyone.

[@w0584]

@4:16 feels like today's Trump, Fake News quotes

[@zoprice4096]

And he didnt go to jail for those files? WTF??? Thats jail time.... Fact, those files were not declasified.

[@margo3367]

It reminds me of what we have today. Nixon's pettiness, targeting a civil servant and the aide writing down, 'Nixon asks about it every week', was really chilling.

[@lauralishes1]

Discredit witnesses? 2019 and boy does that sound familiar, even today Trump is doing that very thing with a credible whistleblower.

[@KesTheGreat]

cReDIblE

[@larryshores9402]

And now we have TRUMP. Nixon on Steroids.

[@thanos2170]

Larry Shores Yep trump creates of all time Nixon 2nd

[@southernpineadventures7260]

How do they compare ?

[@g0679]

Larry Shores But without earned degrees.

[@johnnylongfeather3086]

Sellout

[@kensmith7048]

I wonder what new information will surface 20 or 30 years after Trump is out of office.

[@sniferlip]

I'm hoping to see it way before then....at his trials

[@allend2749]

please guys, u both are humans and no different from the humans u r talking about. please don't be so smug.

[@ddduva4440]

CBS--Sheer never ending hatred of Nixon.

[@brianarbenz7206]

Sure -- that's why CBS hired Diane Sawyer from the Nixon communication office to join the 60 Minutes staff, alongside Mike Wallace, who was a great admirer of Nixon. That party line that CBS was anti-Nixon is nonsense that was grown in the echo chamber of the right.

[@TheSamsdad25]

Woodward is a joke now. He's irrelevant but thinks he's not. Humorous

[@jefolson6989]

Hardly. He is still doing what he's always done. People don't like him, because they don't want to hear the uncomfortable truth is exposes. I doubt you've read any of his books.

[@lauralishes1]

9:14 seriously how much does that remind you of Trump.

[@KesTheGreat]

Oof seek psychiatric help darling. Trump is living rent-free in your head. You've put 3 comments of Trump in a video where he's not even mentioned :o

[@sheise4038]

That's such ancient history. Who cares any more...

[@Neukids]

There is a newer version of this :Trump 2020

[@Sheena1234ization]

Reminds me of the Democrats making up the story about Russia

[@patrickwalsh3027]

NIXON LOVED LITTLE BOYS SO MUCH THAT HE FORGOT THE TAPES WERE RUNNING WHEN HE WAS FORCING HIMSELF ON ME.WHAT A GREAT PRESIDENT.

[@mlgpro2241]

???

[@patrickwalsh3027]

I WAS THE VICTIM OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE OVAL OFFICE ON TAPE.I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD.

[@JeffSkilling69]

And everyone clapped

[@WilliamFlickinger-ex2sd]

Trump and nixson two crocks.

[@teddylabis6969]

Nixon was a great president

[@ruthlesshack1279]

Great in some respects of his presidency, but he was still a lying paranoid Crook that Watergate exposed and that will be his legacy for all time.

[@1999glock]

Boy I sure would love to hear every word Bob Woodward has uttered in PRIVATE about his friends and enemies. We may see a different person than he appears to be.

[@DavidSmith-ss1cg]

His enemies are mostly criminals, and they just happen to mostly be Republicans. The fact that they mostly ARE crooks may have something to do with it. The elected officials in DC are mostly opportunists; and this is why lobbyists exist.

[@dan4894]

You need to understand that Bob Woodward is not President.

[@jefolson6989]

Lol, it's amazing any one still talks to Woodward!