Berl Falbaum
Those who lived through the early 1970s Watergate scandal in President Richard Nixon’s second term are probably having feelings of déjà vu.
Why? There are some inescapable parallels between the sex-drenched “Epstein Files” bruhaha and Nixon’s crimes, which led to his downfall.
To explain:
For more than a year, Nixon Republicans supported the president despite mounting evidence that Nixon tried to cover-up the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office-hotel complex on June 17, 1972.
Ever so slowly, very slowly, Republicans began to see to light and one-by-one, they parted with the embattled president.
Then on August 7, 1974 (the anniversary of which is coming up), three powerful Republicans — U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican presidential candidate; U.S. House Minority Leader John Rhodes; and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott — met privately with Nixon.
They told him support was eroding quickly in both the House and Senate and that he probably would be impeached and convicted. The three maintained they did not advise resignation.
At 8 p.m. the next day, Richard Milhous Nixon, addressed the nation and announced that he would resign. He was the first (and only) president to resign from the office of U.S. president.
Enter Donald J. Trump.
For some 10 years, Republicans have supported him despite: two impeachments, January 6, lies about the 2020 election, tens of thousands of lies on “every” issue, 34 felony convictions, a conviction of sexual assault in a civil trial, conviction of real estate fraud in another civil trial, supporting calls for the hanging of his vice president and the execution of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and so much more.
Nothing bothered them. It — all of it — was a “hoax.”
But the tide seems to be turning as it did in Nixon’s case. MAGA-ites, many of whom are Trumpites, are furious that Trump does not want to release the Epstein Files.
Why is not altogether clear since the obvious implication is that Trump is guilty of something awful — very awful -- something even they cannot accept. Afterall, the Epstein Files bear the name of Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in prison where he was serving time for sex crimes and who was accused of sex-trafficking young girls.
True, Nixon Republicans finally decided the law must be upheld in just over a year while the Trumpites have remained in their hero’s corner for a decade — a decade. But if the present trend continues, I guess we should be grateful.
(Of course, in the wings and trying not to drool in public, is Vice President JD Vance, probably the happiest man in the U.S. So, it is difficult to decide whom to root for. We’ll be writing much about him if the present course continues and it ain’t gonna be very positive. Among his Republican claim to fame? He helped push the canard that Haitians were eating house pets in Springfield, Ohio.)
Like the Nixon crisis, it appears that this one will continue to drip, drip, drip. We can speculate that the information will continue to tarnish Trump, and Trumpites will learn the wrath of this man first hand. He already has resorted to ugly Trumpian language to describe their disloyalty.
At one session with reporters in the White House, he said:
“I know it’s a hoax. It was started by Democrats. It’s been run by the Democrats for four years ... it’s perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats’ work.”
That, of course, is mild by Trumpian standards. More is sure to come and it won’t be pretty.
One thing MAGA-ites never grasped: Trump doesn’t even understand the word, “loyalty.” Many of his former appointees and business associates learned the lesson the hard way. It is very crowded under the proverbial bus, but he will find the needed space if it serves his business and political interests.
One minor detail that we should not forget: On several occasions, in interviews with reporters during his campaigns, he said he would release the files. We really should not be picky, picky, picky in appointing that out.
Presently, in this murky, scandal-ridden political scenario, we can only be confident that If Trump finally has his back against the wall, which is quite likely, he will, unlike Nixon, follow the advice of the poet, Dylan Thomas and “…not go gentle into the good night.”
Why? There are some inescapable parallels between the sex-drenched “Epstein Files” bruhaha and Nixon’s crimes, which led to his downfall.
To explain:
For more than a year, Nixon Republicans supported the president despite mounting evidence that Nixon tried to cover-up the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office-hotel complex on June 17, 1972.
Ever so slowly, very slowly, Republicans began to see to light and one-by-one, they parted with the embattled president.
Then on August 7, 1974 (the anniversary of which is coming up), three powerful Republicans — U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican presidential candidate; U.S. House Minority Leader John Rhodes; and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott — met privately with Nixon.
They told him support was eroding quickly in both the House and Senate and that he probably would be impeached and convicted. The three maintained they did not advise resignation.
At 8 p.m. the next day, Richard Milhous Nixon, addressed the nation and announced that he would resign. He was the first (and only) president to resign from the office of U.S. president.
Enter Donald J. Trump.
For some 10 years, Republicans have supported him despite: two impeachments, January 6, lies about the 2020 election, tens of thousands of lies on “every” issue, 34 felony convictions, a conviction of sexual assault in a civil trial, conviction of real estate fraud in another civil trial, supporting calls for the hanging of his vice president and the execution of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and so much more.
Nothing bothered them. It — all of it — was a “hoax.”
But the tide seems to be turning as it did in Nixon’s case. MAGA-ites, many of whom are Trumpites, are furious that Trump does not want to release the Epstein Files.
Why is not altogether clear since the obvious implication is that Trump is guilty of something awful — very awful -- something even they cannot accept. Afterall, the Epstein Files bear the name of Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in prison where he was serving time for sex crimes and who was accused of sex-trafficking young girls.
True, Nixon Republicans finally decided the law must be upheld in just over a year while the Trumpites have remained in their hero’s corner for a decade — a decade. But if the present trend continues, I guess we should be grateful.
(Of course, in the wings and trying not to drool in public, is Vice President JD Vance, probably the happiest man in the U.S. So, it is difficult to decide whom to root for. We’ll be writing much about him if the present course continues and it ain’t gonna be very positive. Among his Republican claim to fame? He helped push the canard that Haitians were eating house pets in Springfield, Ohio.)
Like the Nixon crisis, it appears that this one will continue to drip, drip, drip. We can speculate that the information will continue to tarnish Trump, and Trumpites will learn the wrath of this man first hand. He already has resorted to ugly Trumpian language to describe their disloyalty.
At one session with reporters in the White House, he said:
“I know it’s a hoax. It was started by Democrats. It’s been run by the Democrats for four years ... it’s perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net, and so they try and do the Democrats’ work.”
That, of course, is mild by Trumpian standards. More is sure to come and it won’t be pretty.
One thing MAGA-ites never grasped: Trump doesn’t even understand the word, “loyalty.” Many of his former appointees and business associates learned the lesson the hard way. It is very crowded under the proverbial bus, but he will find the needed space if it serves his business and political interests.
One minor detail that we should not forget: On several occasions, in interviews with reporters during his campaigns, he said he would release the files. We really should not be picky, picky, picky in appointing that out.
Presently, in this murky, scandal-ridden political scenario, we can only be confident that If Trump finally has his back against the wall, which is quite likely, he will, unlike Nixon, follow the advice of the poet, Dylan Thomas and “…not go gentle into the good night.”
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