Real Richard Nixon: 28 DAYS (5) - Smoking Gun & Final Days

-Clip 5-
The Real Richard Nixon
Vol. 3: "28 Days"
Interview with Frank Gannon

In this interview/documentary segment, President Richard Nixon discusses reactions to the release of the "Smoking Gun" conversation a few days before his resignation from the presidency. He also talks about his last ride on the presidential yacht the Sequoia with his family, losing the support of old friends, and his final cabinet meeting. In particular, he explains why he did not tell the cabinet that he was planning on resigning. Gannon also solicits his response to Defense Secretary James Schlesinger's secret order at the time that any nuclear alert would have to be co-signed by him. Schlesinger claimed that he took this unprecedented move because he feared Nixon's emotional stability and was afraid he might even stage a coup to stay in power.

The video clip comes from 38 hours of interviews that Nixon did with Frank Gannon in 1983 during eight days of interviews spread out over several months. Gannon used to work for Nixon and was well acquainted with the former president. Subsequently, Nixon is more at ease and open here than in most of his recorded interviews, including the more famous Frost/Nixon interviews, which were more confrontational.




This volume of the interview covers Richard Nixon's account of his final days in office.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• President
• Richard
• Nixon
• Interview
• documentary
• Frank
• Gannon
• Watergate
• Resignation
• smoking
• gun
• James
• Schlesinger
• Frost

[dw053408]

I disagree

[stafflvr]

Nixon did things he shouldn't have done, his fans (like me) have to admit that. But he did ALOT of good as president and that should be remembered too. As Stephen Ambrose said in his books on Nixon, when he resigned we lost more than we gained.

[CounterCultureLives]

@tapittwice2 As a former Conservative Republican turned Liberal Democrat, I've "drunk the Kool-Aid" from both ends of the political spectrum. After all was said and done, time has taught me that it's easy to get carried away with platitudes and rhetoric that muddle the mind.

You are correct about RMN's petty grudges bringing him down. Nixon lived in a world of allies and "enemies". Ironically, he spent so much time building walls, while his greatest strengths were in building bridges.

[tapittwice2]

I was born during the Nixon presidency also, and most people would talk about Nixon as a bad president and a bad person in general, and I beleived them, but recently I have been going through old interviews and publishings and I don't beleive he was bad, but he did seem to be his own worst enemy. Most of his problems seem like they could have been easliy avoided, but petty personal grudges are what destroyed him, if only he took the high road more he could have been a great president.

[NewWaveFan1]

Well bud he didn't start two wars and and deficit like your buddy georgy bush did. now Did he?

[geekorthodox9]

I was born in 1972, so everything i have been told about nixon has been skewed by media bias. These interviews are refreshing and offer a genuine perspective into a tumultuous political period in American history.

[thefreedieyoung]

Say why don't you add your boys Clinton, Carter and the present occupant of the W.H. Duplicity you say... I used to think pinoccio was a fictional character until I saw Mr. Clinton.

[bertinotti]

You wish. Here is the Random House definition of "literally": "in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually."

Nixon was a venal, wreckless, self-destuctive wreck of a man whose mendacity fooled noone but his a-moral supporters.

Now go back and get yourself a QUALITY secondary education. It is never too late. America is the country for second chances (even for corrupt, morally bankrupt monsters like Nixon and Kissinger).

[schatzee00]

yet another imitator who misuses the word "literally". you are ignorant

[calimar28]

Great president. And that is the way it is.

[bertinotti]

God, those jowels are horrifying -- his face literally drips with duplicity