Ford Pardons Nixon: A Nation Divided Over Justice
Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon on September 8, 1974, granting "a full, free, and absolute pardon" for any crimes Nixon might have committed as president. Ford announced the pardon during a Sunday morning television address, catching his own staff off guard. The decision was enormously unpopular: Ford's approval rating dropped from 71% to 50% overnight, and his press secretary resigned in protest. Ford later testified before Congress that he had made no deal with Nixon, and a 2001 interview confirmed that the pardon was motivated by his belief that a prolonged trial would traumatize the nation. Most historians now credit the pardon with allowing the country to move past Watergate, but it almost certainly cost Ford the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter.
September 8, 1974
52 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 8
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