Gerald Ford: Pardoning Richard Nixon 

You know I never had heard Gerald Ford’s voice until watching this

I actually believe him. You can see the frustration when he said it was taking up so much of his time.

And, now we look at Nixon’s “crime” and see it was like chewing gum in class compared to what is going on today.

Bro pardoned him to get rid of him 💀💀💀💀

I think pardoning him did cost Ford a second term. The 1976 US Presidential election remains one of the closest elections in US history so I think the Nixon pardon was a key tipping point for the American public. Ford was such a decent honest man

Gerald Ford is one of the few presidents in history that was a genuinely good person.

Right decision at Right time

What was really going on was that he was advised to actually prosecute Nixon could take up from another 3-6 years and he realized he couldn't put the country through that. Also, like he said, he couldn't govern because it was taking too much of his time. So, he pardoned him to allow the country to move forward. Good or bad, it was the right decision in the end for the overall good of the country.

Nixon cost Ford a second term.

I believe him honestly.

He was a very smart and honorable man. When I was 17yo I was third in line to meet and shake his hand but I got very nauseous, threw up (on POTUS) and ran for the bathroom. Secret Service man followed me and asked if I had a contagion and I told him it was what I ate. I heard President Ford say he wishes me well. Ironically he had shook my Dad’s hand a half hour prior, congratulating him on his election as national president of his service organization. We need more people like Mr Ford in government.

I remember this very well. I agreed with him as we were sick and tired of watergate.

Back in the day when someone made a decision that he knew would cost him but did it anyway, because deep down he felt it to be the best decision. I cannot imagine how it was for him in dealing with that mess.

I think Gerald Ford made the right decision.

Real integrity and courage from President Ford.

Ford and Carter are so much more likable than Nixon and LBJ.

I actually have fond memories of Gerald Ford.

Honestly, who would actually wanted to deal with Nixon.

President Ford made the right decision.

He did the right thing.

I was born the day Ford pardoned Nixon.

Nixons issues were mild compared to what is going on today!

In my mind, you pardon someone who deserves to be pardoned. That's it. You don't pardon someone because they were your friend, because it's too much of a hassle, because you're tired of hearing about it. Why let it even take 25% of your time ? It's over, move on, none of your business, let the law take care of the rest. But, maybe I'm misinformed. But I keep seeing people in the comments saying '' It was the right thing to do '' but without any justification, at all. It just was, believe me, right thing to do, let's not talk about it. WHY ? To let the country move on ? It didn't. Wasn't worth it ? Yes, it was. It was the president. It was criminal. It was big. There was a tremendous opportunity to hold the president accountable, never happened to that degree before. A president pardoning another president. WTF Is this.

When the pardon happened I, like almost all Americans, was absolutely livid. Soon afterward, I saw the interview he gave Dick Cavett where explained in clear, understandable terms exactly why he did it. And he was right. Ford's pardon of Nixon was the right thing to do, and is in fact one of the great acts ever done by a President. All of his motives were dead on correct and honorable. It cost him the election in 1976, but Ford is a great President because of it.

Wow! Thank you, President Ford. ❤ Praying for you. God bless.🙏🏻 RIP Sir. I salute you, Sir, for doing a great job.❤

Underrated president

honorable men have a navy ship (aircraft carrier) named after them. mr. ford was, and is: and honorable man and person.

Like him or not you have to admit he was very Presidential.

In the long run, Ford did the right thing

Ford was on the Warren Commission and helped cover up the JFK assassination. What Nixon did was take the heat for shenanigans that were going on.

Still the right decision

Shouldn't have done that. Letting corruption slide was a horrible precedent.

Gerald Ford was the fucking stallion

I agree with ford, I actually remember when he pardoned Nixon, and he was right many of the reporters at the time continued to ask questions about Nixon long after Nixon resigned from office. Ford did find himself in a position where he had to fix the issue so he pardoned him. The country at the time was in an inflation crisis and Ford was trying to fix things but come the election of 1976, the voters turned to a Washington outsider that being Jimmy Carter from Georgia

Professional courtesy given to fellow "Crooks"

Bro really just pardoned his problems away to free up time

Nixon was actually a great President if you remove Watergate. Nixon ended the Vietnam Draft when no other President would.

He should not have done it. All he had to do was say "I'm not pardoning Nixon end of the story" and be clear that any questions relating to it are time wasted from more important things. Politicians need to be held accountable for democracy to function. Otherwise, we're no different than putins Russia or China.

This dude is one of the luckiest person in the world, becoming POTUS without campaigning.

Hey guys I’m back

I'm glad they gave him the Profile in Courage Award for this. I think though it would have been better if he waited until after the 1974 election.

Nixons were good persons, both of them: one of them was a saint, and one sincerely begged the pardon; they come in pairs 😊

Read where he said he did it so the country could move forward.

You can't LEGALLY pardon someone who hasn't been found guilty of a crime, and in order for a pardon to be legal, the perpetrator MUST ADMIT GUILT. It always nice if they exhibit a little contrition for good measure.

That's what leaders do

And it was the right thing to do for a battered nation. For the office.

A lesson in how doing what is immediately expedient can come back to bite a nation in the arse.

It was the “right thing to do.” Yeah in the sense that he gave Nixon his word he’d pardon him if he was appointed VP. Lets be real here

Nixon like McCarthy were great American heroes.

His staff was right! That could very well have cleared the way for the godawful situation we're in as a nation today. He didn't get re-elected, by the way.

Ford did what was best for the country, consequences be damned. Stones like that no longer exist.

And now you know why they named an aircraft carrier after him, a stand up guy, and not anybody had anything bad to say about him! Thank you for your service!

He would have been criticized either way. Goldwater was against it. Country had to move on

Don't know size of Ford's cajones... but they must've been HUGE 4 pardoning Nixon. Country B4 personal aggrandizement.👍👍

Even tho what Nixon did was wrong and this cost Ford the election, it was right think to do. The most important goal was to get Nixon out of office. Perhaps, the pardon could have been contingent of confession in perfect world. But, maybe that is not realistic or possible. Nixon was wise person but deeply flawed. For whatever reason, he gave into some if his worst impulses as president. Being fair he did some great things such as opening to China. I wish it were possible to return to peaceful co-existence with China. Im not blaming anyone, but that would be ideal if possible.

Bro acting like it wasn’t a deal. Pardon Nixon in exchange for presidency on mr ford 😂

Good man

Not a Nixon fan. I got it when I first heard Ford did it. Proud of my reaction and his action.

I know our political state is fucked but I never thought I would hear people say "Nixon should have been pardoned" in full seriousness, and people agree with it.

This was the beginning of the end of the rule of law

Birds of a feather

I think he did the right thing…it was about the country moving on and he did what he thought was best. He made a decision and he owned it.

He was a great man and a great President! He came close to winning on his own, but the liberal media was against him! But, by losing, he elected Ronald Reagan for 2 terms and George HW Bush for 1 term! President Ford is a great American and Republican!

Gerry should've used minoxidil.

I don't want a president a king or anybody else trying to take care of me. I know better how to do that than some central committee in DC. Leave me alone!

That was Ford's greatest mistake.

During his presidency, Pr. Richard Nixon did a lot of good to his country and the world. He didn’t deserve to be tarnished by media in the first place.

Nixon was a damn good president, very intelligent and could speak -- way, way better than the clown that's in office now. Nixon is best remembered for Watergate, outweighing the good he did for the country.

Nixon should have used government employees instead of private contractors...😂

Biggest mistake of his presidency

Did Ford feel manipulated when was on the Warren Commission covering up JFK Assassination?

Great guy and President.

One of the points he brought up in this interview was about asking his legal advisors how long the case against Nixon would last. Five years, minimum. Most thought much longer. He asked himself if it was worth keeping the country divided over this for a prolonged period. The answer was no. Also, the acceptance of a pardon would be considered a tacit admission of guilt. Nixon accepted it on those terms.

But he didnt address if he liked having nachos and beer and football

It was time to move on and do the best for the American people. Sure probably wasn’t fair or justice being served but there were bigger fish to fry than dealing with one person for 25% of the time and the other 75% of the time for 200+ million

He told this lie so many times it looks like he even believes it himself

That's something that most people not old enough don't know: the Nixon mess didn't end with him resigning. It was still looming until the pardon.

he did a fantastic job fir a President that no body voted for. 😁😁😁😁😁🤣🤣🤣🤣

A criminal pardoning a criminal. Nothing to see here.

I remember this... Look 👀 at the Nation/America today regarding the judicial system and the inability to deal with the issues surrounding Trump...

Thats awesome what an honest guy now about the jfk assassination and moving the back injury 2 inches up ?

Good man bad decision. Had we dealt with Nixon we wouldn’t have had the orange menace

It was a good decision at the time but President Ford paid a political price for pardoning Nixon

Cathy O’Brien Trance Formation

President Ford made the right historic choice. Vivek Ramaswamy was too firebrand for me. But him saying if elected that he'd Pardon Trump Hunter and Joe I think would be a good move. Put to bed the divisiveness and move into a more united tomorrow

You can pardon Richard Nixon .

And America thought he was feeble and unqualified!

Nixon was a hero who went too far with his plans to restructure the system. They came back at him. It was a foolish move on his part.

Considering what we’re living through with Trump, I think President Ford was wrong, but I could understand why he made that decision. It also assured that he wouldn’t win the 1976 election.

When you read “parodying”, this video becomes very disappointing. I’m an idiot.

230 million Americans? How much is the population now? Wasn't it like around 330 million? And even so the two countries that are above us in population are way above us at well over a billion. That said it looks like Gerald Ford had his heart in the right place and wanted to focus on the job more or it is also possible he's just saying That as a cover-up because he just was sick and tired of hearing about it😂

This man was the last great president

25% of your time to see justice through in order to save the integrity of the US.

Bullshit. One corrupt politician gave a free pass to another corrupt politician.

Imagine being (an imminent retiree) Minority Leader, forced into being VP, and then becoming LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD within only 10 months. Forget his clumsiness and foreign policy gaffs. If I were in his shoes, I’m 80% sure I’d have a nervous breakdown and live in Spiro Agnew’s walls to haunt him for getting the succession ball rolling.

😊

Oh come on Gerald the pardon was a quid pro quo. The only reason this clown car was appointed President was because he agreed to Pardon Nixon. He made the deal so he had to do the pardon.

It’s always been one rule for us another for them and it continues to this day where politicians can break the law without consequence

Very good then but needs to be readdressed for today>

Coward - he wouldn’t have had his time taken by a Nixon trial. He wouldn’t have had to do anything extra.