Trump claims Nixon's 'biggest regret' was quitting under GOP pressure — which he would never do
Donald Trump insisted Thursday that Richard Nixon's "biggest regret' was resigning the presidency under pressure from the GOP after the Watergate scandal erupted — something that Trump vowed he wouldn't do.
“His daughter actually told me" — Trump did not reveal which of Nixon's daughters — "that his biggest regret was that he didn't fight, he should have fought,” Trump said. But Nixon lacked the public support he needed to carry on," Trump added, The Washington Examiner reported.
Trump said he's not certain if it would have “had an impact one way or the other" had Nixon fought to stay in office — though many observers believe that Nixon's decision to step down helped the nation heal.
Trump made the comments in a media roundtable as he pitched his new book, "Letters to Trump," which is being published in April. The book is a collection of some 150 letters exchanged with friends, celebrities, sports legends, and current and former political leaders — including 25 letters from Nixon.
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Trump wrote in the book that Nixon's "biggest mistake was that he didn’t fight back when [GOP Sen.] Barry Goldwater and a group of senators and congressmen" convince him to resign.
Trump boasted at the roundtable that he has never been isolated the way Nixon may have been, and that he enjoyed strong support — even through a historic double impeachment while he was in the White House.
“We had great support,” Trump bragged, referring to himself in the third person. “Nixon didn't have that support. I don't think he cultivated the support. He was a rough guy, didn’t cultivate the support."
Trump shared one of his letters from Nixon with the Examiner.
Nixon sent the 1987 letter after Trump had appeared on the daytime talk program "The Phil Donahue Show."
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“Dear Donald," Nixon wrote, "I did not see the program, but Mrs. Nixon told me that you were really great on the Donahue Show. As you can imagine, she is an expert on politics and she predicts that whenever you decide to run for office you will be a winner!”
He was a "very interesting guy,” the former president told reporters.