It isn’t very often that the Richard Nixon Presidential Library gets the opportunity to say that the actions of a sitting US president are tarnishing the reputation of the 37th president – the only one, so far, to resign from office.
But that was the position it found itself in last night, after news that Donald Trump had sacked FBI director James Comey. Trump’s move was described by Malcolm Nance, among others, as “a Nixonian move clearly designed to take out the man who was investigating collusion with a foreign power” and many commentators compared Trump’s behaviour to that of Nixon during the Watergate scandal.
The Nixon Library hit back on Twitter:
FUN FACT: President Nixon never fired the Director of the FBI #FBIDirector #notNixonian pic.twitter.com/PatArKOZlk
— RichardNixonLibrary (@NixonLibrary) May 9, 2017
The comparison was being drawn because of Nixon’s so-called “Saturday Night Massacre”. In October 1973, during the Watergate investigation, Nixon issued orders to fire the independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who was investigating the case. This led to resignations by the attorney general, Elliot Richardson, and deputy attorney general, William Ruckelshaus, to avoid carrying out the instruction. Eventually, the solicitor general, Robert Bork, ensured Cox was removed.
When you're getting trolled by the Nixon library after a few months in office, your presidency isn't going well. https://t.co/TN7e5AQ6u6
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) May 9, 2017
The Nixon Library was not the only Twitter user to make the comparison and mock Trump for his move:
Somewhere, Richard Nixon is smiling....
— The Fighting Liberal (@texyellowdogdem) May 10, 2017
At long last, Donald Trump is going to replace me as the most scandalous US President ever... pic.twitter.com/3s47rYWs8l
@PalmerReport Nixon on #Trump #trumprussia and #impeachment probability just skyrocketed. #trump in record time has become worst President in US history pic.twitter.com/ivwBFZS74Y
— Steve Ardire (@sardire) May 10, 2017
The White House has announced Chet Americanman as the new director of the #FBI. pic.twitter.com/5QFKUewKay
— Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) May 10, 2017
For some parody Trump supporter accounts, drawing a link with the US president’s former life as a reality TV show host was irresistible.
MAKE @FBI GREAT AGAIN!👌
— Vote Trump Pics (@VoteTrumpPics) May 9, 2017
The FBI Director Comey - YOU'RE FIRED !!!
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AG Sessions, Nixonian, #Watergate #TrumpRussiaInvestigation pic.twitter.com/Md8gkDg98J
The Nixon library in Yorba Linda, California, is open to the public. Its Twitter feed is not normally noted for trolling, usually opting instead to publish archive photographs of Nixon tied in to topical themes.
It's #NationalPetWeek !! We only found out today so here are two Nixon pet photos to get us all caught up. (WHPO-6970-15A & D0422-12) pic.twitter.com/oQJ6WXxRrz
— RichardNixonLibrary (@NixonLibrary) May 9, 2017
Nixon’s role in the Watergate scandal and fall from grace has overshadowed anything else achieved during his years in office, with the library and Nixon Foundation dedicated to preserving documents associated with his life, and reminding the public of his other activities. In 1971, for example, Nixon signed the National Cancer Act to improve research into the disease.
In 2004, the Welsh band Manic Street Preachers released a single The Love of Richard Nixon’.
Bassist Nicky Wire said at the time: “With Nixon, people will always associate him with Watergate and being a crook, not the fact that he was the first president to go to China to build relations. Or the way he de-escalated the arms race with the Soviet Union – quite admirable things.”
