Self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist JD Vance has wild take on the 'Deep State's hand' in Nixon's Watergate scandal

By PHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 14:53, 26 June 2026 | Updated: 14:59, 26 June 2026 JD Vance is giddy with admiration for Richard Nixon, downplaying the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency and comparing the ousted president to Donald Trump.   The vice president spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California earlier this week as part of his media blitz for his latest memoir.  'As I joked … backstage, if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story,' Vance said when asked about the scandal. 'The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy.' The Watergate scandal stemmed from a 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington and the Nixon administration's efforts to cover up its involvement.  Ultimately, Nixon was forced to resign in 1974 to avoid impeachment from his own party.  Vance also went on in the same interview to compare Nixon to Trump over their foreign policy.  'One of the other lessons of Richard Nixon is it’s not just that he got out of Vietnam, but that he got out of Vietnam from a position of strength. Okay?' Vance said.  The vice president spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California earlier this week as part of his media blitz for his latest memoir Nixon resigned to avoid the impeachment process whereas Trump remained in office throughout both accounts Trump was impeached by the House for his action on January 6th, 2021 prior to the Capitol riot  He continued, 'It’s one thing to tuck tail and run. It’s another thing to clearly define an objective, to accomplish that objective and then to ensure that you don’t allow mission creep to transform a victory into a defeat.' Vance also referenced efforts by lawmakers to investigate and twice impeach Trump during his first term in the White House.  Nixon resigned to avoid the impeachment process whereas Trump remained in office throughout both accounts.  Lawmakers of Nixon's era chose not to move forward with impeachment following his resignation. His vice president and successor, Gerald Ford, later issued a controversial pardon. 'If you look at the story of how the ‘deep state’ took down Richard Nixon, it’s not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions tried to do to Donald Trump and the first Trump administration,' Vance told the crowd.  Vance, 41, also went on to compare himself to Nixon, who likewise became vice president in his early forties after serving as a senator from California. 'Young senator, vice president, writes some best-selling books, is hated by the media,' Vance mused.  'It kind of sounds like JD Vance. … I’ve always liked Richard Nixon.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.