In 1977, the by-then-former United States President Richard Nixon gave up the proverbial game. In an interview with British broadcaster David Frost, he seemed to provide an explanation for why he felt he could so brazenly ignore the law.In response to a question about whether the president can take certain illegal actions if he perceived them to be in the national interest, he responded, “Well, when the president does it … that means that it is not illegal.” “By definition?” Frost followed up. “Exactly”, said Nixon.This episode brought some sense of catharsis for many. While the specific line of questioning was about the excesses of the Vietnam War, it also provided a glimpse into the structurally flawed nature of how Nixon saw the presidency. In turn, this helped explain how he could see plotting against American democracy as legitimate.
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