Richard Nixon apologists (and yes, there were–and still are some) liked to say that Nixon was a “decent and honorable man that was betrayed by the men around him”. Yes, Nixon had no role in the planning of the Watergate break-in that eventually led to his downfall–but he did hire or approve of the hiring of many of the men that did the planning and those that directed the efforts to cover up his re-election campaign’s role in it. And many of those men were cut from the same cloth as Nixon himself. It’s no coincidence that the Committee to Re-elect was known as “CREEP”.
In case you have forgotten the players, Charles Colson, HR Haldeman, John Erlichman, John Dean, Former Attorney General John MIchell and Howard Hunt were all lawyers–just like Nixon. They could be described as acerbic–just like Nixon. They were paranoid–just like Nixon. And they were able to stand in front of microphones and TV cameras and tell bald-faced lies about the Watergate scandal for years–just like Nixon. “Tricky Dick” didn’t hire the burglars or create the convoluted money trail through CREEP to pay them and others that worked to sabotage the McGovern campaign–but those who did knew their President was okay with those practices. And when the operation was discovered–would try to cover it up instead of being honest with the American people.
I think about that when I hear folks now trying to explain away President Trump’s culpability in the actions of an increasing number of people around him. The President can go on as many Twitter storms as he wants bashing those that have been convicted, or indicted or who have written tell all books or who have secretly recorded conversations inside the White House. But who is the one who hired these people? And how are any of them different from Trump himself?
Paul Manafort pretended to be rich and powerful. He would take money from anyone–including African military dictators and Eastern European oligarchs looking to undermine Western democracy–all while trying to hide that income. Michael Cohen is a loudmouth, brash New Yorker that specializes in intimidation and throwing money at problems until they “go away”. His offices were located in Trump Tower for years. Omorosa Manigault rose to fame as a “crazy” reality show contestant whose behavior became more outlandish as the series went on–knowing that was the key to being retained–it was good for TV ratings. And she held absolutely no qualifications for a job in the White House as a consultant on any topic. Do any of these traits sound familiar?
President Trump had some good people around him to start: Reince Priebus and John Kelly among them–but they soon learned the President only wants those just like himself in the White House to tell him he is great at all times and to keep up the façade of an administration that knows what it is doing. And when this all ends in disgrace and prison time, Trump apologists can try to blame “all the President’s men–and women”.
