>>> HISTORY SHOWS ANDREW JOHNSON GAVE UP EVERYTHING THAT THE
CONGRESS ASKED HIM FOR WHEN HE
WAS THE SUBJECT OF IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY.
INQUIRY.
SO MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK YOU THIS, ARENT YOUR STATEMENTS TO
THAT MATTER HISTORICALLY
INACCURATE OR AT LEAST
MISLEADING.
MISLEADING.
>> MR. BROKAW, IT IS TRUE AS YOU
SAY THE ONLY OTHER PRESIDENT WHO WAS EXPOSED TO AN IMPEACHMENTWHO
WAS EXPOSED TO AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY WAS ANDREW JOHNSON.
IN
IN
INSOFAR AS CONFIDENTIAL, THAT
PRINCIPLE STANDS.
>> WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT TOM
BROKAW OF NBC NEWS ASKING
PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON HOW HE COULD WITHHOLD MATERIAL FROMHE
COULD WITHHOLD MATERIAL FROM CONGRESS DURING AN IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY.
INQUIRY.
AND JUST AS WERE SEEING TODAY WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, NIXONSY
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, NIXONS DEFIANCE OF CONGRESSIONAL
SUBPOENAS TO ONE OF THE THREE
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT BROUGHT
AGAINST HIM, NIXON RESIGNED
BEFORE BEING FORMALLY CHARGED.
ALL PART OF A NEW BOOK, THE FALL
OF RICHARD NIXON BY TOM BROKAW,
HIGHLIGHTING HIS OBSERVATIONS
FROM THE WATERGATE ERA.
I AM JOINED BY NBCS TOM BROKAW.
>> GLAD TO BE HERE.
>> REMEMBER YOU WERE IN
WASHINGTON ON THE FRONT OF THE
NATIONAL ARCHIVES, SAYS THE PAST
IS PROLOG.
IS PROLOG. HOW MUCH IS WATERGATE LIKE OR
UNLIKE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH
THIS FALL?
THIS FALL? >> THERES SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCES.
DIFFERENCES.
FIRST OF ALL, GOT TO REMEMBER, BY THE TIME I ASKED HIM THATR,
BY THE TIME I ASKED HIM THAT QUESTION, HIS PRINCIPLES WERE ON
THE WAY TO PRISON, THERE WAS
CONTEMPT WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE,
INCLUDING FROM THE PRESIDENT TO
TRY TO COVER UP EVERYTHING.
SO THE EVIDENCE WAS MUCH HARDER
AT THAT POINT, MUCH MORE OBVIOUS
TO EVERYONE.
TO EVERYONE. NOW IT HAS BECOME THIS KIND OF
GAME, HE SAID, SHE SAID.
THATS NOT WHAT WE MEANT KIND OF
THING.
THING.
SO I THINK THATS THE
DIFFERENCE.
AND THE SAME TIME, THE CONDUCT
OF DONALD TRUMP VERSUS CONDUCT
OF PRESIDENT NIXON, NIXON WAS ALWAYS AWARE OF BEINGIXON WAS
ALWAYS AWARE OF BEING PRESIDENTIAL AND THE WAY HE
SPOKANE THE WAY HE RESPONDED TO
ME THERE.
ME THERE. TRUMP PLAYS FROM THE GUTTER
FRANKLY.
FRANKLY.
READY, DRAW, SHOOT, WHATEVER YOU
NEED TO DO.
SO ITS A DIFFERENT TIME.
ITS ALSO A DIFFERENT TIME IN TERMS OF, CHRIS, WHAT PEOPLE
HAVE ACCESS TO BECAUSE OF SOCIAL
MEDIA.
MEDIA.
THATS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE EVERYBODY CAN TUNE IN, SEECAUSE
EVERYBODY CAN TUNE IN, SEE WHATS GOING ON, YOU DONT KNOW
WHETHER IT IS AUTHENTIC OR NOT
WHAT YOURE READING, PEOPLE ARE
FIDDLING WITH IT CONSTANTLY,
WERE MUCH MORE DIVIDED COUNTRY
NOW THAN THEN.
>> BACK THEN, ILL ASK YOU,
THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
WORKED WELL TOGETHER BY SUMMER
OF 74, THE MOST DAMNING TAPE
AGAINST NIXON, JUNE 23rd TAPE
WHERE HE WAS ASKING THE CIA
BASICALLY TO INTERFERE WITH THE
FBI INVESTIGATION, CLEAR CASE,
THAT WAS DELIVERED TO THE
CONGRESS AND COUNTRY.
RIGHT NOW, SEEMS LIKE THE COURTS
ARE NOT PLAYING THAT ROLE.
EVERYTHING IS SLOWED DOWN TO THE
POINT WERE NOT GETTING THE
EVIDENCE.
EVIDENCE.
>> AND WERE NOT GETTING THE
EVIDENCE.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT
EVERYBODY IS OPERATING ON
SEPARATE ISLANDS.
THERES NO COOPERATION ACROSS
AGENCIES AND ACROSS DEPARTMENTS
OF GOVERNMENT.
THE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT PART OF
IT, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AT THAT
TIME DID NOT SPEAK OUT IN A WAY THEYRE SPEAKING OUT NOW.N A WAY
THEYRE SPEAKING OUT NOW. MOST OF THEM STAYED QUIETLY IN
THEIR OFFICES AND TOOK IN THE
EVIDENCE THAT WAS COMING IN ON A
DAILY BASIS.
DAILY BASIS. THEY DIDNT GET OUT THERE AND
SHOW THEIR SHARP ELBOWS, SAY
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS HOW THE
PRESIDENT IS BEING TREATED.
THEY WANTED
THEY WANTED THINGS.
THINGS.
I REMEMBER SENATOR SCOTT FROM
PENNSYLVANIA.
>> HUGH SCOTT.
>> SOMEBODY YOU KNOW VERY WELL. WHEN THEY CAME OUT WITH THEELL.
WHEN THEY CAME OUT WITH THE TRANSCRIPTS THAT HAD BEEN EDITED
AT THAT POINT, THERE WAS SO MUCH
STUFF THAT WAS STILL LEFT OVER
EVEN AFTER THE EDITING, HE
ALMOST THREW UP.
HE WROTE A LETTER TO HIS FELLOW
REPUBLICANS SAYING I CANNOT
SUPPORT THIS.
SUPPORT THIS.
>> AND NOW WE HAVE A PRESIDENT
WHO TALKS OUT LOUD LIKE HE SPOKE
THIS PRIVATE WITH THE
EXPLETIVES.
>> EXACTLY RIGHT.
YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR BOOK WHILE
SPEAKING ABOUT THE POOR QUALITY
OF THE RECORDINGS PICKED UP BY
THE WHITE HOUSE TAPING SYSTEM,
RICHARD NIXON JOKED HE WISHED HE
NEVER HAD A TAPING SYSTEM AT ALL
INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE.
HERE IT GOES.
>> AS FAR AS THOSE PARTICULAR RECORDINGS ARE CONCERNED, THE
REASON THAT YOU HAVE HEARD THAT
THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES IN
HEARING THEM IS THAT THE SYSTEM
ITSELF WAS NOT A SOPHISTICATED
SYSTEM, AND I JUST WISH WED
HAVE HAD A BETTER SYSTEM.
I FRANKLY WISH WE HADNT HAD A
SYSTEM AT ALL.
THEN I WOULDNT HAVE TO ANSWER
THIS QUESTION.
THIS QUESTION.
>> THIS ISNT A REPORTERS QUESTION.SNT A REPORTERS
QUESTION. ITS A COMMENTATORS QUESTION.
SUPPOSE WE NEVER GOT THOSE TAPE.
WOULD NIXON HAVE BEEN FORCED
FROM OFFICE?
FROM OFFICE?
>> IM NOT SURE.
I DONT -- I REALLY DONT KNOW.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, HOWEVER, THAT BEFORE WE GOT TO THATVER,
THAT BEFORE WE GOT TO THAT MOMENT, PEOPLE, HIS PRINCIPAL
ADVISERS, JOHNER LICKSON ERHLICK
GOING TO PRESIDENT.
BOB HALDERMAN WAS GOING TO
PRISON.
PRISON. HIS FORMER LAW PARTNER WAS GOING
TO PRISON.
TO PRISON. THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF MIGHT HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO AVOID IT.