>>> LET OTHERS WALL LOW IN WATERGATE.
WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR JOB. THAT IS WHAT PRESIDENT NIXON
SAID TO IN JULY 1973. AND 13 MONTHS LATER THIS
HAPPENED. >>ISH RESIGN THE PRESIDENCY
EFFECTIVE AT NOON TOMORROW. >> WHAT SCHEDULE IS THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY ON? IS IT ON THE FOUR-YEAR SCHEDULE
OR THE NIXON SCHEDULE? JOINING US NOW, FRANK RICH,
WRITER AT LARGE FOR "NEW YONEW MAGAZINE, ALSO EXECUTIVE
PRESIDENTER OF VP. IS THE WRITER OF THE NEW YORK
COVER STORY. HOW THE PRESIDENCY ENDS.
I LOVE THIS, FRANK. BECAUSE THOSE OF US OF A CERTAIN
AGE WHO BELIEVE WE REMEMBER HAVE FORGOTTEN SO MUCH OF THE TEXTURE
OF HOW LONG DIFFERENT THINGS TOOK, THE RHYTHMS, WHEN IT FELT
LIKE NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. WHEN IT SUDDENLY FELT LIKE A LOT
WAS HAPPENING. AND IT'S ALL HERE.
>> THANKS. YOU KNOW ONE REASON WE REMEMBER
THE MOVIE THEY BREAK THE ENAND THEN YOU HAVE THE MONTH TAUJ AND
IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAPPENED IN A SNAP PROCESS .QUOTE YOU READ OF
NIXONS, JULY OF '73. BY THEN THERE HAD BEEN TWO
MONTHS OF THE LEGENDARY SENATE WATERGATE GATE AERG WHAT DID YOU
KNOW WHEN DID YOU HEAR IT? JOHN MITCHELL THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL HAD BEEN INDICTED. THERE HAD BEEN ONE SCANNEDLAND
AFTER ANOTHER. THEN EVEN THEN THERE WAS NO SIGN
NIXON WAS LEAVING. HE HAD ONLY 22% OF THE GAL UP
POLL THAT HE SHOULD GET OUT. IT WAS ANOTHER 13 MONTHS OF
FURTHER EVENTS. SO WE'RE -- WE'RE AROUND JULY OF
'73 NOW. >> YES.
>> LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE 13 MONTHS BETWEEN NOW AND
LATE NEXT SUMMER. >> YOU RELY AS ANYONE MUST ON
ELIZABETH DREW WHO WROTE THE WASHINGTON JOURNAL.
IT WAS HER COLLECTED DISPATCHES OF THE WHOLE WATERGATE
INVESTIGATION. AND WONDERFUL QUOTES FROM HER
WORK HERE. AND SHE IS DESCRIBING WHAT THE
NEWS CYCLE WAS LIKE. YOU QUOTE HER SAYING THE NEWS IS
COMING TOO FAST, FASTER AND HARDER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED,
IMPOSSIBLE TO ABSORB. SHE GOES ON ABOUT SPIRE OOH
AGNEW HAVING TO PLEAD TO TAX FRAUD.
HE SAYS IT'S LIKE SOMEONE BEING DRUNK.
I READ THAT, YES, THAT'S. >> THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
NOW. >> IT FEELS THAT NOW IN THE DAY
OF INTERNET BUT IT FELT LIKE THAT IN THE DAY OF EVENING
PAPERS AND EVENING NEWS. WITH THAT COMES CERTAIN
IMPATIENCE. WE FEEL IF TRUMP DESERVES TO BE
DRIVEN FROM OFFICE WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH NIXON IS IT SHOULD
HAPPEN TOMORROW OR YESTERDAY. ONE REASON IT DOESN'T WORK THAT
WAY IS BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS. WE HAVE IN FANTASY NOW THAT
REPUBLICANS BACK THEN WERE SO MUCH -- THE ESTABLISHMENT SO
MUCH MORE NOBLE THAN MITCH McCONNELL AND PAUL RYAN.
NO THERAPY WOOSES TOO. THEY TALKED OFF THE RECORD NOT
FOR ATTRIBUTE USING WITH JOURNALISTS.
. THEY DIDN'T GET WITH THE PROGRAM
UNTIL IT WAS ALMOST TOO LATE. >> YOU HAD SMOKING GUNS.
LET'S REMEMBER NICKEN'S SUPPORT WAS BIPARTISAN.
BECAUSE NO THOSE DAYS WE HAD DYNAMICIC SENATORS FROM PLEASES
LIKE MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA. AND THEY WERE STAUNCH NIXON
SUPPORTERS. >> EXACTLY.
RIGHT NOW PEOPLE SAY WELL THERE IS A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS THAT
WILL PROTECT TRUMP OR THERE IS A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS THAT COULD
HAVE TAKEN OUT NIXON. BUT THAT'S JUST APPLES AND
ORANGES BECAUSE ACTUALLY THE VOTES SUPPORTING NIXON INCLUDED
A LOT OF DEMOCRATS, SOUTHERN CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS WHO WOULD
LATER MY GRATE TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BUT HAD NOT YET.
>> THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME AND MAKES
PERFECT SENSE WHEN YOU READ IT. YOU MAKE THE CASE THAT THE PARTY
DYNAMICS AREN'T THAT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY WERE FOR NIXON
WHERE WE HAVE BEEN SAYING GEE THESE REPUBLICANS ARE SO WEAK
COMPARED TO BARRY GOLD WATER AND THOSE GUYS WHO TOLD NIXON HE HAD
TO LEAVE. HE LITERALLY TOLD HIM HE HAD TO
LEAVE WHEN THEY HEARD THE SMOKING GUN TAPE.
AND WHEN THERE WAS A STATEMENT OF RESIGNATION ON NIXON'S DESK.
IT WAS POLITICAL THEATER WHEN THE PARTY LEADERS WENT TO WHITE
HOUSE AND SAID IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO.
HE WAS PACKING HIS BAGS. >> THERE WAS TALK AND PUBLIC
SPECULATION AND RESIGNATION ALREADY IN THE MEDIA.
>> EVEN SEW HE WAS SUCH A QUICKS ON THEIC PERSONALITY THE WAY
TRUMP IS THE FAMILY WAS PUSHING HIM TO STAY THEY THOUGHT HE
COULD TURN ON A DIME AND CHANGE. BUT IN THE END HE REALIZED HE
WOULDN'T WIN A TRIAL IN THE SENATE.
HE NEVER WAS IMPEACHED. >> HE GOT OUT BEFORE THE VOTE.
YOU MAKE A POINT THAT NIXON IS SMARTER THAN TRUMP.
>> ONE THING NIXON IS WAS A LAWYER HE WAS A CRAFTY LAWYER HE
USED TO LECTURE THE STAFF THE COVER-UP WOULD BE WORSE THAN THE
CRIME. HE BADGERED ALGER HEUS HE NEVER
GOT THAT CONVICTION BUT HISS WAS CONVICTED OF THE COVER-UP, THE
PERJURY. HE KNEW THAT.
TRUMP DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THE RULE OF LAW HE IS VIOLATING.
>> ANYONE WHO IS TELLING YOU THAT IMPEACHMENT IS IMPOSSIBLE
OR RESIGNATION IS IMPOSSIBLE YOU HAVE GOT TO REED THE COVER STORY
HOW A PRESIDENCY ENDS.