Newly Released Historical Documents Show Nixon's Personality

In 1975, disgraced ex-President Richard Nixon testified to a grand jury about his actions during the Watergate scandal - a testimony he thought would remain secret.

The Washington Post reports that the Nixon Presidential Library released a transcript of the testimony, some thirty six years after it happened. Historians sued for the records to be unsealed, setting a precedent for other classified presidential documents desired to be released.

The Post - the same newspaper that brought down Nixon's corrupt presidency - reports that while the release lacks any significant new information about the scandal, it shows the former president's sarcastic and edgy demeanor.

“It’s Nixon being Nixon,” historian Stanley Kutler told the Post. “It’s a virtuoso performance. How about $10 for every time he says, I don’t recall?” he said.

Tim Naftali - director of the Nixon library - echoed Kutler's point, telling The New York Times the transcript "sheds more light on President Nixon’s personality and character than it does on the remaining puzzles of Watergate."

According to the Times, Nixon blames the dirty game of politics - not personal corruption - for the downfall of his presidency. Nixon said at the top of his list of political enemies was the John F. Kennedy administration. In the transcripts, Nixon says Kennedy used his control over government agencies - like the FBI and IRS - to discredit him politically.

Tape released of Nixon's famous meeting with Vietnam War protesters

The Nixon Presidential Library and Museum also released recordings from Nixon's 1970 meeting with Vietnam War protesters. CNN reports that the tapes - recorded at the National Mall on May 9, 1970 - again show a personal side of Nixon.

On that date, Nixon made an impromptu visit to the Lincoln Memorial to talk with young protestors about his Vietnam policy. He told a small group that his "goals in Vietnam were the same as theirs - to stop the killing, to end the war, to bring peace."

The 45-minute meeting - which happened in the early morning before sunrise - is now available for the public to hear. Naftali told CNN that the meeting played out like a movie script. "If Hollywood created this, you wouldn't believe it," he said.

Thumbnail photo by History In An Hour.