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Here we go
Richard Nixon is having a moment, again. But how you interpret the political afterlife of Tricky Dick largely depends on whom you’re talking to about him.
Republicans nowadays look back fondly on the Nixon era. Vice President JD Vance said that if the Watergate scandal happened today, it would merit half a day’s news cycle. It’s quite a blithe take on Nixon’s crimes, and it doubles as an implicit acknowledgement that the Trump administration is working hard to outdo Nixon in the law-and-norms-flouting department. The vice president isn’t the only one to express his love of the disgraced former president. Many younger conservatives molded by the MAGA movement have also developed a fascination with Nixon, resulting in a profusion of short-form hype videos, Nixon apologia, and strange attempts at Nixon hipsterism.¹
Democrats are interested in the Nixon era, too. But their specific area of interest is a bit different: They’re looking back fondly to the investigations into government corruption that followed Nixon’s resignation. And they believe it’s a template lawmakers can use to push for reforms while pursuing accountability for the widespread corruption of the Trump era...
