Richard Nixon should have destroyed most of the secret tapes he made in the White House as president, says his former adviser and speechwriter Pat Buchanan.
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Nixon's resignation, and Buchanan appeared Monday on
"The Colbert Report" to discuss Watergate, which led to Nixon's downfall.
Buchanan said that since the audio tapes were secretly recorded and voice activated, most people unaware they were even being recorded, so he advised Nixon to destroy them.
"He should never have made the tapes," Buchanan said.
That said, Nixon should not have erased tapes that would have resulted in obstruction of justice in the Watergate case or tapes that held historical significance, such as his conversations with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, he said.
Buchanan also said Nixon should not have resigned.
"What he should have said was, 'Go ahead. Impeach and be damned,'" Buchanan said.
Nixon decided against the move, however, after it became clear he had no chance of not being convicted. Sen. Barry Goldwater and others advised Nixon to give up, and he had come to the same conclusion, Buchanan said.
Editor’s Note: New Warning - Stocks on Verge of Major Collapse
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.