Vance, an admirer of Richard Nixon, says Watergate would be a ‘a 12-hour news story’ today

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday said the Watergate scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon will be an interruption in today’s news cycle, drawing parallels between Nixon and President Donald Trump and arguing that both were targeted by “deep state” forces.

Vance spoke about his admiration for Nixon in a speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California. Vance, who is widely expected to run for president in 2028, spoke while making his own introduction at the library. new book“Community.”

After talking about the book and his journey of faith, Vance moved on to Nixon and said the 37th president’s legacy is “going through a bit of a renaissance.”

“If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like 12 hours of news. The idea that this would topple a presidency is crazy,” Vance said.

He continued: “If you look at the story of how the deep state took down Richard Nixon, it’s not that different from what the same groups, the same institutions, tried to do to Donald Trump in the first Trump administration.”

Vance later noted his similarities to Nixon.

“Young senator, vice president, writes best-selling books, hates the media,” he said. “Sounds like J.D. Vance. I’ve always liked Richard Nixon.”

Nixon was in his second term when he resigned due to the Watergate scandal in 1974.