There may be elected officials who can say something like that and not have it dog every aspect of their legacy, but Nixon wasn’t one of them. That evening, his quote led every TV and radio news broadcast. The next day, it was the big, bold headline on the front page of every newspaper – in many cases, just above a picture of the president scowling. It took no time at all before pundits noted that was exactly what a crook would say and how he would look saying it.
In this Nov. 17, 1973 file photo, President Richard Nixon speaks near Orlando, Fla. to the Associated Press Managing Editors annual meeting. Nixon told the APME “I am not a crook.” Photo credit: Associated Press Image source: Chicago Tribune
On this day in 1973, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon uttered the line that would become his political epitaph. In front of television cameras and 400 Associated Press managing editors, Nixon said, “I am not a crook.”
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