The historian Douglas Brinkley has just published a new book, “The Nixon Tapes, 1973”, which reveal the details of the Watergate White House tapes, now all released after 40 years.
The point that is most noticeable is that Richard Nixon considered resigning, and said so to his White House Chief of Staff, Alexander Haig, on May 25, 1973, almost 15 months before he actually resigned on August 9, 1974.
Had he done that, Vice President Spiro Agnew would have become President, just months before the revelation that he had engaged in illegal activities, including accepting cash bribes as Vice President. That revelation in October 1973 led to his resignation, and his replacement by Gerald Ford, under the 25th Amendment, a very lucky break for the nation!
So history would have been transformed, with Nixon quitting, and possibly revelation of President Agnew as deserving of removal from office as well!
So Gerald Ford was a blessing, and Nixon’s thoughts of resigning but not doing so, transformed American history!