JD Vance says Watergate would be a “12-hour news story” today

On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance claimed the Watergate scandal that forced Richard Nixon to resign would barely register in today's polarized news cycle.

Vance told an audience at the Nixon Library that it was “crazy” the 1970s break-in and cover-up ended a presidency, suggesting modern scandals move much faster. He argued that “deep state” forces targeted Nixon similarly to how he claims they are targeting President Donald Trump today. The Vice President praised Nixon as a “political genius” and compared his own political trajectory to the late president’s underdog story.

Critics quickly denounced the comments as an attempt to normalize executive corruption and rewrite history.