Richard Nixon's Greatest Speech

From Theodore Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan, American Presidents have been making speeches filled with catchphrases for over 250 years. Among the many hours of speeches, one particular one from Richard Nixon in 1974 stands out. Just before he resigns as president, Nixon speaks to his white house staff about his life.

Full speech:

[randallknapp]

A very intelligent man from humble beginnings. A very, very hard-working man, the greatest US politician of the 20th century, for better or worse. Nixon is almost exclusively judged by Watergate, which he later owned up to. President Bill Clinton eulogized Nixon at his funeral and urged people to judge Nixon by the entirety of what he had done.

[mijailayala]

Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.
Richard M. Nixon.

[robertjohnson]

The Nixon Mothers Day speech actually had, as I recall, a nine second pause after Nixon said "My mother was a saint" and before he continued about his mother helping to take care of his tubercular brother and those of other women. The pan scan showed not only the man wiping tears from his eyes, but women openly weeping. It should also be noted that just as Nixon's later corruption with Watergate was minted by the corrupt Kennedy actions (both JFK and RFK) against Nixon in 1960, just as Trump's arguably "corrupt" actions on Nov 4 and beyond were a retaliation/defense against the corrupt actions of not only Biden's hack supporters on the ground but the FBI and other Deep-State actors.

[robertortiz-wilson]

Very underrated video, excellent overall message!

[repippeas]

Great Video, loved watching it, editing on point - can't believe its got just 1.5K views :)

[gordonwylie]

President Nixon slept in our HOME in 1949, WOW

[owenjauregui]

Wait this was such a great video. I can’t believe this only has 1.5 views. Well hopefully me being here is a sign for the algorithm gods taking a chance on you. What is certain is that you have gained a loyal subscriber.

[naylorbroughton]

I think and know Nixon represents a lot of us....not always on political / social a man that has to overcome a mistake, or a bad choice, or a personality flaw and live with it. In that same regard, we still "go on" and continue our lives. We press on. We dont make excuses for our past, nor do we say "oh, that was the past" nor let that past choice or action "destroy us" . We understand choices do have some deeper pain and scars that never really go away. Nixon knew this and lived it. Not just with "Watergate". There is indeed a lot more to this man than what happened that June day in 1972. I believe history in the long game will be kinder to Nixon. When I visited his presidential museum and library here in California. I understood that Nixon a bit more.

[DominicBHaven-qmnx]

There are a lot of people with strong feelings about the abuses of power Nixon committed, but I think there were some redeeming actions he deserves credit for. The SALT I treaty was ratified while he was in office and I remember when Nixon gave a speech on TV in either 1991 or 1992. Russia was collapsing and there was a debate over whether the US should send financial aid. President Bush was on the fence, but Nixon pointed out that we needed to ensure the right people rose to power to keep Russia stable at the time. The US did eventually send the aid (I thought it was the right thing to do for multiple reasons) and the rest is history. I've tried to find video of that speech, but no luck so far. He made a few mistakes along the way like all of us do, but he did a lot to maintain the peace between the US and USSR. In a world of mutual assured destruction policies, Nixon helped pull us back from the edge of annihilation. I hope you make more videos like this one, great subject matter.

[Evan.]

Nixons final address to his staff was a beautiful one. He didn’t come from wealth or privilege, he fought for every position he ran for. He ended his time as the president as a humble but defeated man

[michaellazuka]

The dignity and honor that Nixon represented during his darkest time will be his legacy. At least I will be able to tell my grandchildren that there was a man who rose from nothing, became president, and dignifally left as well as he came in. You can't say that about anyone since. Oh and Nixon ended the war that"democrats started"

[karlforster]

Nicely done. Yes, judge a man over his life time. Some would say, regarding Watergate that he didn't do anything new, he just got caught.

[robertjohnson]

Kinda weird to hear Nixon talking about Strawberry, but it's equally weird for George Will to write an entire book Men at Work on baseball when he arguably had better things to do.

[ClaudioMesquita-ql]

Nico says Nixon Nixon he says on a Vietnam war no apologies no regrets

[RachelNobody]

I had a history professor who was CONVINCED if that debate wasn't televised, Nixon would've beaten JFK. He had us listen to it with no video and he did have a point. I always thought that was really interesting and its stuck with me.

[johnnotrealname]

There are a couple errors here. William Howard Taft never did get stuck in a bathtub (He likely ate from stress and guilt over not being a Judge and his wife badgering him, although he seems to have loved her a lot and nursed her from a stroke she had.) and deserved to win the 1912 Presidential Election. As for Richard Milhous Nixon, no-one actually claims he ordered the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters but that he participated in the cover-up (He notably never admitted this although took responsibility for how he put those who broke in over the country.). This being noted, that it was even possible that a 49 state sweep to come could have an illegal wire-tap (Campaign Intelligence Plan) in play is a testament to how nuts the guy was (He did approve a plan but not the specifics.). Furthermore he more than went after enemies with the I.R.S. for example (Other Presidents did so although not to the same extent, maybe.). I must write that Nixon was a far better talker than orator (His tapes are calming and delicious, his voice is awesome.) and in this one he is sort of talking to us and the final line in the speech is pretty much the best ever. How did you avoid saying the full name, Hubert Horatio Humphrey? That is such an amazing name, also I am a bit confused why you said that Nixon was the establishment candidate as he came rather out of left-field (Moderate alternatives dropped out.) after his wilderness years and had to win all of his primaries. Furthermore given the way Humphrey won, the rules for the convention had to be changed by a fellow Minnesota fellow, he was arguably the establishment guy (Leaving aside how outside the political establishment the Republicans were at the time.). Although Nixon was more in line, publicly at least, with Lyndon Baines Johnson's Vietnam peace policy. The reason the peace failed is that Congress, Democrat-held, refused to provide funds for military aid to South-Vietnam. It was self-inflicted failure.

[Xenonchannel]

10:21 - JFK speaking - " Credit belongs to the man in the arena, [--snip--] so that his[/her] place shall never be with those cold and timid souls, which know neither victory nor defeat. ". So a modern day interpretation is that the people behind the scenes outside of any form of combat within political arenas, deserve less credit, ... while the combative souls which are clearly visible to everyone and may suffer defeats, deserve more credit. Well yeah?

[ClaudioMesquita-ql]

Miss the Nixon if God come from heaven and take 10 years of my life give me a deal I bring Nixon back to life but I take 10 years of your life what do you say yes bring the President Nixon back to life I believe God will give me that Grant

[accuserofthebrethren]

El presidente...the greatest man in all of the country