Letters to the Editor: Richard Nixon was awful. He looks good only compared to Donald Trump

To the editor: Columnist Jonah Goldberg appears to be suffering from a case of selective amnesia regarding who President Nixon was and what he did. ("Closing out 2022, Trump has supplanted Nixon as the saddest figure in post-presidential politics," Opinion, Dec. 27)

Goldberg wrote that after he resigned the presidency in disgrace in 1974, Nixon "clawed back a reputation of a wise man." Many would disagree with that assessment, but there are always those who will stand by their man no matter what.

We should never sugarcoat Nixon's activities. He was behind the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office building 50 years ago. He continually lied about the burglary and he obstructed justice.

Then, there was the slush fund. An office safe contained tens of thousands of dollars used for payoffs in his criminal scheme. He was known to be a racist and an antisemite. Nixon would have been impeached and possibly convicted by the Senate had he not resigned.

That is not the resume of one who ought to be respected or admired. Yet, contrasting a person with the reprehensible former President Trump, who nearly destroyed the republic, would make anyone look good.

Richard Z. Fond, Sherman Oaks

..

To the editor: Goldberg stated that in 2022, Trump "supplanted Nixon as the saddest figure in post-presidential politics."

No, there is nothing sad about the disgraced, twice-impeached ex-president. He is and has always been a vile, vulgar, vindictive individual.

What's sad is what his actions have done to our country.

Janet S. Holmes, San Clemente

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.