"Watery" Observations: History Repeating?

By now, you likely have heard about the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago, the palace-like Florida residence of Donald Trump. It seems that the feds were looking for certain documents that Mr. Trump may have had in his possession. 

Never mind that President Biden may have the very same documents, as well as other classified intelligence that he is not legally allowed to possess; but I digress (1). 

Without additional political commentary, I suggest that the whole situation looks similar in appearance to certain aspects of Watergate. Students of history will note that this was the affair that eventually took down President Richard Nixon.   

Let's go into some background behind that scandal, and how it happened.  

At the time that Watergate took place, the political climate in the US was fraught (see definitions) with tension, if not outright suspicion. Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Sr. had been assassinated in 1968, and there were serious questions being asked about the direction of the nation.

Enter onto this scene the publication of "the Pentagon Papers". This was a study that sharply critiqued the size and scope of America's involvement in Vietnam (2). 

The "papers" were supported by various internal leaks of classified documents; leaks that Republican president Richard Nixon decided to try to put a stop to. As such, later that year, a group called the "White House Special Investigations Unit" was formed; they would become unofficially known as "the Plumbers" (3).

Now, let's go to June of 1972, when a crew of would-be robbers is caught breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. According to reports, they were there looking for information regarding the party's campaigning and activities (4).

This apparent lapse in security alarms members of Congress, who quickly begin to investigate whether there was any official connection to the crime.

At this point, you may be asking what all of this has to do with "Document-gate". 

You see, the scenario is the same; it goes like this. A group loosely affiliated with the White House (in this case, officials with the FBI) wants to know what the other side is doing, and thus violates property rights in the guise (see definitions) of obtaining "important documents".  

Then, a gag order (see definitions) is placed on the property owner, forbidding him from any mention of the affair in public.

In the previous case, the story ultimately ended with Richard Nixon resigning as president, and somewhat of a vindication of his political opponents. Perhaps the similarities between the two instances should be considered (5). 

After all, those who forget their own history are often doomed to repeat it.

Definitions - 

Fraught: Adjective, "full of or accompanied by something specified" (6).

Guise: Noun, "external appearance or semblance"; disguise.

Gag order: Noun, "a judicial order barring discussion (as by the press) of information relating to a (legal) case".

Sources:

1. Colton, Emma. “Revelation of Secret Obama-era Program Casts Doubt on Stated Reason for Trump Mar-a-Lago Raid.” Fox News, 23 May 2024, www.foxnews.com/politics/revelation-secret-obama-era-program-casts-doubt-stated-reason-trump-mar-a-lago-raid. Accessed 24 May 2024.

2. “Pentagon Papers.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_Papers. Accessed 24 May 2024.

3. “White House Plumbers.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Plumbers. Accessed 24 May 2024.

4. “Watergate Complex.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_complex. Accessed 24 May 2024. 

5. “Presidency of Richard Nixon.” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Richard_Nixon. Accessed 24 May 2024.

6. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary. Accessed 24 May 2024.