Watergate anniversary: Media frequently invokes term 'worse than Watergate' when covering modern scandals

Fox news ^ | 06/17/2022 | David Rutz

[ChicagoConservative27]

With Friday marking the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, Fox News Digital takes a look back at the media's fondness for invoking Watergate in its coverage of modern scandals.

Throughout the presidency of Donald Trump, figures on CNN, MSNBC and other networks frequently referred to the infamous White House scandal that brought down Richard Nixon in their coverage of Trump, often saying what he was accused of was "worse than Watergate."

From the Jan. 6 Capitol riot to the 2019 Ukraine phone call, to his handling of coronavirus and the sprawling Russia investigation that consumed his presidency, "Watergate" comparisons continue to abound. To that end, figures like former Nixon White House counsel John Dean and reporter Carl Bernstein, who helped break the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post in the 1970s, are often invited on for that purpose.

[ChicagoConservative27]

All the left has is Watergate. It's demented

[EvilCapitalist]

Now Watergate does not bother me.

Does your conscience bother you?

[Gen.Blather]

I would think that if something was “worse than Watergate,” then it would have its own name and that name would replace Watergate as the new code for scandal. But by referencing a prior scandal for scale they are admitting it is a nothing burger.

[laplata]

Richard Nixon was a Boy Scout compared to the current scum like Hillary Clinton and Obama and thousands of others.

[mewzilla]

I was around for Watergate.

That was a tempest in a teacup compared to this.

And now I’m wondering if Tricky Dick was done in by Deep State.

Since another assassination so soon after Kennedy’s was a non-starter...

[mak5]

Watergate was John Dean’s operation. He misled the President and his staff until it was too late. But other than a second-rate burglary, it involved nothing the Obama and Biden haven’t done...remember the “enemies list”, the use of the IRS to harass opponents? That’s politics as usual today.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
FReepers, it's far beyond time to wrap up this FReep-a-thon.  Lets do it today.  Please chip in.

President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America
President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations on 09/19/2017.
President Donald J. Trump's accomplishments during his term in office.

Ramirez political cartoon:  Couldn't Find Pence,... LARGE VERSION 06/17/2022: LINK
Garrison political cartoon:  Obama's Propane Tanks LARGE VERSION 06/2022: LINK

FReepers, 78.979% of the Second Quarter FReep-a-thon goal has been met.  Click above and pencil in your donation now.  Please folks, lets end this FReepathon.  Thank you!
...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Just $17.00 dollars to 79%.

[silent majority rising]

Their first attempt at engineering a coup by the Press. It was wildly successful from the perspective and they used the tools developed to bring Trump down.

[Dan in Wichita]

If Nixon was a Democrat, no one would have ever heard of Watergate.

[nickcarraway]

Have they ever called a Democrat scandal, “Worse than Watergate?”

[caver]

And one of these days, if the Republic survives that long, it will be termed, worse than January 6.

[Ge0ffrey]

The Trump Russia collusion hoax was WAY worse than Watergate.

[mware]

BREAKING Stephan Colbert staffers arrested at Capitol for unescorted breach. Schiff implicated in breacg.

[hellinahandcart]

I just heard that!

Obviously staged to make a political point. What that could be, I have no clue.

[mware]

Damn stupid, and Adam Schiff has been implicated. His staffers helped them get in.

[lizma2]

“Watergate was John Dean’s operation.”

Before Rush I listened to G. Gorden Liddy. He made it very clear Dean was scum and Nixon didn’t know about the break in beforehand.

Later GGL informed me about Rush. I will always respect this man.

[hellinahandcart]

I mean, what was the point? I just don’t understand how the insect brain works.

[G Larry]

When it was actually just a scheme by John Dean to cover up his wife's past. (per G. Gordon Liddy)

Time magazine did an depth story which made a convincing case that the break-in was on the wrong side of the building for Larry O'Brien's office to have been the target.

[mware]

Looks like they were planning a skit for his show. Why Shifts would get his staffers to do it, I guess he didn’t think anyone would care.