On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon addressed the nation on television to announce that he would resign from office. The announcement came after mounting evidence in the Watergate scandal and the loss of political support in Congress. Nixon stated that he believed resigning was in the best interest of the country. His decision made him the first U.S. president to leave office this way. The announcement set the stage for Vice President Gerald Ford to assume the presidency. It represented a profound test of the constitutional system and peaceful transfer of power.
