Description
From New York Times bestselling author and CNN legal commentator Jeffrey Toobin comes a timely exploration of the most controversial presidential pardon in American historyGerald Fords pardon of Richard Nixonand its profound implications for our current political landscape.
In this deeply reported narrative, Jeffrey Toobin recreates the behind-the-scenes political melodrama during the tumultuous period leading up to and following Nixons resignation. The narrative features a rich cast of charactersincluding Alexander Haig, Nixons last chief of staff, who pushed for the pardon, and a young Justice Department lawyer named Antonin Scalia, who provided the legal justification. The Pardon also introduces you to a largely forgotten figure, Benton Becker, the Washington lawyer sent personally by Ford to negotiate the pardon with Nixon. Beckers fresh reflections provide a startling and cinematic picture of the former Presidentwho proved a master manipulator even in exile.
Fords shocking decision to pardon Nixon was widely criticized at the time, yet it has since been reevaluated as a healing gesture for a divided country even by former critics. Toobin anticipates the next turn in the debate by arguing that Fords pardon was a disasteran unwise gift to an undeserving recipient, and one that creates an unsettling precedent that is likely to be tested by the next occupant of the Oval Office.
The Pardon is a must-read for anyone interested in American history, the complex dynamics of power within the highest office in the nation, and the implications of presidential mercy.
Author: Jeffrey Toobin
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 02/25/2025
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9781668084946
Language: English
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