Revelations from Nixon’s Grand Jury Testimony
Recently disclosed pages from Richard Nixon’s 1975 grand jury testimony reveal claims that his resignation resulted from a covert operation by the so-called deep state—a theory previously suggested by figures like Tucker Carlson and Roger Stone.
Nixon provided his testimony to Watergate prosecutors and a federal grand jury in June 1975. A substantial portion of his 297-page transcript had been sealed due to its sensitive content. While most records were made public in 2011, seven specific pages remained undisclosed.
Last week, the New York Times published a guest editorial by James Rosen that detailed these newly uncovered pages.
The revelations indicate Nixon was aware of Navy Yeoman Charles Radford’s actions in December 1971. Radford had copied around 5,000 classified National Security Council documents, including some taken from the briefcase of then-National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, and handed them over to the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Kissinger, who became Nixon’s Secretary of State in 1973, had significant influence during this period. Nixon stated, “Yeoman Radford was Kissinger’s best note-taker. He was involved in all those crucial trips and knew the ins and outs of the discussions occurring.” During the testimony, Nixon recounted that Radford “collapsed” during a polygraph test, showing signs of emotional distress.
“He almost admitted to his wrongdoing,” Nixon noted. “We chose not to prosecute him because revealing those secrets could jeopardize our communications necessary for ending the Vietnam War.”
Nixon expressed concerns that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were against his foreign policy, particularly his efforts to conclude the Vietnam War, suggesting Radford’s espionage activities could counteract his policies.
The former president initially considered legal action against those involved in the espionage but eventually decided against it, deeming it a “can of worms” best left unopened, a sentiment that prosecutors supported.
Rosen wrote that the espionage by the Joint Chiefs was just one facet of a broader campaign against Nixon, framed as the most monitored president in modern history. This newly surfaced testimony connects to claims made by President Trump and his allies regarding a persistent bureaucracy—often labeled the “deep state.”
The uncovered pages lend support to the assertions made by Carlson and Stone that a successful coup plot backed by deep state actors targeted Nixon.
Carlson remarked that Nixon, once highly popular in polling during his re-election campaign, was suddenly ousted by a combination of military intelligence and various national agencies. Stone, who has authored past works on this theme, described Nixon’s downfall as a “government-orchestrated coup,” emphasizing that the parallels with Trump’s experiences are significant.
In sum, Nixon’s testimony has surfaced new, potentially impactful narratives about political machinations during his presidency, suggesting a complex web of intrigue that extends beyond the known history of Watergate.
