Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Vice President JD Vance on Saturday for his comments that downplayed the Watergate scandal.She used the opportunity to make two strong criticisms, one against Vance and the other against the Republican Party.
Clinton was reacting to a New York Times article titled “Vance Downplays Watergate and Compares Himself to Nixon.” The article said Vance claimed the Watergate scandal, which led to Richard Nixon’s resignation, would be like a short news story today.
He also suggested that the “deep state” was responsible for Nixon’s downfall.
Clinton first criticized Vance for not understanding the history of Watergate, and also for his administration’s actions regarding book bans.
“Maybe Vance doesn’t know this history because it’s in one of the books his administration banned,” she wrote.
She then criticized the current Republican Party, comparing it to the Republicans of the Watergate era.
“The difference between Watergate and now is that back then, Republicans actually did something about a law-breaking president,” Clinton wrote.
“Today, they only roll over for their cult leader.”
This reference is to the bipartisan effort after the Watergate break-in, when Republican leaders pushed Nixon to resign instead of supporting him through impeachment.
Vance’s comments flipped that history, suggesting Nixon was more of a target of government forces rather than someone who brought about his own downfall.
This narrative matches the political frustrations that are part of the current administration’s approach.
Clinton, who often criticizes President Donald Trump and his supporters, has not shied away from pointing out issues on social media.
Her latest post combined two common left-leaning criticisms — book bans and Republican support for Trump — into one response.
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