As President, Nixon claimed executive powers intended for use in national emergencies, then applied them to his own purposes, saying: "A president does have certain extraordinary powers which would make acts that would otherwise be unlawful, lawful—if undertaken for the purpose of preserving the nation."

Acting out his own ideas of what would best "preserve the nation," Nixon set up a secretly funded White House committee, which forged documents, wiretapped civilians, and formed an "enemy list" of any American who might get in his way. It was a glaring assault on American freedom, and it quickly spun out of control.

On the night of June 17, 1972, operatives of Nixon's "Committee to Re-elect the President" were arrested after breaking into the Watergate Hotel complex to steal documents from the Democratic Party headquarters. President Nixon refused to comment on what was soon being called the Watergate affair. In an informal press conference outside the White House, he expressed his determination, "We're going to stay on this job 'til we get the job done. Let others wallow in Watergate; we're going to do our job."

For more than a year Nixon hoped Watergate would blow over. He believed that it would not matter to the majority of Americans, who would remain complacent as long as they were not directly affected.