The correct answer to this open question is the following.
Many Americans thought about Ford as a reliable and honest person when he took office as President.
After the resignation of Richard Nixon due to the Watergate scandal and possible impeachment, Gerald Ford became the 38th President of the United States. US citizens were angry, frustrated, and desperate for a good, reliable person that could restore the morale of the nation after the Vietnam War years and the Watergate scandal. In general terms, Ford could restore the credibility of the federal government, although many people got frustrated when he pardoned Richard Nixon. People expected exemplary punishment.