Question

Read these words from Nixon's resignation speech.

"I regret deeply any injuries that may have been done in the course of the events
that led to this decision. I would say only that if some of my judgments were
wrong, and some were wrong, they were made in what I believed at the time to be
the best interest of the Nation."
Richard Nixon's resignation speech
How does Nixon use language to make it sound like he is not as guilty of doing some
wrong?

Answer 1

Nixon uses language that casts doubt on his actions and portrays himself as having made mistakes out of a sincere desire to do what was best for the nation. He acknowledges that some of his decisions were wrong, but he also suggests that he believed he was acting in the nation's best interest at the time. This serves to portray him not as someone who deliberately and maliciously acted wrongfully, but rather someone who simply made poor judgments while trying to do the right thing.

Answer 2

Answer:
Nixon uses language to downplay his guilt by suggesting that any mistakes made were unintentional and done in the best interest of the country, expressing remorse for any harm caused.

Step-by-step explanation:

In his resignation speech, Nixon uses language to downplay his guilt by using phrases such as "if some of my judgments were wrong" and "they were made in what I believed at the time to be the best interest of the Nation." This suggests that he made mistakes, but they were not intentional and were done with the belief that they were in the best interest of the country. He also uses the phrase "I regret deeply any injuries that may have been done," which implies that any harm caused was unintentional and that he is remorseful. Overall, Nixon uses language to present himself as someone who made mistakes, but they were not done with malicious intent, and he expresses remorse for any harm caused.