Final answer:
Daniel Ellsberg was a military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers, causing Nixon to react with covert operations against him, leading to consequences like the Watergate scandal and Nixon's resignation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Who was Daniel Ellsberg and What was Nixon's Reaction? Daniel Ellsberg was a former U.S. military analyst who, after becoming disillusioned with the Vietnam War, leaked the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Department of Defense study of U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. This leak revealed substantial government deception about the scope of the war to the American public. Ellsberg's actions led to a series of events that were part of a broader pattern of abuse of governmental power by the Nixon administration, culminating in the Watergate scandal. President Richard Nixon's reaction to Ellsberg was one of hostility and paranoia. Nixon was convinced that the leak was part of a conspiracy to undermine his administration, which led him to approve illegal measures to discredit Ellsberg. This included breaking into Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office by the 'plumbers', a covert group hired by Nixon to prevent governmental information leaks and spy on political adversaries. Ultimately, Nixon's actions surrounding the Pentagon Papers and subsequent Watergate scandal led to a constitutional crisis and his resignation from the presidency. The release of the Pentagon Papers had lasting implications, contributing significantly to the erosion of public trust in government and intensifying opposition to the Vietnam War. Nixon's efforts to suppress and retalitate against Ellsberg illuminated the broader issues of governmental accountability and the unwarranted expansion of executive power