Question

Why was the way Nixon handled the tapes suspicious?

Answer 1

Nixon's handling of the Watergate tapes appeared suspicious because he invoked executive privilege to avoid releasing them, provided edited versions, and dismissed the special prosecutor investigating the scandal, actions which pointed to a cover-up and led to his impeachment proceedings.

Step-by-step explanation:

The way President Richard Nixon handled the tapes during the Watergate scandal was considered suspicious for several reasons. Nixon's refusal to release the tapes and his invocation of executive privilege suggested he had something to hide. This suspicion was compounded when he provided heavily edited versions of the tapes, which appeared tampered with, instead of the full recordings.

Furthermore, the Saturday Night Massacre, where Nixon ordered the firing of the special prosecutor investigating Watergate, further suggested obstruction of justice. Ultimately, the revelations from the tapes confirmed Nixon's involvement in the Watergate cover-up and led to the initiation of impeachment proceedings.

Answer 2

President Nixon initially refused to release the tapes, for two reasons: first, that the Constitutional principle of executive privilege extends to the tapes and citing the separation of powers and checks and balances within the Constitution, and second, claiming they were vital to national security.