Well done interview. John Dean's recollection of facts is pretty awesome. Comparing his testimony now to 50 years ago, little, if anything, has changed. Timeless!
IMO - Watergate looks tame to what is going on now in D.C. On second thought, things were probably just as corrupt, but without the internet, and modern technology, the average person was out of the loop. It was a lot easier for the "big boys" to pull scams off. In hindsight what was done to Martha Mitchell is tragic.
Thank you so much! It's truly impressive - we think you'd also appreciate our interview with Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein, which you can find here: th-cam.com/video/O2qEfJHheo8/w-d-xo.html
I’ve watched more than a few videos of Dean speaking and testifying about Watergate. This one is about as good as it gets. I like the no-audience format with no interviewer asking questions on camera.
Back in 1991 when CBS & other media came out with 20th Watergate anniversary documentaries, the general feeling (including myself) for John Dean was far from being positive. But no one could deny that his account of events was impeccable & truthful when the tapes were later released. Now, when I compare how he used his experience for teaching (public, colleagues, youngs budding lawyers with WH ambition, etc) to Gordon Liddy who never expressed a gram of remorse or concern abt the seriousness of what he has done, I can see the difference in moral / ethical fiber btw the 2 individuals. I was astouned to hear in this interview that Liddy was a lawyer, but never saw anything wrong in his spy games. Today, I listen to John Dean who obviously learned from his mistakes & tries to prevent anyone else to make the same mistakes. I truly have a great respect (if not, admiration) for his insight & his courage to share his background.
My own opinion of Dean has made a similar journey. I was once an admirer of Liddy and thought badly of John Dean. Those opinions have reversed over the years.
if I may add, I am not warming up to Liddy, but I am warming up to his point of view. The government then felt trapped with the threat of terrorist attacks (& possibly civil war) by opponents to the Vietnam war & they felt they had to do whatever was needed to prevent such threats. That being said, it does not excuse Liddy's wrongdoings in the scope of pure political gain, i.e. Nixon's reelection. Liddy publicly critizised Dean for "betraying the President". After Dean reviewed the WH tapes where it was plainly said not to discuss certain plans of action with him b/c they knew ahead of time he would counsel the President against them, I do appreciate Dean's point of view that if the WH staff got themselves in such trouble, why would he feel responsible for defending / protecting them ?
@bryansimmons8008 I remember the first news accounts with Mr. Dean and I thought how easy it is to get caught up in affairs beyond your control. I have always thought Mr. Dean was an honest and very decent man.
Exactly. It is very difficult for any of us to make a terrible mistake that isn’t a federal crime affecting our democracy and deal with the repercussions in private and learn from it. To change so fundamentally in how one views one’s failures to act lawfully and act so responsibly to teach others about what not to do in an era of mendacity and corruption is unique.
Mr. Dean has done an invaluable service to history over the years beginning with his testimony before the Watergate Committee in the House which was amazing in its accuracy once the existence of the tape recordings became known even to him. He has spoken numerous times over the years to members of the Virginia State Bar along side Bob Woodward in Continuing Legal Education Seninars on Legal Ethics that have been excellent.
one of the valuable things i think he addresses is how humans can be manipulated into doing things that they would never consider doing.. but how under certain environmental conditions they are volnerable. There is a mentalist Derren Brown (see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derren_Brown ) from England that has done some documentaries on this topic.. I think it has something to do with "conditioning".. and starting out with small things and accelerating to more extreme in small steps. I think that G. Gordon Liddy was psycho.. and may have been programmed as a child and young adult.. perhaps even with the purpose to cause harm to the government of the USA. I have heard G. Gordon Liddy interviews.. and i don't think he can be trusted. I wonder if he had been programmed during the 1930s and early 40s when Hitler was in power.. perhap even covertly? I believe he had a german nanny whom taught him and programmed him??
Dean is no hero Nixon hardly is guilty of anything as bad as Bush Sr or his son. Or the presidents that came after them. Reagan did awful things and was able to just say meh I guess I lied sorry kids lmao Nixon was doing things that no other president would consider doing just think if we could hear Bush Jr conversations in the white house or on air force one or whatever else pff he'd make Nixon look like a boy scout
Dean was a rat, just like Liddy, Hunt, and the rest of them. He facilitated and knew everything. Why this guy has been hailed as some kind of hero is absolutely beyond me.
I am fascinated with Mr. Dean photographic memory. It’s work well for him. I had the pleasure of watch him speak at the 59th St. Y. I’ve read his books which are so important in history. Thank you Dean for your service.
This is totally awesome and I thank all involved especially John Dean for this post. I was in college when this unfolded but honestly speaking I never got into the details back then as it all seemed to bore me at the time. All I remember was the names of the main players being mentioned constantly to the point of irritation. Some years later I came to realize how interesting the entire matter really was including how the pieces of the puzzle were put together. A bit like 9-11… if one comes back to TH-cam to search the subject after an absence there will inevitably be some new videos and new insight. And so too with Watergate including this interview. I can see the point of the lower drama in real life compared with the film “All the Presidents Men” but at the same time given the stakes and the level of power of the individuals involved I still think that at least internally there was extreme drama within the minds of the players especially as people began to face realities. I grew up in New York City where I was as the hearings and ultimate ultimate resignation took place. As bad as things were there still seemed to be a logic to the function of the government. While still functioning the American government seems to be now operating without logic having been largely taken over by far out branches of the left and right not to mention the media and its lobby. Now nearly 70 years old and having nothing to do with politics I find myself having having lived half my life in Vietnam where I remain watching the events of America unfold from afar. With the lobby so powerful I doubt that things can be changed and just hope that if the original intentions of the founding fathers comes to cease that the replacement doesn’t forget the older population…
The story of how Woodward met Mark Felt and how that relationship fueled the Watergate investigation is fascinating. It's also informative to have the main players being interviewed decades later. Dean was savvy enough to know he would be sacrificed as the scapegoat and testified to prevent that from happening.
I missed listening to Mr. Dean. I once quoted Dr Samuel Johnson to him, saying “There is no problem the mind of man can create that the mind of man cannot solve.” And surely enough Mr. Dean helped this country with his sage advice. I love him.
Chuck Colson had a sign in his office that read "If you have them by the balls. their hearts will follow." Dean realized Lady Justice was about to reach out for his family jewels. It wasn't on account of his "better angels."
When the senate hearings were on, I was visiting a good friend in S.S. Marie. I was always self centered and a loner. My friend wanted to go and engage in activities, tennis, etc, but not me. I was glued to John Dean testifying about all the goings-on in the White House. Sorry about that John!
Mr, Dean has a great memory, enjoy his recollections, I was 17 years old at the time of Watergate hearings. On vacation with my family in Hawaii at the time. Amazing television !
I love that. When you can tie a specific thing to a time and place you were at. Then every time you see something about Watergate, I bet you have a nice memory of your family on vacation together.
What a superb interview. John Dean was only 35 years old when he became ensnared in Watergate. Please read Blind Ambition, John Dean’s autobiography. It’s fantastic.
I am looking at the Watergate tapes from first to last. I very much enjoy Mr. Dean photographic memory at work. I saw All the Presidents Mens at the NY Public Library and I was amazed listening Bernstein and Woodward. We have Mr. Dean’s book & Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Woodward’s books. Thank you for sharing because this has been living history. I’ve learned so much.. It’s been an asset since we witnessing the Trump Trails that’s far worse. I thank the Washington Post for their diligence today and giving us a road maps of current events. Fascinating! Thank you.
7:14 "re: didn't know what he knew". The choice of Hunt to do dirty tricks for CREEP (plumbers) intersects with the JFK assassination and "the whole bay of pigs thing". Nixon would have known about the JFK assassination because Nixon was in Dallas the night before in his role as lawyer for Pepsi -- or so he claims. Also, the interest in Ted Kennedy may have been because he was a political rival, but also could have been Nixon's paranoia with respect to a Kennedy trying to find out what happened to his brothers. In terms of democracy, Nixon is yet again another candidate that is completely OK with cheating to win -- as was Ronald Reagan (arms for hostage deal), with G H W Bush right there helping this effort and then becoming president himself. Clinton cheating the system by allowing CIA drug running thru his state while he was governor. GW Bush possibly cheating in Florida (and other places). Trump trying to do a coup after he lost the election and refusing to do a clean transition of power. It seems the USA is a horrible example of democracy because each presidential candidate seems OK with cheating to win or to otherwise lie to the American people to our faces about wars (e.g. Pentagon Papers proving we were lied to from Truman to Nixon about the Vietnam War). Even JFK cheated -- probably with Nixon also cheating in that race.
I watched this interview months ago, now watching again, Thanksgiving 2023. I really enjoy Mr. Dean's perspectives, particularly, because at his age he is so forthright and honest, even or especially about his own mistakes and shortcomings. .. Curtis, 57, retired Navy and life long Reagan Republican . (and a proud NEVER Trump person)
I've always been interested in the history of Watergate. At the time back in the early to mid 70s I was a teenager in Jr High. I can remember vividly the summer of 72 (73?) When the hearings were going on. My older brother was home from College and a bunch of his buddies were all sitting around watching Mr. Dean's testimony and the high drama of it all. I also remember watching Nixons resignations speech. Years later I read All the Presidents Men and saw the movie which is one my all time favorite movies. This is a great interview of Mr. Dean, I really believe he got caught up in the moment and just lost perspective of it all. I couldn't imagine having all that pressure especially at such a relatively young age. It's also amazing to me how keystone cops it all was and how insane Liddy and Hunt and the Plumbers were. Anyhow I think Mr. Dean has paid his debt to society and hopefully he can live out the rest of his years knowing he did his best to clear his name.
Just listening to Dean recall some of the things Liddy was planning and going to do makes me chuckle. Thankfully some of the more insane plans weren't implemented but Liddy was quite the character. I remember even on one of the tapes Nixon said to Haldeman "Who is the fellow? Liddy? I mean, he's nuts..." to which Haldeman responds offhand "...he is...". 🤣
I think most of the commentors here need to go and read a good book on Watergate ( Watergate A new History) to see how self serving and sanitized Dean's views are. He was knee deep in the cover up and enjoyed the power. He is not as innocent as he portrayed himself. Most of the Watergate prosecutors were shock at how the press turned Dean into a hero. As one prosecutor said : "You can always depend on John Dean's venality"
We are fortunate Dean has such a clear and unbiased memory of the events. Just about every other player is dead. I’m confident Woodward and Bernstein embellished the storyline in their book - and continue to do so. Give credit where credit is due - Liddy was the mastermind behind this fiasco from day one (Ellsberg office break in)
Liddy was certifiable. That he became a staple of right-wing media in his later years tells us a lot about why American politics looks the way it does today.
@@softballhumanoid there is a great section in woodward’s book finals days which has nixon compiling a huge list of previous administration abuses, in some cases far worse than anything he did. his lawyer advised against it saying it was “whataboutism.” a great line in oliver stone’s film nixon has nixon telling an aide to “follow the money,’ suggesting that all these student protestors were being funded by communists. the line seemed funny in the 90s but is unbelievably prescient today. but john dean is right when he says that nixon should have declared national security reasons rather than simply executive privilege for not turning over tapes.
He was a featured speaker at a conference I went to hosted by the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws. He was applauded for his efforts in the Watergate hearings, and then he plugged his book about how much he hates Trump. He's a POS, and I was appalled that an ethics conference would have him speak and then proceed to celebrate his criminal ass. Absolutely disgusting.
Nothing disingenuous in this honorable man. Deserves the honors and accolades to he, he deserves them. Mrs. Dean a beautiful woman who stood behind him, often literally.
@@Henrycrun1959 That was a key condition of his plea agreement. He moved quickly to come forward as a key mitigating factor before the others. Initially his attorney, who was very wise, had to admonish him very sternly as he told prosecutors. what he had to offer. That attorney was his salvation because most of them did not know yet that the tapes existed.
Dean made a career out of Watergate. I imagine he thought his life was over at the time and that he would be reviled and hated. He parlayed it to a lifetime of writing books and speaking engagements . But damm! Doesn't he get sick of talking about it?
Well watergate is an extremely significant historical event for the United States. Someone who was directly involved in it honestly has a duty to inform the public.
@@internetstrangerstrangerofweb exactly. Dean could have sunk into obscurity, as he was unemployable. He found ways to cash in, which I admire. I have much respect for John Dean. We have hearings all the time regarding crimes that are more serious. It now normalized. No one cares. Watergate was a huge scandal. I don't think it would be now. It would be denied, witnesses wouldn't show up , they would stall until its replaced in the news by a new scandal. Nixons GOP did the right thing and stood with the law. They didn't lie for Nixon like they do Trump.
@@erichaynes7502I think your comment is disgusting! Name-calling when you haven't been in the situation yourself! After Watergate John Dean became an investment banker, lecturer and author!
BRIEF BLOG: I AM A (RET) FBI EMPLOYEE LIVING IN SF, CA. (NON-AGENT STATUS). I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE, THAT THE BU IN THE PAST HAS HIRED SEVERAL FOLKS WHO NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIRED TO BEGIN WITH. THEIR MENTAL FACULTIES & GENERAL BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN BIZAARE TO SAY THE LEAST. FORMER FBI AGENT G GORDON LIDDY IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A MAN WHO NEVER SHOULD HAVE WORKED ATTHE FBI OF ALL PLACES-HE WAS A DAMN WHACK JOB! LOOK AT THE END RESULT! BOTTOM LINE: LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES & NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES NEED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION IN THEIR HIRING PRACTICES.
48:30 My dad told them if they came back to the house he'd have them killed. But I think he was just preparing them for the potential problems they were creating for themselves by knocking on peoples' doors unexpectedly. An exaggeration, but not a fabrication.
Not actually true "no one was following" Watergate pre-election. My friends were in high school -- first time to vote -- we knew & were following & asking, "but what about Watergate?!" In the midwest, not the beltway
"Not unresponsible for that happening", "we have not by accident turned over everything..." Classic double negative weasel words. In plain English he means he WAS responsible and he DELIBERATELY didn't over documents.
Great interview. Don't for a second think that he's being upfront about all of this. CYA . Yes it does seem that he got caught up in this whole Fandango by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe. Personally I've always like Mr Dean. I appreciate his candor at least up to a point. I suppose will never truly know the entire story. Maybe, maybe not.
I find it unbelievable that someone like Liddy's got anywhere near conducting any official operations. Everything I read indicates he was patently a massive risk. The other thing for me is using someone of the stature of McCord (senior security head) to conduct operational work and get his hands dirty.
Nixon was not a seasoned criminal in terms of his skill set in many ways - nor were his Ivy League managers - which is part of why they were apprehended. They knew how to move money around and commit other upper class crimes but when they attempted street crimes in a domestic versus foreign setting, they were out of their element.
Liddy was nuts, wasn't he? I was a senior in high school when Nixon Peaced Out and flew away on the chopper. But I'd watch the hearings, and I can't remember if I saw Liddy testify or if it was others testifying about Liddy, but I liked that guy cuz he was kinda nuts. LOL
@@David-sw2rj He was knee deep. He was largely behind the scheme to make Hunt and Liddy look like they were blackmailing the President. Hunt could make a legitimate argument at least that he was an Agent of a special intelligence unit created by the Executive and that agent’s families were taken care of when they were captured. Dean decided that they would pay the money to Hunt’s wife, and speak only to her, which clearly looked like a hush money op or blackmail, and not compensation to an employed Agent. Dean’s scheme failed, and he decided to turn on everyone and save his hide. They were all breaking the law, but I hate when only the low level guys get hammered and the rats get deals.
Was it Watergate that inspired a Czech to write the words murky business Chamberlain Was it Watergate or just an inability to think reality Czech? What made England a far-away country of which he knew nothing? Was it something Chamberlain said?
I, like many have spent decades in disbelief of the wanton nature of Watergate. Dean is essentially a truth teller, but fails miserably on the issue of what the Burglars were looking for. It is still the essential unanswered question. Fishing doesn’t cut it, not with this level of consequence. Liddy is out of control clearly, but the green light is dependent on some risk/reward evaluation and Dean knows who and what and why of that process. The terrible fact was that Hunt wanted hush money. For what? Don Segretti? Not hardly. Dean wants it to remain a mystery. If it’s Hunt and Liddy we’re in Dallas territory. Nixon says, “tell them at CIA, this is just going to open up that whole Cuban thing, and we know they don’t want that.” Haldeman will later say that whenever Nixon said “Cuban thing,” he was talking about the Kennedy assassination. Hunt, Nixon and George Bush were all in Dallas on Nov 22 1963 and have openly and repeatedly denied it. Nixon would use his knowledge of the “Cuban thing” to secure a pardon from Warren Commissioner, Gerald Ford. Dean knows this including the inevitable scapegoating, but still sells Watergate as a crazy accident. You know who else knew about what the burglars were looking for? John Dean’s wife, Maureen. Her roommate had been a notorious madam of a call girl ring that contemporaneously ran out of the Watergate, and was frequented by Democratic politicians. You know who else knew the target of the Burglars(all with Cuban, CIA, and Alpha 66 connections)? Deep Throat, Mark Felt
I have spent 20 years studying Watergate and all of the players. The one common denominator by virtually all involved on both sides, is that John Dean was a consumate liar. John Dean, Carl Bernstein and to a slightly lesser degree Bob Woodward have made fortunes selling books about Watergate. The Nixon haters place Dean on a pedestal as a pillar of honesty and courage. He was anything but.
My family own alot of properties in Whittier and my second cousin was and head of the Bar and my grandmother mothers last name was Hunt and they been in Whittier in the 20s and i know that they lied about her and we own a high end clothing store my Aunt name Robertas in the william penn in which burn 🔥 down by the now corrupt historical hotel owner the Hoovers whos was the cheif of police of Whittier held me captive and 25 years later the cheifs brother also attorney commits 80 million in fraud on elderly women in which our properties are taken by the city and ive bern through hell for more then 25 years all my human rights violation.
No Nixon fan here, but I’ve never really trusted Dean. I think he was more complicit in the coverup than he wants to admit. Why did’t he go to the FBI or other entity and blow the top off the scandal? Instead this convicted felon kept his mouth shut until he copped a plea, testified, served a whopping 4 months in prison, then wrote books and lectured the rest of his life profiting from his crimes.
@@SECRETARIATguy224 Nixon presided over the cover up and maintained all the tapes to prove it. The 70’s were a different era…today he would have found himself in jail
I like and respect John Dean greatly. However, he's just too nice of a human being to really grasp the fullness of what Nixon was doing, was aware of, and was capable of doing. When Liddy told him to 'just let me know what street corner you want me to go to and you can take me out', that was indicative of how Nixon's inner circle operated. For him to say, "I don't think Nixon could hurt people or threaten people physically" - cripes, John, Nixon ran the 5412 Committee for 8 years. Did he think they were playing Patty-Cake with all those countries they upended and leaders who were assassinated? Where did he think the idea of the 'firebomb the Brookings Institute' came from? Nixon was a schemer without conscience. That 5412 Committee led to the JFK Assassination, then LBJ's Vietnam War, then Nixon and his dirty tricksters, then to the 'Reagan Revolution' (where some of the same players were involved in Iran-Contra) and finally to MAGA. There no longer is a GOP. It's a bunch of rotten people (scoundrels and elitists leading a bunch of cultish sheep) with rotten intentions which have gotten us to where we are now.
The meaning being the mind tells lies, the heart tells the truth. Nixon said he allowed his heart rule his mind too much but it is an obscure language, the heart only knows the truth, the heart does not make decisions. He regretted not thinking more clearly and objectively. He simply failed to be Neville Chamberlain, and not least because he only knew about Gladstone, Truman and Ike.
he knows a few things that he's not admitting to, and seems to under play the crime as relating to the post reporting. and for what he doesn't know, it does not mean that it did not happen
@@davidwell686 He is hyper critical about Trump's criminal behaviour as president, as well as his post-presidency, I am not aware that Dean has ever stated that Biden has ever committed a crime.
Dean lost all credibility when, after investing so heavily in the Watergate story from which he profited handsomely, he called the George W. Bush Administration “worse than Watergate.” And of course he titled a book with the phrase.
Well he’s not wrong dude 😂 the Bush administration was totally incompetent and hellbent on using fear of future terror attacks as US foreign policy. Not to mention how the economy tanked in 2008 because of him, or Katrina, or, yknow, how there is actual evidence that he fabricated the presence of WMDs in Iraq into existence, and his trend of complaisance later lead to the proliferation of ISIS
@@Jasper7182009 Nixon NEVER took money from America's enemies. Apparently, Biden doing so isn't a problem for you. The DNC is the biggest cartel in America...
John is still making excuses for Nixon. He's obviously lying at certain points of this interview. And still has it in for the Post. More childishness from a Republican.
Well done interview. John Dean's recollection of facts is pretty awesome. Comparing his testimony now to 50 years ago, little, if anything, has changed. Timeless!
IMO - Watergate looks tame to what is going on now in D.C. On second thought, things were probably just as corrupt, but without the internet, and modern technology, the average person was out of the loop. It was a lot easier for the "big boys" to pull scams off. In hindsight what was done to Martha Mitchell is tragic.
Thank you so much! It's truly impressive - we think you'd also appreciate our interview with Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein, which you can find here: th-cam.com/video/O2qEfJHheo8/w-d-xo.html
@@butterflygirl2285 What did they do to her❓️ I know they tried to silence her🤐🤫. But like she said: "Nobody can shut 'me' up❗️"
I’ve watched more than a few videos of Dean speaking and testifying about Watergate.
This one is about as good as it gets.
I like the no-audience format with no interviewer asking questions on camera.
Back in 1991 when CBS & other media came out with 20th Watergate anniversary documentaries, the general feeling (including myself) for John Dean was far from being positive. But no one could deny that his account of events was impeccable & truthful when the tapes were later released. Now, when I compare how he used his experience for teaching (public, colleagues, youngs budding lawyers with WH ambition, etc) to Gordon Liddy who never expressed a gram of remorse or concern abt the seriousness of what he has done, I can see the difference in moral / ethical fiber btw the 2 individuals. I was astouned to hear in this interview that Liddy was a lawyer, but never saw anything wrong in his spy games. Today, I listen to John Dean who obviously learned from his mistakes & tries to prevent anyone else to make the same mistakes. I truly have a great respect (if not, admiration) for his insight & his courage to share his background.
My own opinion of Dean has made a similar journey. I was once an admirer of Liddy and thought badly of John Dean. Those opinions have reversed over the years.
if I may add, I am not warming up to Liddy, but I am warming up to his point of view. The government then felt trapped with the threat of terrorist attacks (& possibly civil war) by opponents to the Vietnam war & they felt they had to do whatever was needed to prevent such threats. That being said, it does not excuse Liddy's wrongdoings in the scope of pure political gain, i.e. Nixon's reelection. Liddy publicly critizised Dean for "betraying the President".
After Dean reviewed the WH tapes where it was plainly said not to discuss certain plans of action with him b/c they knew ahead of time he would counsel the President against them, I do appreciate Dean's point of view that if the WH staff got themselves in such trouble, why would he feel responsible for defending / protecting them ?
liddy reeks of mental illness and Mitchell had his wife kidnapped and drugged. geez. street people have more ethics than these guys.
@bryansimmons8008 I remember the first news accounts with Mr. Dean and I thought how easy it is to get caught up in affairs beyond your control. I have always thought Mr. Dean was an honest and very decent man.
Exactly. It is very difficult for any of us to make a terrible mistake that isn’t a federal crime affecting our democracy and deal with the repercussions in private and learn from it. To change so fundamentally in how one views one’s failures to act lawfully and act so responsibly to teach others about what not to do in an era of mendacity and corruption is unique.
What a great interview. Dean is so articulate and frank. Riveting.
Thank you - we were impressed as well!
Mr. Dean has done an invaluable service to history over the years beginning with his testimony before the Watergate Committee in the House which was amazing in its accuracy once the existence of the tape recordings became known even to him. He has spoken numerous times over the years to members of the Virginia State Bar along side Bob Woodward in Continuing Legal Education Seninars on Legal Ethics that have been excellent.
one of the valuable things i think he addresses is how humans can be manipulated into doing things that they would never consider doing.. but how under certain environmental conditions they are volnerable. There is a mentalist Derren Brown (see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derren_Brown ) from England that has done some documentaries on this topic.. I think it has something to do with "conditioning".. and starting out with small things and accelerating to more extreme in small steps. I think that G. Gordon Liddy was psycho.. and may have been programmed as a child and young adult.. perhaps even with the purpose to cause harm to the government of the USA. I have heard G. Gordon Liddy interviews.. and i don't think he can be trusted. I wonder if he had been programmed during the 1930s and early 40s when Hitler was in power.. perhap even covertly? I believe he had a german nanny whom taught him and programmed him??
Dean was just as guilty as Hunt and Liddy. He saved his own butt and sent them to jail
Dean is no hero Nixon hardly is guilty of anything as bad as Bush Sr or his son. Or the presidents that came after them. Reagan did awful things and was able to just say meh I guess I lied sorry kids lmao Nixon was doing things that no other president would consider doing just think if we could hear Bush Jr conversations in the white house or on air force one or whatever else pff he'd make Nixon look like a boy scout
Thank God Nixon was gonna try to make him the scapegoat because he would have stayed complicit with the crimes against democracy
Dean was a rat, just like Liddy, Hunt, and the rest of them. He facilitated and knew everything. Why this guy has been hailed as some kind of hero is absolutely beyond me.
I am fascinated with Mr. Dean photographic memory. It’s work well for him. I had the pleasure of watch him speak at the 59th St. Y. I’ve read his books which are so important in history. Thank you Dean for your service.
This is totally awesome and I thank all involved especially John Dean for this post. I was in college when this unfolded but honestly speaking I never got into the details back then as it all seemed to bore me at the time. All I remember was the names of the main players being mentioned constantly to the point of irritation. Some years later I came to realize how interesting the entire matter really was including how the pieces of the puzzle were put together. A bit like 9-11… if one comes back to TH-cam to search the subject after an absence there will inevitably be some new videos and new insight. And so too with Watergate including this interview. I can see the point of the lower drama in real life compared with the film “All the Presidents Men” but at the same time given the stakes and the level of power of the individuals involved I still think that at least internally there was extreme drama within the minds of the players especially as people began to face realities. I grew up in New York City where I was as the hearings and ultimate ultimate resignation took place. As bad as things were there still seemed to be a logic to the function of the government. While still functioning the American government seems to be now operating without logic having been largely taken over by far out branches of the left and right not to mention the media and its lobby. Now nearly 70 years old and having nothing to do with politics I find myself having having lived half my life in Vietnam where I remain watching the events of America unfold from afar. With the lobby so powerful I doubt that things can be changed and just hope that if the original intentions of the founding fathers comes to cease that the replacement doesn’t forget the older population…
The story of how Woodward met Mark Felt and how that relationship fueled the Watergate investigation is fascinating. It's also informative to have the main players being interviewed decades later. Dean was savvy enough to know he would be sacrificed as the scapegoat and testified to prevent that from happening.
You believe that story about Woodward and Felt’s relationship?
John Dean's memory is remarkable, he also kept notes which included dates of conversations which served him well during the watergate hearings.
I missed listening to Mr. Dean. I once quoted Dr Samuel Johnson to him, saying “There is no problem the mind of man can create that the mind of man cannot solve.” And surely enough Mr. Dean helped this country with his sage advice. I love him.
Thank you, John, for listening to your better angels.
Chuck Colson had a sign in his office that read "If you have them by the balls. their hearts will follow." Dean realized Lady Justice was about to reach out for his family jewels. It wasn't on account of his "better angels."
@@NGC6144 “If you’ve got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.” That’s originally Theodore Roosevelt’s quote.
Geoff Shepard has written about Dean’s role in Watergate. Recommend.
Great absorbing informative source interview, much better than soundbites on a documentary.
When the senate hearings were on, I was visiting a good friend in S.S. Marie. I was always self centered and a loner. My friend wanted to go and engage in activities, tennis, etc, but not me. I was glued to John Dean testifying about all the goings-on in the White House.
Sorry about that John!
Mr, Dean has a great memory, enjoy his recollections, I was 17 years old at the time of Watergate hearings. On vacation with my family in Hawaii at the time. Amazing television !
I love that. When you can tie a specific thing to a time and place you were at. Then every time you see something about Watergate, I bet you have a nice memory of your family on vacation together.
What a superb interview. John Dean was only 35 years old when he became ensnared in Watergate. Please read Blind Ambition, John Dean’s autobiography. It’s fantastic.
Really great interview!
Thank you!
I am looking at the Watergate tapes from first to last. I very much enjoy Mr. Dean photographic memory at work. I saw All the Presidents Mens at the NY Public Library and I was amazed listening Bernstein and Woodward. We have Mr. Dean’s book & Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Woodward’s books. Thank you for sharing because this has been living history. I’ve learned so much.. It’s been an asset since we witnessing the Trump Trails that’s far worse. I thank the Washington Post for their diligence today and giving us a road maps of current events. Fascinating! Thank you.
The Washington Post is all partisan now. People have changed
7:14 "re: didn't know what he knew". The choice of Hunt to do dirty tricks for CREEP (plumbers) intersects with the JFK assassination and "the whole bay of pigs thing". Nixon would have known about the JFK assassination because Nixon was in Dallas the night before in his role as lawyer for Pepsi -- or so he claims. Also, the interest in Ted Kennedy may have been because he was a political rival, but also could have been Nixon's paranoia with respect to a Kennedy trying to find out what happened to his brothers. In terms of democracy, Nixon is yet again another candidate that is completely OK with cheating to win -- as was Ronald Reagan (arms for hostage deal), with G H W Bush right there helping this effort and then becoming president himself. Clinton cheating the system by allowing CIA drug running thru his state while he was governor. GW Bush possibly cheating in Florida (and other places). Trump trying to do a coup after he lost the election and refusing to do a clean transition of power. It seems the USA is a horrible example of democracy because each presidential candidate seems OK with cheating to win or to otherwise lie to the American people to our faces about wars (e.g. Pentagon Papers proving we were lied to from Truman to Nixon about the Vietnam War). Even JFK cheated -- probably with Nixon also cheating in that race.
Thanks for sharing this story
I watched this interview months ago, now watching again, Thanksgiving 2023.
I really enjoy Mr. Dean's perspectives, particularly, because at his age he is so forthright and honest, even or especially about his own mistakes and shortcomings.
.. Curtis, 57, retired Navy and life long Reagan Republican . (and a proud NEVER Trump person)
It would be nice to hear Alexander Butterfields story too. Great vlog on Dean.
My dog ate my homework... The Devil made me do it... And now The Loss-Frame theory.
I've always been interested in the history of Watergate. At the time back in the early to mid 70s I was a teenager in Jr High. I can remember vividly the summer of 72 (73?) When the hearings were going on. My older brother was home from College and a bunch of his buddies were all sitting around watching Mr. Dean's testimony and the high drama of it all. I also remember watching Nixons resignations speech. Years later I read All the Presidents Men and saw the movie which is one my all time favorite movies. This is a great interview of Mr. Dean, I really believe he got caught up in the moment and just lost perspective of it all. I couldn't imagine having all that pressure especially at such a relatively young age. It's also amazing to me how keystone cops it all was and how insane Liddy and Hunt and the Plumbers were. Anyhow I think Mr. Dean has paid his debt to society and hopefully he can live out the rest of his years knowing he did his best to clear his name.
Just listening to Dean recall some of the things Liddy was planning and going to do makes me chuckle. Thankfully some of the more insane plans weren't implemented but Liddy was quite the character. I remember even on one of the tapes Nixon said to Haldeman "Who is the fellow? Liddy? I mean, he's nuts..." to which Haldeman responds offhand "...he is...". 🤣
I think most of the commentors here need to go and read a good book on Watergate ( Watergate A new History) to see how self serving and sanitized Dean's views are. He was knee deep in the cover up and enjoyed the power. He is not as innocent as he portrayed himself. Most of the Watergate prosecutors were shock at how the press turned Dean into a hero. As one prosecutor said :
"You can always depend on John Dean's venality"
We are fortunate Dean has such a clear and unbiased memory of the events. Just about every other player is dead. I’m confident Woodward and Bernstein embellished the storyline in their book - and continue to do so. Give credit where credit is due - Liddy was the mastermind behind this fiasco from day one (Ellsberg office break in)
I have respect for this man.
Why not play the interview straight through without the edits? What are you omitting?
Good story teller. I do not believe everything he says though
Dean has a pretty amazing recollection of names, dates, facts, etc.
Liddy was certifiable. That he became a staple of right-wing media in his later years tells us a lot about why American politics looks the way it does today.
by comparison, the recent lunacy on the left makes liddy come off like gerald ford …
@@skunktinkle243 Uh, no.
@@softballhumanoid there is a great section in woodward’s book finals days which has nixon compiling a huge list of previous administration abuses, in some cases far worse than anything he did. his lawyer advised against it saying it was “whataboutism.” a great line in oliver stone’s film nixon has nixon telling an aide to “follow the money,’ suggesting that all these student protestors were being funded by communists. the line seemed funny in the 90s but is unbelievably prescient today. but john dean is right when he says that nixon should have declared national security reasons rather than simply executive privilege for not turning over tapes.
I don’t trust John Dean farther than I can throw him
Read Secret Agenda, then Silent Coup. They are pretty enlightening.
He was a featured speaker at a conference I went to hosted by the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws. He was applauded for his efforts in the Watergate hearings, and then he plugged his book about how much he hates Trump. He's a POS, and I was appalled that an ethics conference would have him speak and then proceed to celebrate his criminal ass. Absolutely disgusting.
A true criminal, covering is own behind.
"i wanted to be loaded with at least some law"
You sure are loaded, sir.
Nothing disingenuous in this honorable man. Deserves the honors and accolades to he, he deserves them. Mrs. Dean a beautiful woman who stood behind him, often literally.
Very interesting
A brilliant man. One of the few who told the truth.
@@Henrycrun1959
That was a key condition of his plea agreement. He moved quickly to come forward as a key mitigating factor before the others. Initially his attorney, who was very wise, had to admonish him very sternly as he told prosecutors. what he had to offer. That attorney was his salvation because most of them did not know yet that the tapes existed.
Liddy was cray-cray.
Erhlichman too. And both were hotheads. It's amazing the two didn't strangle each other.
Dean made a career out of Watergate. I imagine he thought his life was over at the time and that he would be reviled and hated. He parlayed it to a lifetime of writing books and speaking engagements . But damm! Doesn't he get sick of talking about it?
Well watergate is an extremely significant historical event for the United States. Someone who was directly involved in it honestly has a duty to inform the public.
@@internetstrangerstrangerofweb exactly. Dean could have sunk into obscurity, as he was unemployable. He found ways to cash in, which I admire. I have much respect for John Dean. We have hearings all the time regarding crimes that are more serious. It now normalized. No one cares. Watergate was a huge scandal. I don't think it would be now. It would be denied, witnesses wouldn't show up , they would stall until its replaced in the news by a new scandal. Nixons GOP did the right thing and stood with the law. They didn't lie for Nixon like they do Trump.
I'm pretty sure he has no other choice, no other way to make a living. Being a full on rat has it's privileges'.
It was a "turning point" in his life, self reflection, and led him to a different career.
@@erichaynes7502I think your comment is disgusting! Name-calling when you haven't been in the situation yourself! After Watergate John Dean became an investment banker, lecturer and author!
Funny. What's happened in this country over the past 8 years makes watergate look like a child's tea party.
Liddy was out of his mind. He really thought a lot of himself. Even at the time it all happened, people knew he was way out there.
BRIEF BLOG: I AM A (RET) FBI EMPLOYEE LIVING IN SF, CA. (NON-AGENT STATUS). I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE, THAT THE BU IN THE PAST HAS HIRED SEVERAL FOLKS WHO NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIRED TO BEGIN WITH. THEIR MENTAL FACULTIES & GENERAL BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN BIZAARE TO SAY THE LEAST. FORMER FBI AGENT G GORDON LIDDY IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A MAN WHO NEVER SHOULD HAVE WORKED ATTHE FBI OF ALL PLACES-HE WAS A DAMN WHACK JOB! LOOK AT THE END RESULT! BOTTOM LINE: LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES & NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES NEED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION IN THEIR HIRING PRACTICES.
19:50 “Probably another mistake ….” Dang, John 🥵.
Theres a great book that covers Deans role in Watergate: its called watergate a new history by Graff. Excellent book at sunming up the whole thing
19:52 What does he mean by that comment? Referring to Liddy's suggestion at being shot?
He was offering to be murdered to help cover up the plot/s in order to end inquiry into any of it.
So interesting.
We're screwed... what are we gonna do???? Omg. It's all gonna be fine.
48:30 My dad told them if they came back to the house he'd have them killed. But I think he was just preparing them for the potential problems they were creating for themselves by knocking on peoples' doors unexpectedly. An exaggeration, but not a fabrication.
This relevation is so informative about the Nixon tricky erra
Not actually true "no one was following" Watergate pre-election. My friends were in high school -- first time to vote -- we knew & were following & asking, "but what about Watergate?!" In the midwest, not the beltway
I knew Liddy from a distance when I worked in DC. I'm not saying he's all bad, but I will say that it doesn't surprise me to hear of the ideas he had.
"Not unresponsible for that happening", "we have not by accident turned over everything..." Classic double negative weasel words. In plain English he means he WAS responsible and he DELIBERATELY didn't over documents.
Great interview. Don't for a second think that he's being upfront about all of this. CYA . Yes it does seem that he got caught up in this whole Fandango by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe. Personally I've always like Mr Dean. I appreciate his candor at least up to a point. I suppose will never truly know the entire story. Maybe, maybe not.
Amazing he has made a living talking about watergate
Isn’t it nice if the current republican party still have guys like him with spines
Old money always comes out well. They cover each others back.
I am not understanding: what do you mean exactly?
Are you talking about Dean?
Some I question. They went after the Post’s TV licenses. Who knows what else was tried.
G Gordon Liddy seems like the kind of guy who needed to have his ass kicked.
It was… to excess. Kiddy’s father was an extremely wealthy brutal parent.
I find it unbelievable that someone like Liddy's got anywhere near conducting any official operations. Everything I read indicates he was patently a massive risk. The other thing for me is using someone of the stature of McCord (senior security head) to conduct operational work and get his hands dirty.
Nixon was not a seasoned criminal in terms of his skill set in many ways - nor were his Ivy League managers - which is part of why they were apprehended. They knew how to move money around and commit other upper class crimes but when they attempted street crimes in a domestic versus foreign setting, they were out of their element.
What was watergate? I don't even know anymore.
He was not aware of everything that went on.
Well, he was a “little old lady.” (chuckle)
The traitor
The man that caused watergate and saved himself
Did John Erlichman ever apologize to you for saying "The Watergate break in was YOUR operation"
Liddy was nuts, wasn't he? I was a senior in high school when Nixon Peaced Out and flew away on the chopper. But I'd watch the hearings, and I can't remember if I saw Liddy testify or if it was others testifying about Liddy, but I liked that guy cuz he was kinda nuts. LOL
Plumbers have feelings too, you know.
He's aged very well indeed. It might be the result of a clear conscience!
History always repeat itself I saw the movie but as this gentleman describes what was the Watergate it most be awful..something really bad..
A man with integrity.
Men with integrity do not call the director of the IRS and instruct him to audit political enemies. It is a felony and a horrible thing to do.
He was behind all the shenanigans and all the hush money. Integrity?
He didn't have full integrity until he was in legal jeopardy.
@@David-sw2rj He was knee deep. He was largely behind the scheme to make Hunt and Liddy look like they were blackmailing the President. Hunt could make a legitimate argument at least that he was an Agent of a special intelligence unit created by the Executive and that agent’s families were taken care of when they were captured. Dean decided that they would pay the money to Hunt’s wife, and speak only to her, which clearly looked like a hush money op or blackmail, and not compensation to an employed Agent. Dean’s scheme failed, and he decided to turn on everyone and save his hide. They were all breaking the law, but I hate when only the low level guys get hammered and the rats get deals.
He is the antithesis of integrous.
Was it Watergate that inspired a Czech to write the words murky business Chamberlain
Was it Watergate or just an inability to think reality Czech?
What made England a far-away country of which he knew nothing?
Was it something Chamberlain said?
Ok, Mr, Dean isnt the worst. Seems like a pleasant man. Sorry for my previous comments. Who I am I to judge my fellow man.
I don't know what you said, but he was a gutless wonder who spilled the beans on Nixon in hopes of saving his ass from prison. He went anyway.
I, like many have spent decades in disbelief of the wanton nature of Watergate. Dean is essentially a truth teller, but fails miserably on the issue of what the Burglars were looking for. It is still the essential unanswered question. Fishing doesn’t cut it, not with this level of consequence. Liddy is out of control clearly, but the green light is dependent on some risk/reward evaluation and Dean knows who and what and why of that process. The terrible fact was that Hunt wanted hush money. For what? Don Segretti? Not hardly. Dean wants it to remain a mystery.
If it’s Hunt and Liddy we’re in Dallas territory. Nixon says, “tell them at CIA, this is just going to open up that whole Cuban thing, and we know they don’t want that.” Haldeman will later say that whenever Nixon said “Cuban thing,” he was talking about the Kennedy assassination. Hunt, Nixon and George Bush were all in Dallas on Nov 22 1963 and have openly and repeatedly denied it. Nixon would use his knowledge of the “Cuban thing” to secure a pardon from Warren Commissioner, Gerald Ford. Dean knows this including the inevitable scapegoating, but still sells Watergate as a crazy accident. You know who else knew about what the burglars were looking for? John Dean’s wife, Maureen. Her roommate had been a notorious madam of a call girl ring that contemporaneously ran out of the Watergate, and was frequented by Democratic politicians. You know who else knew the target of the Burglars(all with Cuban, CIA, and Alpha 66 connections)? Deep Throat, Mark Felt
Maureen was a call girl as well.
I have spent 20 years studying Watergate and all of the players. The one common denominator by virtually all involved on both sides, is that John Dean was a consumate liar. John Dean, Carl Bernstein and to a slightly lesser degree Bob Woodward have made fortunes selling books about Watergate. The Nixon haters place Dean on a pedestal as a pillar of honesty and courage. He was anything but.
you are Right Sir
My family own alot of properties in Whittier and my second cousin was and head of the Bar and my grandmother mothers last name was Hunt and they been in Whittier in the 20s and i know that they lied about her and we own a high end clothing store my Aunt name Robertas in the william penn in which burn 🔥 down by the now corrupt historical hotel owner the Hoovers whos was the cheif of police of Whittier held me captive and 25 years later the cheifs brother also attorney commits 80 million in fraud on elderly women in which our properties are taken by the city and ive bern through hell for more then 25 years all my human rights violation.
Liddy was slightly paranoid.
Seems like a smart guy that got w the wrong ppl
Informer.
Riveting!
Please tell me Nixon was not this stupid please!
He wasn't. John Dean likes to suck himself off
No Nixon fan here, but I’ve never really trusted Dean. I think he was more complicit in the coverup than he wants to admit. Why did’t he go to the FBI or other entity and blow the top off the scandal? Instead this convicted felon kept his mouth shut until he copped a plea, testified, served a whopping 4 months in prison, then wrote books and lectured the rest of his life profiting from his crimes.
Oh knock it off. Nixon spent a whopping ZERO months in jail. He was trying to throw Dean under the bus.
@@SECRETARIATguy224 Nixon presided over the cover up and maintained all the tapes to prove it. The 70’s were a different era…today he would have found himself in jail
Disloyal to Nixon!
I think John Dean only cares about John Dean. I would not believe a word he says.
I like and respect John Dean greatly. However, he's just too nice of a human being to really grasp the fullness of what Nixon was doing, was aware of, and was capable of doing. When Liddy told him to 'just let me know what street corner you want me to go to and you can take me out', that was indicative of how Nixon's inner circle operated. For him to say, "I don't think Nixon could hurt people or threaten people physically" - cripes, John, Nixon ran the 5412 Committee for 8 years. Did he think they were playing Patty-Cake with all those countries they upended and leaders who were assassinated? Where did he think the idea of the 'firebomb the Brookings Institute' came from? Nixon was a schemer without conscience.
That 5412 Committee led to the JFK Assassination, then LBJ's Vietnam War, then Nixon and his dirty tricksters, then to the 'Reagan Revolution' (where some of the same players were involved in Iran-Contra) and finally to MAGA. There no longer is a GOP. It's a bunch of rotten people (scoundrels and elitists leading a bunch of cultish sheep) with rotten intentions which have gotten us to where we are now.
Opportunist
I never liked Dean. I just don't trust him. I think he really lucked out when he married Mo.
You simply sound jealous.
Is that why you don't like him ?
@@jameswebb8273
He's not stating facts; just opinion.
He doesn't trust Dean is an opinion, as in he lucked out marrying Mo.
paani ghaat via japunnese nihaun via doctor strangya supraskaya
Part of the liberal echo chamber.
The Bible tried to warn us “…man is a liar.”
The meaning being the mind tells lies, the heart tells the truth.
Nixon said he allowed his heart rule his mind too much but it is an obscure language, the heart only knows the truth, the heart does not make decisions. He regretted not thinking more clearly and objectively. He simply failed to be Neville Chamberlain, and not least because he only knew about Gladstone, Truman and Ike.
John Dean was even more of a conniving self-serving snake than I thought
LARRY ANIEL ATTORNEY
What a weasel, dropped a dime on his fellow conspirators then slime's his way out!!
Absolutely right, though I'd say a worm rather than a weasel!
Weasel
Hes such a liar
he knows a few things that he's not admitting to, and seems to under play the crime as relating to the post reporting. and for what he doesn't know, it does not mean that it did not happen
I wonder what Mr Dean thinks about Mr. Biden when compared to Mr. Nixon.
@David Well. I wonder what you are “what abouting” about?
@@jburgett45 Curious what Mr. Dean thinks about Mr. Biden's behavior in office when compared to Mr. Nixon.
@@davidwell686
He is hyper critical about Trump's criminal behaviour as president, as well as his post-presidency,
I am not aware that Dean has ever stated that Biden has ever committed a crime.
Mr. Dean seems silent about discussing Biden.
Liddy is still right....
The mastermind behind Watergate and turned on all others.
He told the "others" that they were committing crimes and needed to stop & come clean.
That's not exactly "turning" on them
Dean lost all credibility when, after investing so heavily in the Watergate story from which he profited handsomely, he called the George W. Bush Administration “worse than Watergate.” And of course he titled a book with the phrase.
Well he’s not wrong dude 😂 the Bush administration was totally incompetent and hellbent on using fear of future terror attacks as US foreign policy. Not to mention how the economy tanked in 2008 because of him, or Katrina, or, yknow, how there is actual evidence that he fabricated the presence of WMDs in Iraq into existence, and his trend of complaisance later lead to the proliferation of ISIS
To you perhaps but Bush is a mass murderer
Biden makes Nixon look like a choirboy...
Troll. ….
@@Jasper7182009 Nixon NEVER took money from America's enemies. Apparently, Biden doing so isn't a problem for you. The DNC is the biggest cartel in America...
John is still making excuses for Nixon. He's obviously lying at certain points of this interview. And still has it in for the Post.
More childishness from a Republican.