Why were Nixon's group of advisors criticized?
1 Answer
Much of the criticism centres on Watergate and its fallout.
Explanation:
The botched burglary of the Democratic Party in the Watergate Hotel in 1972 started a trail which led to the White House and Nixon himself, ultimately leading to his resignation.
What emerged was a corrupt and paranoiac culture within the White House. This reflected not only Nixon's outlook but that of his sycophantic advisors. Men such as Joh Dean, Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman repeatedly lied on questioning as the scandal unfolded.
Those involved in or linked to the break in such Gordon Liddy, H Howard Hunt and Charles Colson had very shady pasts including links with and working for the CIA and involvement in the Bay of Pigs fiasco.
Henry Kissinger also can be heavily criticised for his role in escalating the war in Vietnam and illegal invasion of Cambodia, his backing of the brutal military coup in Chile and support for the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and subsequent massacres.
None of this should be surprising given Nixon's political past going back to his time as Vice President in the 1950's.
