Politics in the early 1970s was a fever dream. If you’re asking who was vice president for Nixon, you probably expect a simple, one-word answer. But Richard Nixon’s presidency was anything but simple. It remains the only time in American history where two different men served as Vice President, and neither of them was actually on the winning ticket by the time Nixon left office in disgrace.
It’s a wild story.
Most people remember the Watergate scandal, the "I am not a crook" speech, and the helicopter waving goodbye. But the drama surrounding his second-in-command was just as intense. First, you had Spiro Agnew, a combative former Governor of Maryland who became Nixon's "attack dog." Then, after a shocking criminal investigation, you had Gerald Ford, the reliable House Minority Leader who eventually took the big seat himself.
The Spiro Agnew Era: Nixon's First Choice
Spiro Agnew was the guy Nixon picked in 1968. At the time, Agnew was a bit of a mystery to the national public. Nixon needed someone who could appeal to the "Silent Majority"—those middle-class Americans who were tired of the chaotic protests and counterculture of the late sixties. Agnew fit the bill perfectly. He was blunt. He was polarizing. Honestly, he was the original "anti-woke" politician before that term even existed.
He famously attacked the media, calling them "nattering nabobs of negativism." People loved it or hated it. There was no middle ground with Agnew. He spent most of his first term crisscrossing the country, raising money for the GOP and throwing rhetorical punches at Nixon's enemies.
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But behind the scenes, Agnew was in deep trouble.
The Fall of the First Vice President
While the Watergate burglars were getting caught, Agnew was facing a completely separate disaster. Federal prosecutors in Maryland discovered that he had been taking kickbacks from contractors for years. This wasn't just old news from his time as Governor; he was reportedly still receiving envelopes of cash inside the White House as Vice President.
It’s kind of surreal when you think about it.
The Department of Justice had a mountain of evidence. On October 10, 1973, Agnew became the second Vice President in history to resign (the first was John C. Calhoun, but he did it for a Senate seat, not to stay out of prison). Agnew pleaded "no contest" to a single charge of tax evasion. He walked away with a fine and three years of probation, but his political career was incinerated.
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Enter Gerald Ford: The Man Who Wasn't Elected
With Agnew gone, Nixon had a massive problem. The 25th Amendment had been ratified only a few years earlier, in 1967. It provided a clear roadmap for what to do if the Vice Presidency became vacant: the President nominates a replacement, and both houses of Congress have to confirm them.
Nixon was already drowning in the Watergate investigation. He needed someone the Democrats in Congress wouldn't block. He needed "Mr. Clean."
Gerald Ford was the House Minority Leader and a total veteran of Capitol Hill. He was liked by almost everyone. He was seen as honest, steady, and—perhaps most importantly for Nixon—not a threat. On December 6, 1973, Ford was sworn in. For the first time, the United States had a Vice President who hadn't been chosen by the voters in a general election.
The Strange Transition of 1974
The dynamic between Nixon and Ford was awkward. Nixon was becoming increasingly isolated as the "smoking gun" tapes surfaced. Ford was in the impossible position of defending a President who was clearly lying to him, while also preparing for the very real possibility that he would have to take over.
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It lasted only eight months.
When Nixon finally resigned on August 9, 1974, Gerald Ford became the 38th President. This created another vacancy in the Vice Presidency, which Ford eventually filled by appointing Nelson Rockefeller.
Why the Nixon VPs Matter Today
Looking back, the question of who was vice president for Nixon serves as a crash course in how the U.S. government handles a total meltdown. It proved the 25th Amendment actually worked. Without it, the country would have been leaderless or stuck in a constitutional quagmire during the height of the Cold War.
Agnew showed that corruption could reach the very top, while Ford showed that a "normal" person could stabilize a country that was literally vibrating with tension.
If you're digging into this for a history project or just out of curiosity, here is what you need to remember:
- Spiro Agnew (1969-1973): The firebrand who resigned due to financial corruption.
- Gerald Ford (1973-1974): The stabilizer who was appointed and later became President without ever being on a presidential ballot.
- The 25th Amendment: The legal engine that kept the executive branch running through two resignations.
To really understand this era, you should look into the "Saturday Night Massacre," which happened just eleven days after Agnew resigned. It was a period of 1973 where the government seemed to be collapsing on a weekly basis. Reading the original New York Times headlines from October 1973 gives a sense of the sheer panic people felt at the time. You can also visit the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library online to see the actual memos from the days leading up to his appointment—they offer a fascinating, unvarnished look at a man who never wanted the job but had to take it anyway.
Actionable Next Steps
- Fact-check the 25th Amendment: Read the text of Section 2. It's short and explains exactly how Ford got the job.
- Watch the Agnew Resignation Speech: It’s available in many digital archives and shows the defiant tone he maintained until the very end.
- Compare the Oratory: Listen to a speech by Agnew and then one by Ford. You'll hear the shift from Nixon’s "war" footing to Ford’s attempt at national "healing."
- Trace the Line of Succession: Map out the period between August 1974 and December 1974. For a few months, the U.S. had a President (Ford) and no Vice President until Rockefeller was confirmed.