From the Pentagon Papers to the Resignation @ChristianGAppy @ConversationUS

From The Conversation, Christian Appy’s essay on the links between coverage of the Pentagon Papers case and the end of Richard Nixon’s presidency. Dr. Appy writes in part,

Why did Nixon ultimately decide to go after the press and Ellsberg? The main reason: a fear that Ellsberg or someone else might leak more documents, ones that would expose Nixon’s secret, and potentially impeachable, actions and plans. When national security adviser Henry Kissinger raised this specter, Nixon immediately expressed his worry that Ellsberg might have evidence of his secret bombing of Cambodia. Even worse, Ellsberg might leak evidence that Nixon had tried to sabotage peace talks with Vietnam just before his 1968 election. Ellsberg had no such documents, but White House officials practically competed to gin up the vitriol and panic. One result was that Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers remained front-page news long after they were first revealed.