Trump ‘much more combative and out there’ than Nixon — who was ‘gentlemanly’ by comparison: Presidential historian

Presidential historian Michael Beschloss compared how the Trump and Nixon administrations have responded to scandals that threatened their presidencies, telling MSNBC's Chris Jansing on Friday that the latter was practically "gentlemanly' compared to Trump's outright "defiance."

"Much more defiant, and much more combative, and much more out there," Beschloss said of Trump. "Richard Nixon tried to deal with Watergate, but he did it in what looks today to be almost a gentlemanly fashion. He did not go after the prosecutor. He was not out on TV every single day, although he did say that the investigation of the Watergate scandal was a witch-hunt."

"He didn't attack any dead senators, that's for sure," remarked Jansing.

"No, that's for sure," replied Beschloss.

"Do you see his tweets, his conversations, his speeches about McCain as a reaction to the pressure he's feeling?" asked Jansing, pivoting to another topic.

"If I had to be a psychiatrist, that is what I would say," Beschloss laughed, who then drew another comparison between the two presidents -- their penchant for distraction.

"This is the way that Donald Trump operates. Nixon tried to do that," he said, before chuckling. "I have to tell you, Chris, I never thought I'd live to see the day when I called Richard Nixon gentlemanly in comparison to any president. Life has changed."

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