Richard Nixon

=== Return to public life ===
[[File:Nixon Ford Carter 1978.jpg|thumb|upright|President [[Jimmy Carter]] and ex-Presidents [[Gerald Ford]] and Nixon meet at the White House before former Vice President [[Hubert Humphrey]]'s funeral, 1978]]

In December 1974, Nixon began planning his comeback despite the considerable ill will against him in the country. He wrote in his diary, referring to himself and Pat,
{{blockquote|So be it. We will see it through. We've had tough times before and we can take the tougher ones that we will have to go through now. That is perhaps what we were made for—to be able to take punishment beyond what anyone in this office has had before particularly after leaving office. This is a test of character and we must not fail the test.{{sfn|Aitken|p=535}}
}}

By early 1975, Nixon's health was improving. He maintained an office in a [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] station {{convert|300|yd}} from his home, at first taking a golf cart and later walking the route each day; he mainly worked on his memoirs.{{sfn|Ambrose|1991|p=481}} He had hoped to wait before writing his memoirs; the fact that his assets were being eaten away by expenses and lawyer fees compelled him to begin work quickly.{{sfn|Aitken|pp=537, 539}} He was handicapped in this work by the end of his transition allowance in February, which compelled him to part with many of his staff, including Ziegler.{{sfn|Black|p=1000}} In August of that year, he met with British talk-show host and producer [[David Frost]], who paid him $600,000 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|.6|1975|r=1}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation-year|US}}) for [[Nixon interviews|a series of sit-down interviews]], filmed and aired in 1977.{{sfn|Black|p=1004}} They began on the topic of foreign policy, recounting the leaders he had known, but the most remembered section of the interviews was that on Watergate. Nixon admitted he had "let down the country" and that "I brought myself down. I gave them a sword and they stuck it in. And they twisted it with relish. And, I guess, if I'd been in their position, I'd have done the same thing."{{sfn|Drew|p=138}} The interviews garnered 45–50 million viewers—becoming the most-watched program of its kind in television history.{{sfn|Ambrose|1991|p=512}}

The interviews helped improve Nixon's financial position—at one point in early 1975 he had only $500 in the bank—as did the sale of his Key Biscayne property to a trust set up by wealthy friends of Nixon, such as [[Charles Rebozo|Bebe Rebozo]].{{sfn|Aitken|pp=539–540}} In February 1976, Nixon visited China at the personal invitation of Mao. Nixon had wanted to return to China but chose to wait until after Ford's own visit in 1975.{{sfn|Black|p=1005}} Nixon remained neutral in the close 1976 primary battle between Ford and Reagan. Ford won, but was defeated by [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] Governor [[Jimmy Carter]] in [[1976 United States presidential election|the general election]]. The Carter administration had little use for Nixon and blocked his planned trip to Australia, causing the government of Prime Minister [[Malcolm Fraser]] to withhold its official invitation.{{sfn|Aitken|p=543}}

In 1976, Nixon was [[Disbarment|disbarred]] by the [[New York State Bar Association]] for [[obstruction of justice]] in the Watergate affair. He chose not to present any defense.<ref>"Nixon disbarred in New York in 1st ruling of Watergate guilt", ''Toledo Blade'', July 9, 1976, p.1</ref> In early 1978, he visited the United Kingdom; there, he was shunned by American diplomats, most ministers of the [[James Callaghan]] government, and two former prime ministers, [[Harold Macmillan]] and [[Edward Heath]]. He was welcomed, however, by the [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition]], [[Margaret Thatcher]], as well as by former prime ministers [[Alec Douglas-Home|Lord Home]] and Sir [[Harold Wilson]]. Nixon addressed the [[Oxford Union]] regarding Watergate:
{{blockquote|[Some people] felt that on this matter that I had not handled it properly, and they were right. I screwed it up and I paid the price.<ref>{{cite news|last1=L|first1=Stephen|last2=rigan|date=1978-12-01|title=Protesters Heckle Nixon at Oxford Opponents of Oxford Speech Cool Nixon's Warm Welcome|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/12/01/protesters-heckle-nixon-at-oxford-opponents-of-oxford-speech-cool-nixons-warm-welcome/dd7cd6d2-943d-4f86-b36e-0d45b647682e/|access-date=2022-01-03|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Reed|first=Roy|date=December 1, 1978|title=Welcome For Nixon At Oxford Is Warm|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/01/archives/welcome-for-nixon-at-oxford-is-warm-questions-friendly-though-some.html|access-date=January 3, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>}}
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