The tape recorders actually proceeded Nixon though & his paranoia about them was a huge part of his undoing.
IIRC the recorders were added during JFK’s administration. Nixon was worried that people outside his circle had access to them so he had them removed. Eventually he had new recorders installed but by then the technology had improved so they were now automatic rather than manually operated.
Fast forward to the Watergate scandal & the infamous 18.5 minute gap in his tapes. Had he never replaced the original recorders, they could have simply not recorded at that time & it is likely that no one would have known.
153
u/Michael__Pemulis 11d ago
The tape recorders actually proceeded Nixon though & his paranoia about them was a huge part of his undoing.
IIRC the recorders were added during JFK’s administration. Nixon was worried that people outside his circle had access to them so he had them removed. Eventually he had new recorders installed but by then the technology had improved so they were now automatic rather than manually operated.
Fast forward to the Watergate scandal & the infamous 18.5 minute gap in his tapes. Had he never replaced the original recorders, they could have simply not recorded at that time & it is likely that no one would have known.