Republicans Claim New Scandal Surpasses Watergate in Magnitude
During Barack Obama’s presidency, he faced numerous accusations from Republicans alleging various scandals. These claims often drew comparisons to the Watergate scandal, suggesting that they were equally significant. However, these accusations were often discredited or exaggerated.
Republican Claims of Watergate-Level Scandals
- Benghazi was labeled as “worse than Watergate.”
- An IRS controversy was said to carry “echoes of Watergate.”
- Joe Sestak’s job offer was referred to as “Obama’s Watergate.”
- The “Fast and Furious” operation was dubbed another instance of “Obama’s Watergate.”
- Solyndra was mentioned as making “Watergate look like child’s play.”
- NSA surveillance was considered one of “Obama’s Watergates.”
- The Affordable Care Act was deemed worse than Watergate.
Donald Trump’s Comparisons
After Obama’s term, Donald Trump made similar comparisons during his presidency. He named several controversies that he claimed mirrored Watergate:
- Uranium One
- Allegations of wiretapping Trump Tower
- Investigations into Obama’s birth certificate
- The Justice Department’s probe into his 2016 campaign
- Claims of illegal Biden dealings with China
Modern Allegations and New Scandals
Republican leaders continue to link current events to Watergate. In 2022, former special counsel John Durham’s report was described by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as revelations “further than Watergate.” Recent comments from Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri introduced another supposed scandal.
Schmitt claimed that a situation dubbed “Arctic Frost” was “100 times worse than Watergate.” However, “Arctic Frost” is not a genuine scandal. It refers to allegations that the FBI spied on Congress members during investigations into the 2020 election.
The Implications of Watergate Comparisons
This pattern of insisting that contemporary issues surpass a historic event like Watergate raises questions about the validity of such claims. As various Republican accusations continue to unravel, the integrity of these comparisons is increasingly in doubt. The frequent invocation of Watergate by Republicans could signal a need for new examples in political discourse, as the repeated phrase risks diluting its historical significance.
