It is difficult to make a comparison between the impeachment of President Donald Trump and those of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon — but had the Internet been available back in 1973, Nixon's presidency "would have survived," political strategist and longtime Trump friend Roger Stone told Newsmax TV on Thursday.
In Nixon's day, there were "three TV networks that dominated and had a total stranglehold on political discourse," Stone told "America Talks Live" host John Cardillo. Stone added, the major newspapers – including The Washington Post, which broke the news concerning the break-in at the Watergate Hotel, and The New York Times – were also against him, as were the major magazines.
Stone also conceded, without Twitter, Trump "probably" would not have been elected.
"Remember, in 2016 we reach the point where the country was so disgusted with politics and politicians in Washington, they were finally willing to go to someone who didn't come from a political background, someone who wasn't a general someone, who wasn't a governor or senator or congressman," said Stone, a longtime friend of the president. "They were ready to take a businessman, and it certainly has turned out well for our economy."
The Nixon impeachment, he added, took some two years and was a "constant drip, drip, drip" of additional information, and eventually there was a "national consensus" among Democrats and Republicans that Nixon had to go. There was also a widely held belief he did the right thing for the United States by stepping down.
Clinton was impeached but was not convicted, and Democrats picked up seats in the House in the following election, "which was a direct reaction" after Republicans overreached in impeaching him, Stone said.
With Trump, Stone said he thinks his defense team – in particular, Jay Sekulow – has done a good job of defining the issues, and he feels good about the congressional membership.
Stone added, he "does like the idea" Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., is reportedly being pushed to become Trump's chief of staff, but it is also important to recognize, "Donald Trump will always be his own chief of staff."
Elsewhere in the interview, Stone discussed Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, saying he is "underestimated" at people's own peril.
"I think people underestimate how tough a guy he is," Stone said. "He also knows the law.
"I think he has uncovered massive corruption," Stone added. "I think it probably goes wider than the Bidens. It may topple the legacy of the Obama administration."
Later, Stone moved over to Newsmax TV's "The Howie Carr Show," where he decried the state of much of mainstream media.
"You can see it in their ratings," Stone said. "Nobody's watching this garbage because it's just a constant line of Democratic propaganda. And they keep recycling the same thing over and over and over again."
Stone did not discuss his November conviction for witness tampering and lying to Congress about his pursuit of Russian-hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton's 2016 election bid.
However, Carr defended Stone after the segment, saying he was unfairly convicted because of his connections with the president.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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