Thanksgiving, a time for family and gratitude, often masks a curious historical pattern: a surge in Washington’s political turmoil. While Americans gather, Washington has repeatedly found itself at the center of scandal and surprise, a tradition stretching back decades.
The fall of 1973 saw President Richard Nixon desperately defending his integrity just days before the holiday. Facing mounting pressure from the Watergate scandal, he held a press conference in Florida and vehemently declared, “I am not a crook.” This came amidst revelations of a cover-up involving the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, a web of obstruction and misused power.
Nixon’s attempts to quell the rising tide of scrutiny included suppressing the FBI investigation and utilizing hush money. He insisted he had never profited from public service, yet the shadow of Watergate loomed large. Ultimately, the scandal forced his resignation in 1974, followed by a controversial pardon that shielded him from federal prosecution.
A decade later, the nation faced another Thanksgiving crisis. In November 1986, details of the Iran-Contra affair began to surface, exploding into a full-blown scandal just before the holiday. President Ronald Reagan dismissed key officials, including Lt. Col. Oliver North and National Security Advisor John Poindexter, as the truth about a secret arms sale to Iran – and the diversion of funds to Nicaraguan rebels – came to light.
Reagan swiftly established a Special Review Board, later known as the Tower Commission, to investigate the National Security Council’s involvement. The repercussions of this affair extended well beyond Thanksgiving, impacting the administration of George H.W. Bush, who later granted pardons to several individuals involved on Christmas Eve in 1992.
The Thanksgiving season of 1998 brought a different kind of drama. While many Americans were focused on Black Friday shopping, President Bill Clinton submitted written responses to 81 questions from the House Judiciary Committee regarding his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. This occurred amidst an impeachment inquiry fueled by allegations of perjury and obstruction of justice.
Clinton had previously denied any “sexual relations” with Lewinsky, but the Judiciary Committee pressed for detailed answers based on the evidence presented in Kenneth Starr’s report. Republicans accused Clinton of evasiveness, and the impeachment process continued, ultimately leading to his impeachment by the House and subsequent acquittal by the Senate.
Not all Thanksgiving political moments were fraught with scandal. In 2003, President George W. Bush undertook a secret trip to Iraq to visit the troops stationed in Baghdad. The visit, kept entirely under wraps until he arrived, marked the first time a sitting president had traveled to an active war zone. It was a bold move, though some speculated about potential political motivations ahead of the 2004 election.
More recently, the eve of Thanksgiving in 2020 saw a surprising presidential pardon. President Trump granted a full pardon to his former national security advisor, retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn. The White House asserted Flynn had been unjustly prosecuted, ending a years-long legal battle stemming from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Flynn had previously pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia, but later claimed innocence and sought to withdraw his plea. Trump’s pardon brought an abrupt end to the case, a final act in a saga that captivated the nation and underscored the enduring tendency for political drama to unfold even during a time traditionally reserved for family and reflection.
