The Watergate scandal was the biggest scandal in the United State's history and managed to turn the people against their own government. Many American citizens demanded to see Nixon be brought to trial, impeached, and have the justice that applies to everyone be applied to the nation's leader. It came as a surprise to most when Gerald Ford, the current president after Nixon resigned, stated publicly that he would be giving Nixon a full pardon for everything that had happened. The reasoning behind this decision was that taking the whole thing to trial would only make the situation worse, as it would bring the people directly against their own government, splitting the country in two.