Nixon finalmente perdió gran parte de su apoyo político y popular como resultado del Watergate.

[1]​ Según su discurso, Nixon dijo que renunciaba porque «he llegado a la conclusión de que debido al asunto Watergate podría no tener el apoyo del Congreso que consideraría necesario para respaldar las decisiones tan difíciles y llevar a cabo las tareas de esta oficina en como lo requieran los intereses de la nación».

Esa noche, sabiendo que su presidencia efectivamente había terminado, Nixon tomó la decisión de renunciar.

[10]​ En 1999, se pidió a 137 estudiosos de la oratoria estadounidense que recomendaran discursos para su inclusión en una lista de «los 100 mejores discursos políticos estadounidenses del siglo XX», basada en «el impacto social y político y el arte retórico».

In the past few days, however, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base in the Congress to justify continuing that effort.

But as President, I must put the interest of America first.

As I recall the high hopes for America with which we began this second term, I feel a great sadness that I will not be here in this office working on your behalf to achieve those hopes in the next 2 1/2 years.

By taking this action, I hope that I will have hastened the start of that process of healing which is so desperately needed in America.

To those who have stood with me during these past difficult months, to my family, my friends, to many others who joined in supporting my cause because they believed it was right, I will be eternally grateful for your support.

And to those who have not felt able to give me your support, let me say I leave with no bitterness toward those who have opposed me, because all of us, in the final analysis, have been concerned with the good of the country, however our judgments might differ.

So, let us all now join together in affirming that common commitment and in helping our new President succeed for the benefit of all Americans.

I shall leave this office with regret at not completing my term, but with gratitude for the privilege of serving as your President for the past 5 1/2 years.

But we must set as our goal not just limiting but reducing and finally destroying these terrible weapons so that they cannot destroy civilization and so that the threat of nuclear war will no longer hang over the world and the people.

We must continue to develop and expand that new relationship so that the two strongest nations of the world will live together in cooperation rather than confrontation.

We must keep as our goal turning away from production for war and expanding production for peace so that people everywhere on this earth can at last look forward in their children's time, if not in our own time, to having the necessities for a decent life.

I shall continue to work for the great causes to which I have been dedicated throughout my years as a Congressman, a Senator, a Vice President, and President, the cause of peace not just for America but among all nations, prosperity, justice, and opportunity for all of our people.