Unknown actual threat, but it must have been severe. Media was setting the narrative and they appeared to have the votes in the Senate to remove Nixon sometime after 1-20-1975, giving Ford a shot at 10 years as POTUS. So he likely cut some “legacy deal” or “family safety deal” and agreed to resign “early”. My speculation based on how it played out as “damage control”.

Note that Nixon admin initiatives picked up immediately by Reagan admin with many of the same people. Most notably, breakup of AT&T (completed 1-1-84) which was being used as a surveillance tool against Americans.

Unknown actual threat, but it must have been severe. Media was setting the narrative and they appeared to have the votes in the Senate to remove Nixon sometime after 1-20-1975, giving Ford a shot at 10 years as POTUS. So he likely cut some “legacy deal” or “family safety deal” and agreed to resign “early”. My speculation based on how it played out as “damage control”. —- Note that Nixon admin initiatives picked up immediately by Reagan admin with many of the same people. Most notably, breakup of AT&T which was being used as a surveillance tool against Americans.

Unknown actual threat, but it must have been severe. Media was setting the narrative and they appeared to have the votes in the Senate to remove Nixon sometime after 1-20-1975, giving Ford a shot at 10 years as POTUS. So he likely cut some “legacy deal” or “family safety deal” and agreed to resign “early”. My speculation based on how it played out.