Challenges:
1. Vietnam
2. The worst economy since the Great Depression
3. Communist Europe (the Helsinki Accords)
4. Richard Nixon
One month after taking over the presidency, Ford pardoned Nixon. This
caused a lot of controversy but Ford claimed he did it to save the
nation from the prospect of a long, messy, and divisive trial.
In 1974, President Ford also offered clemency to those who evaded the
draft during the Vietnam War if they would swear allegiance and perform
two years of public service. Similarly, those who deserted during the
war could return for two years in the branch they left to achieve
clemency. However, Ford was criticized both by those who felt he was
being to easy on the draft dodgers and those who had avoided the service
because they felt they were in the right.
In 1974, Ford asked for aid to be sent to South Vietnam as fighting had
resumed. Congress would not agree. In April 1975, Saigon fell and by
1976, North and South Vietnam were united into one country.
Ford escaped two assassination attempts, both by women. First on
September 5, 1975, Lynette Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, pointed
a gun at him but did not fire. She was convicted of attempting to
assassinate the president and sentenced to life in prison. The second
attempt on Ford's life occurred on September 22, 1975 when Sara Jane
Moore fired one shot that was deflected by a bystander. Moore was trying
to prove herself to some radical friends with the assassination of the
president. She was convicted of attempted assassination and sentenced to
life in prison.
