In a move that has stirred both curiosity and controversy, the Trump Justice Department is taking preliminary steps to potentially exonerate former President Richard Nixon, more than half a century after the Watergate scandal that led to his resignation. According to the Wall Street Journal, the DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility recently hosted Geoff Shepard, a former member of Nixon's defense team, who maintains that Nixon was unfairly targeted by what he describes as "lawfare."

Shepard, who has long championed the notion that Nixon was the victim of a deep state conspiracy, presented a two-hour slide deck titled "Watergate As Lawfare." Although the Justice Department insists that this presentation does not officially constitute an investigation, the extended audience given to Shepard suggests a significant level of interest in his theories.

This development comes amid broader actions by the DOJ that seem aligned with revising historical narratives. Notably, the department is also seeking to limit state bars from investigating ethical violations by government lawyers, a move that critics argue could shield attorneys from accountability.

The effort to revisit Nixon's case is complex, not least because Nixon himself was never charged with a crime. He was named an unindicted co-conspirator by a grand jury and resigned from office in 1974, subsequently receiving a pardon from President Gerald Ford. This pardon, according to the legal precedent of Burdick v. United States, implies an admission of guilt.

Critics of the DOJ's current direction have pointed out the irony in attempting to clear Nixon posthumously. The special prosecutors from the Watergate era, Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski, who are both deceased, cannot defend their actions, but historical records and unanimous Supreme Court decisions from the time leave little doubt about Nixon's involvement in the Watergate cover-up.

The backdrop to these developments includes recent political rhetoric that parallels Nixon's situation with that of former President Donald Trump, suggesting a broader strategy to redefine executive accountability. This perspective was echoed in remarks by JD Vance at the Nixon Library and further amplified by GOP Representative Riley Moore, who claimed that Nixon was "absolutely couped out of office and was framed."

Observers suggest that revisiting Nixon's case could serve dual purposes: it might offer a new lens through which to view Trump's actions and legal challenges, and it could energize a base that responds to narratives of governmental overreach and deep state conspiracies.

As this situation unfolds, it raises profound questions about the role of historical narrative in contemporary politics and the lengths to which current administrations might go to reshape public perception of past events. Whether this inquiry will lead to a formal reevaluation of the Watergate saga or merely serve as a political talking point remains to be seen.