Richard Nixon tapes reveal final days in White House

YORBA LINA, Calif. (KABC) -- Former President Richard Nixon was the first and only president to resign from office.

Forty years later, the Richard Nixon Foundation and Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum have released a videotaped interview from June 10, 1983 on his life, his experience as president and his final days in the White House.

Nixon recalls learning the infamous tape that became known as the "smoking gun" had been released, revealing he had been aware of the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Building.

"This was the final blow, the final nail in the coffin. Although, you don't need another nail if you're already in the coffin, which we were," Nixon said.

On the afternoon of Aug. 6, the disgraced president met with his Chief of Staff, General Alexander Haig.

"I said, 'well, Al, I really screwed it up, didn't I?' He didn't have to answer," Nixon said.

But, Nixon said he never wanted to resign.

"Resigning now was the option I didn't want to do, above everything else. Personally, I'm a fighter. I just didn't want to quit," Nixon said. "Also, I thought it would be an admission of guilt, which of course, it was, and also, I felt that it would set a terribly bad precedent for the future."

Nixon talked about writing and delivering his speech announcing his resignation. He said he sweated through his suit and was left with a chill.

"Well, soon the chill went away, and I went down to the Lincoln Room and made a few calls to people, heard the chanting outside, reminded me of the Vietnam days, except this time, the chant was 'jail to the chief, jail to the chief." It didn't bother me, however," Nixon said. "After all, I had been heckled by experts."

Former White House Aide Frank Gannon conducted the interview.

"Like him or not, whether you think that his resignation was a tragedy for the nation, or that he got out of town one step ahead of the sheriff, he was a human being," Gannon said.

Nixon also talked about his family's reaction to Watergate and the personal moments he had with them in the days leading up to his resignation.

And he said, he hoped no other president ever resigns again.

The videos will play continuously in the Nixon Library Theatre through Sunday, and are available online.