His presidency ended following his defeat in the 1976 presidential election by Democrat Jimmy Carter. Ford took office in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and in the final stages of the Vietnam War, both of which engendered a new disillusion in American political institutions. Ford's first major act upon taking office was to grant a presidential pardon to Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal, prompting a major backlash to Ford's presidency. He also created a conditional clemency program for Vietnam War draft dodgers. They lost repeatedly in the federal courts, most notably in the 1976 Supreme Court decision of Kleppe v. New Mexico. 'Infamous 'Drop Dead' Was Never Said by Ford'. The New York Times.
1976 presidential election presidential
1976 presidential election presidential