Slow Burn, Season 1: Watergate | Episode 7 – “Saturday Night”

Date: January 16, 2018
Host: Leon Neyfakh

Overview

This episode of Slow Burn explores the fateful events of October 20, 1973—the “Saturday Night Massacre”—when President Nixon attempted to thwart the Watergate investigation by ordering the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox. Through archival footage and first-hand accounts, host Leon Neyfakh revisits the dramatic showdown between the executive branch and the Justice Department, the shockwaves that rippled across the country, and what it felt like for the young Watergate prosecutors on the inside.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Appointment of Special Prosecutor: Archibald Cox

• Elliot Richardson’s Appointment and Compromise

  • Upon becoming Attorney General in May 1973, Elliot Richardson was required by Congress to appoint a truly independent special prosecutor for Watergate (00:32–01:00).

• Archibald Cox, an Unlikely Choice

  • Cox was widely perceived as partisan—an “elitist east coast intellectual” with direct links to Democratic opponents, notably having worked for JFK (01:00–01:31).
  • Nixon viewed Cox as his least trusted potential adversary.
    • Quote: “If the Attorney General had set out specifically to find the man that he, Nixon, would have trusted least, he couldn’t have done better than Archibald Cox.” — Narrator (01:32)

2. Nixon’s Distrust and the White House’s Approach

• Nixon’s Private Fury, but Limited Public Attacks
  • Despite despising Cox (“parasite and partisan viper” per Nixon’s memoir), the White House never publicly painted him as an overt partisan threat (01:31–02:18).
  • Instead, Nixon’s team quietly delayed or denied Cox’s requests behind the scenes.
  • Cox responded with heightened security, installing alarms and monitors at his office to prevent break-ins—reflecting Watergate-era paranoia (02:18).

3. The Young Prosecutors’ Perspective

• Atmosphere Among the Watergate Team
  • Karl Feldbaum and other young Ivy League lawyers joined Cox’s team against the advice of seasoned attorneys who warned that “investigating the President… your career will be ruined” (03:30–04:08).
  • Despite the dangers, camaraderie developed among the prosecutors as they pursued the investigation.
  • Quote: “We did not have a sense that there would be anything like a Saturday Night Massacre until the final week, when the stakes got very high.” — Karl Feldbaum (03:19)

4. The Legal Showdown: Subpoenaing the Tapes

• Pressure Builds Over Secret White House Tapes
  • The prosecutors, using testimony from John Dean and others, subpoenaed nine specific tapes believed to contain incriminating conversations (04:08–04:42).
  • Courts ruled that Nixon must turn over the tapes (04:42).
    • Quote: “It was clear that Nixon had… decided that the tapes would be truly damaging and… he would do anything in his power to keep that from happening.” — Karl Feldbaum (04:51)

5. The Saturday Night Massacre

• Nixon’s Drastic Move
  • On October 20, 1973, Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson to fire Cox. Richardson and his deputy William Ruckelshaus resigned rather than comply, leaving Solicitor General Robert Bork to carry out the order (05:11–05:49).
  • The forced departures became infamous as the “Saturday Night Massacre” (05:49).
    • Memorable Moment: NBC interrupted “The Tonight Show” to break the news (05:21).
• The Fallout
  • The FBI was ordered to seal the special prosecutor’s office “as though it was a crime scene” (06:37).
    • Quote: “The FBI agents were under orders to seal the office as though it was a crime scene.” — Karl Feldbaum (06:37)

6. The Broader Impact

• Public Shock and Transformation
  • The country’s shock permeated even the White House press room; seasoned reporters expressed disbelief (06:43).
  • The botched compromise and firings triggered national outrage and set up the denouement of Nixon’s presidency.
  • Neyfakh teases deeper exploration of “what it felt like for the young prosecutors investigating Watergate when they finally got to hear those tapes” (05:49–06:32).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Richardson Choosing Cox:
  • “If the Attorney General had set out specifically to find the man that he, Nixon, would have trusted least, he couldn’t have done better than Archibald Cox.” — Narrator (01:32)
• On the Prosecutors’ Naivete:
  • “We did not have a sense that there would be anything like a Saturday Night Massacre until the final week, when the stakes got very high.” — Karl Feldbaum (03:19)
• On the Risks to Career:
  • “What? You’re going to investigate the President of the United States? …Your career will be ruined.” — Karl Feldbaum (impression of senior lawyers) (03:45)
• On Nixon’s Calculation:
  • “Nixon had… decided that the tapes would be truly damaging and… he would do anything in his power to keep that from happening.” — Karl Feldbaum (04:51)
• On Historic Shock:
  • “FBI agents were under orders to seal the office as though it was a crime scene.” — Karl Feldbaum (06:37)
  • “In my career as a correspondent, I never thought I’d be announcing these things.” — News Reporter (06:43)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:32 — Elliot Richardson’s Confirmation and Compromise
• 01:00–01:32 — Describing Archibald Cox and Nixon’s Disdain
• 03:19 — Karl Feldbaum on Prosecutors’ Surprise
• 03:45 — Young lawyers counseled not to join investigation
• 04:42 — Court rules Nixon must obey subpoena
• 05:21 — Breaking news of Cox’s firing interrupts NBC programming
• 05:49–06:32 — Fallout of the Saturday Night Massacre and introduction of thematic questions

Structure and Tone

• The tone is narrative, investigative, and at times suspenseful—mirroring the genuine disbelief and tension of the events.
• The episode combines archival news footage, direct quotes from insiders, and reflective narration.

This episode captures the chaos, fear, and moral drama at the heart of the Saturday Night Massacre—from the courage of public servants to the paranoia of those in power—illuminating not just historical facts but what it felt like to be there.