httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDsBTUwsnBE
Clement, a personal friend of Thompson who briefly attended elementary school with him in Nashville, said Thompson could “Absolutely take over a room” with his physical presence, personality and charm.
At the time, Nixon was none too pleased with the appointment of Thompson, 30.
Thompson wasn’t “Very smart” in the eyes of Nixon, according to a 2007 review by The Associated Press of White House tapes.
Although the same tapes showed Nixon thought Thompson would be friendly to his cause – Baker reportedly assured Nixon that Thompson was a “Big mean fella” – it was Thompson’s knowledge of the tapes themselves that helped seal the president’s fate.
Through GOP investigators, Thompson learned from former White House aide Alexander Butterfield about the recording system within the White House.
Although Thompson told the White House that the committee knew about the tapes, a move that resulted in years of criticism from Democrats, he still was the first to bring up the matter of the tapes in a public hearing.
While Cooper criticized Thompson for acting like a Tennessean while living the life of a Washington lobbyist and Hollywood star, Thompson argued in a New York Times article that “In many respects, I am an average Tennessean.”