On September 8, 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted a full and unconditional pardon to former President Richard M. Nixon for any crimes he might have committed against the United States while in office. The pardon came just a month after Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal, making him the first U.S. president to resign. Ford said he issued the pardon to help the nation heal from the divisions of the scandal, but the decision was highly controversial, with critics accusing him of undermining justice. The move likely hurt Ford’s popularity and contributed to his loss in the 1976 presidential election.