Agnew face

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Spiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States and served from 1969-1973 under the Nixon administration. Vice President Agnew was a controversial figure who vocally supported conservative views and disparaged the media which criticized President Nixon. Catchphrases were coined by Agnew in his many pointed inflammatory speeches, including “nattering nabobs of negativism” and “radiclibs,” short for radical liberals. His phrases became so famous/infamous that they were published in the book: The Real Spiro Agnew: Commonsense Quotations of a Household Word. 

Agnew's career reached an early end in 1973 when he was charged with receiving kickbacks and bribes while in office. General Alexander M. Haig, Nixon’s chief of staff, took action and informed Agnew’s staff that if the vice president resigned and pleaded guilty to a single charge, the others against him would be dropped and he would not have to serve time in jail. Agnew pleaded nolo contendere to the tax charges and resigned from office on October 10, 1973. 

“Just What Nixon Always Needed - AGNEW face,” refers to Agnew’s resignation and the celebration that happened when a different vice president was appointed. Soon after, Nixon also resigned from office due to the Watergate Scandal. Agnew and Nixon were the first—and, as of 2024, the only—presidential pair to both resign from office.