Second inauguration of Richard Nixon Second inauguration of Richard Nixon The second inauguration of Richard Nixon as President of the United States was held on January 20, 1973 at the eastern portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. The inauguration marked the commencement of the second term of Richard Nixon as President and the second term of Spiro Agnew as Vice President. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered the Oath of office to the President and the oath of office to the Vice President. Agnew resigned from office days into this term, and was succeeded by Gerald Ford (in accordance with Section 2
Spiro Agnew and to make it clear his running mate had his support. Agnew could also usefully play an "attack dog" role, as Nixon had in 1952. Initially, Agnew played the centrist, pointing to his civil rights record in Maryland. As the campaign developed, he quickly adopted a more belligerent approach, with strong law-and-order rhetoric, a style which alarmed the party's Northern liberals but played well in the South. John Mitchell, Nixon's campaign manager, was impressed, some other party leaders less so; Senator Thruston Morton described Agnew as an "asshole". Throughout September, Agnew was in the news, generally as a result of