Introduction

Trump’s supporters had gladly embraced the term “silent majority” for more than a year. They did so again in 2020. Reporters and political pundits explained that silent majority was not a new term—it had first been used in the 1960s by president Richard Nixon. This was one among many references the press and others made to Nixon during Trump’s presidency. Though Nixon routinely attempted to minimize the significance of Watergate, it was an important historical event. In contrast, Nixon’s presidency stands out for several notable developments in domestic policy. To the dismay of conservatives, Nixon continued much of the liberal impulse that had characterized the post-World War II era. Nixon’s victories in 1968 and 1972 widened already existing cracks in the New Deal coalition, which had made the Democrats the majority party since the Great Depression. Republicans in decades to come often embraced Nixon’s populist message and combative style.