Today marks the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s resignation announcement following the Watergate scandal. Before he decided to resign, the controversial Republican sought help from a prominent Alabama politician in a last-ditch attempt to save his presidency.

In an interview after his resignation, Nixon named the elected official and provided details of their conversation.

“So I decided to call him. So I answered at 3 p.m. The operator had him on hand in Montgomery, Alabama.”

But the phone call with Wallace did not bring the news Nixon had hoped for.

“He said that at first he had a very hard time hearing me. When the connection finally came through, he said that he hadn’t had a chance to really look into the whole matter,” Nixon said. “He said, ‘I’m praying for you.’ He said, ‘I’m very sorry. I’m very sorry that you had to go through this ordeal, but I don’t think I can really talk to Flowers because he might resent me for it.'”

“However, if I change my mind, I will let you know.”

Nixon knew his fate before the conversation was over. “The conversation had only lasted six and a half minutes, but when I hung up I knew it was all over.”

“I turned to Al and said, ‘There goes the presidency.'”

Austen Shipley is an editor at Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten.