'Nixonmaxxing' as a Gateway to Christ

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Former President Richard Nixon is “having a moment.” More than half a century after the 37th president—the only president in U.S. history to resign—left office in disgrace, a new vibe around his persona has emerged amongst younger Americans. The influx of Nixon swag, Nixon memes and Nixon-themed TikTok videos is known as “Nixonmaxxing.”  

Why a Nixon renaissance, and why now? According to The Wall Street Journal, “Nixon is being recast as a forerunner of ‘America First’ by a new generation of conservatives: a combative president loathed by the press and besieged by investigators who was brought down by the same establishment they believe targeted President Trump.” 

For example, Vice President JD Vance recently called the redeeming of Nixon’s legacy “deserved.” He then added, “If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story. The idea that it would have taken down a president is crazy.”  

Nixon’s renaissance is partly due to new scholarship, books and documentaries that attempt, as the late Paul Harvey often put it, to tell “the rest of the story.” Namely, that Nixon wasn’t as bad as he’s portrayed, and that there was no fair trial for his “co-conspirators.”   

The Wall Street Journal is hopeful that “Nixonmaxxing” will serve as a “gateway drug” to Nixon history. Christians can be hopeful that it will be a gateway to the greatest story ever told. Among the host of colorful characters, movie-like events and confusing puzzles of Nixon history is the story of a life transformed by the work of Christ.  

Chuck Colson served as Special Counsel for President Nixon from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. Slate magazine described Colson as “the ‘evil genius’ of an evil administration.” He was best known as Nixon’s “hatchet man,” who was, as Colson described himself, deeply valuable to the President because he was “ruthless in getting things done.”  

Colson became embroiled in the Watergate scandal and was indicted in 1974 for conspiracy to cover up the Watergate burglaries and obstruction of justice. He spent seven months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a different charge. Though he committed during his public service to never being compromised, he became blind to his own ethical concessions. As he often explained, “Human beings have the infinite capacity of self-rationalization, and that’s exactly what I did.” 

It was after his resignation from the White House and before going to prison that Colson encountered Jesus Christ. A copy of C.S. Lewis’ "Mere Christianity," the compelling witness of a recent convert, and a crisis of meaning led Colson to give his life to Christ. His 1975 memoir, "Born Again," tells the story of the redemption he found in Christ, and how the lowest moment of his life became the pivot for an incredible life of serving others and advancing the Gospel.  

Colson would go on to found Prison Fellowship Ministries and The Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He would also be an advocate for many other Christian causes, serving as a convictional voice for truth in the public square. As he expressed in "How Now Shall We Live," Christianity is not just about the redemption of individuals but the redemption of entire cultures. The many suggestions that his conversion was inauthentic were repudiated by decades of his life that were lived redeemed, transformed by the work of Christ.  

Whatever is driving the current “Nixonmaxxing” trend, Christians can take this opportunity to point the interested to the life of Chuck Colson, whose life points to the life, death, resurrection, and renewal of Jesus Christ.  

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Bettman

John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.