Question

after his resignation, nixon said to a tv audience during a speech, \i am not a crook.\ what is the artist trying to say about nixon and the missing portions of the recordings?

image: tape gap cartoon by herblock
public domain

• the artist is saying that nixon held on to the recordings long after they were requested because he knew they were his only hope to be found innocent.
• the artist is saying that because the recordings did match up if they were listened to carefully, the public should not be so negative toward the president.
• the artist is saying that because portions of the recordings were missing, the president clearly knew about the burglary and tried to cover up the evidence.
• the artist is saying that nixon was trying to find the missing parts of the recordings and it was only by accident that any recordings were erased.

Explanation:

The cartoon shows Nixon caught in the gap of a tape reel, referencing the missing Watergate recordings. The missing tape portions were widely seen as evidence of a cover-up of the Watergate burglary, which tied to Nixon's knowledge and attempts to hide incriminating information. The other options contradict the public and historical understanding of the tape gap as a suspicious, intentional cover-up rather than an accident or sign of innocence.

Answer:

The artist is saying that because portions of the recordings were missing, the president clearly knew about the burglary and tried to cover up the evidence.