He even survived a last-minute “October surprise” designed to tilt the race to Democratic opponent Hubert Humphrey: a Lyndon Johnson–ordered pause in the bombing of North Vietnam meant to trigger peace negotiations. Only later did it come to light that Nixon likely worked behind the scenes to sabotage the peace initiative. LBJ’s gesture might have been cynical and desperate, but Nixon’s attempt to undermine the cease-fire proposal may well have been treasonous.
