The failure of the system to deal quickly was attributable to Nixon’s lying, stonewalling and refusal to come clean. So it took 26 months for the final truth to be known.

Woodward’s remark frames the Watergate timeline as a stress test of democratic accountability: the “system” (courts, Congress, press, and public oversight) can uncover wrongdoing, but its speed depends heavily on the subject’s cooperation. By attributing the delay to Nixon’s “lying, stonewalling and refusal to come clean,” Woodward emphasizes how obstruction and denial can prolong institutional fact-finding, increasing political damage and public mistrust. The specific “26 months” underscores that truth in major scandals may emerge only after sustained investigative pressure, legal process, and incremental disclosures—suggesting that transparency is not merely a moral virtue but a practical accelerant for justice and closure.