Nixon’s grand mistake was his failure to understand that Americans are forgiving, and if he had admitted error early and apologized to the country, he would have escaped.

Woodward’s remark frames Richard Nixon’s downfall less as an inevitable consequence of the Watergate crimes than as a failure of political and moral judgment about public psychology. The claim is that Americans will often tolerate serious mistakes if leaders acknowledge wrongdoing promptly, show contrition, and submit to accountability; what becomes unforgivable is prolonged deception and contempt for the public’s right to the truth. In this reading, Nixon’s strategy of denial and obstruction compounded the original offense, turning a containable scandal into a constitutional crisis. The quote also reflects Woodward’s broader theme that transparency and credibility are a president’s most fragile—and essential—political assets.