Although President Nixon wasn’t a popular political figure, he was busy unifying voters by moving all over the political map. The wily, flexible and pragmatic Nixon talked hard-right but actually moved to the center. He created the Environmental Protection Agency. He vastly expanded the welfare state and pushed for universal health care.

Nixon also had imposed wage and price controls, and visited Communist China. Nixon ridiculed conservative icons such as California Gov. Ronald Reagan and commentator William F. Buckley Jr. as right-wing troublemakers and elitist ideologues.

In other words, Nixon was as controversial — and as politically unpredictable and misunderstood — as Donald Trump.