I never thought that I would say this, but I am feeling nostalgic for President Richard M. Nixon.

The Post published a piece last week recalling that Nixon had an “enemies list” compiling the names of his alleged foes, and noting in the headline that “now so does Trump.” While this parallel is accurate, I think that it obscures major differences between the two men. The comparison does not give Nixon his due.

I am hardly a Nixon defender. I was part of the special prosecutor investigation that led to his downfall. I was and remain shocked at the extent of his crass and criminal behavior, which first became palpable to me listening to the secret Oval Office tapes that we pried away from him, eventually including the “smoking gun” tape the Supreme Court ordered him to turn over. It was that evidence that convinced Nixon’s closest supporters that his defense against impeachment and removal from office would have been unsustainable, and that he had no choice but to resign in disgrace.