American tax dollars are hard at work protecting the Vice President, J.D. Vance, during his book tour.

Vice President J.D. Vance visited the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum on Thursday, June 25, 2026, for a public conversation marking the release of his new memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith. The event drew supporters inside the venue and demonstrators outside, underscoring the political divisions surrounding one of the Trump administration’s highest-ranking officials.

Hosted by the Richard Nixon Foundation, the program featured Vance discussing his personal journey from atheism to Catholicism and the role faith has played in shaping his public service. The event was announced as a conversation about “the issues shaping America’s future” in conjunction with the release of his memoir.

During the discussion, Vance also reflected on the legacy of former President Richard Nixon, calling the 37th president a “political genius” whose reputation is undergoing what he described as a “renaissance.” He argued that Nixon’s diplomatic accomplishments—including opening relations with China—have received renewed attention.

One of Vance’s most controversial remarks came when he suggested that the Watergate scandal, which forced Nixon to resign in disgrace in 1974, would not have had the same political impact in today’s media environment.

“If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story,” Vance said, arguing that the scandal would not have ended a presidency in the current political climate. He also contended that Nixon and President Donald Trump were both targeted by what he described as the “deep state,” drawing parallels between Nixon’s downfall and investigations involving Trump.

Many historians believe Watergate remains unique in that it involved sustained abuse of presidential power documented by evidence, congressional investigations, and court rulings. Timothy Naftali, former director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, has summarized Watergate this way: “It wasn’t the break-in. It was the cover-up.”

Naftali said that Nixon resigned because overwhelming evidence—including the White House tapes—demonstrated presidential involvement in obstructing justice, not because of media attention alone.

Vance also jokingly compared his own political career to Nixon’s, noting that both served as young U.S. senators and served as vice president.

Outside the library, protesters gathered to oppose the vice president’s visit and the Trump administration’s policies. Demonstrators criticized the administration’s positions on immigration, civil rights, and democratic institutions while staging a peaceful rally along Yorba Linda Boulevard during the event.

Many of the protest signs included direct quotes from Vance himself, excoriating Trump during his first presidential campaign. Vance has since said those criticisms were wrong.

A counter-protest of Trump supporters mainly consisted of Iranian Americans who favor continued U.S. military action against Iran’s current regime. Their signs and placards called for the restoration of the Pahlavi dynasty, which was ousted following the Islamic Revolution, which toppled the Western-backed monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in 1979.

The Yorba Linda appearance was part of a Southern California trip for Vance and comes as he continues to emerge as one of the Republican Party’s most prominent national figures and a potential contender for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.