What We Know About Gerald Ford’s Children

The Watergate scandal affected the family of Gerald and Betty Ford in an entirely unique way. Because Gerald Ford had been appointed by Richard Nixon and not elected as his running mate, he became the first and only American president who had never been elected by the American public. This came with its own pressures. Gerald Ford faced deep controversy when he pardoned Richard Nixon. This, according to Steve Ford at least, is why their father joined the list of presidents who lost reelection. 

Gerald Ford’s oldest son, Michael Ford, came forward when Watergate happened and called for Richard Nixon’s total confession. As he told the Gerald Ford Foundation, he’s come to regret that move. Steven remembers the disorientation they all felt when the scandal erupted. Apparently, they did not expect their father to become vice president, let alone president of the country. And given the circumstances that led to their father’s presidency, they weren’t exactly jumping for joy. As Steven told the Gerald Ford Foundation, “This was not a celebration, this was a dark, dark cloud hanging over the White House.”

Susan Ford Bales remembered her family’s personal connection to the Nixons. During the Watergate scandal, she was thinking not of the political implications, but of them. As Susan remarked in an interview with the Gerald Ford Foundation, “[W]e felt bad for the family because we knew them as a family and as friends.”