The Watergate scandal was a political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s as a result of the June 17, 1972, break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. Nixon's story behind the scandal was that it was how things were done, and he knew that Kennedy stole the presidency from him, but decided not to make it a public matter for the sake of the country.