American citizens are typically proud of the political system and democratic principles on which the nation was founded upon. Some of the key elements of a democratic system include equality, fairness, accountability, and justice. However, despite this national pride, the American political system has witnessed various levels of corruption and scandals orchestrated by elected officials. Two scathing controversies within the past fifty years include the Watergate Scandal in 1973 and the Capitol Insurrection in 2021. Both of these events deeply shook American politics and were linked to the respective sitting presidents, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump. Watergate and the Insurrection cannot be directly compared because of the differences between the events. However, there are striking similarities and differences in the events leading up to and following both controversies. For example, why did the Republican Party largely abandon Nixon in the aftermath of Watergate, but still support Trump in the following months after the Insurrection (and still do today)? I plan to focus on the Republican party, and what has changed internally that could possibly explain the different responses.