However, "Al Haig asked to come over and see me", Ford later said, "to tell me that there would be a new tape released on a Monday, and he said the evidence in there was devastating and there would probably be either an impeachment or a resignation. And he said, 'I'm just warning you that you've got to be prepared, that things might change dramatically and you could become President.'And I said, 'Betty, I don't think we're ever going to live in the vice president's house.'"[17]

Presidency (1974–1977)
Main article: Presidency of Gerald Ford
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the Gerald Ford presidency.
Swearing-in
Gerald Ford is sworn in as president by Chief Justice Warren Burger in the White House East Room, while Betty Ford looks on.
When Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, Ford automatically assumed the presidency. This made him the only person to become the nation's chief executive without having been previously voted into either the presidential or vice-presidential office by the Electoral College. 