▁part ▁in " ▁as ▁president . ▁In ▁a ▁tele vised ▁broadcast ▁to ▁the ▁nation , ▁Ford ▁explained ▁that ▁he ▁felt ▁the ▁p ardon ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁best ▁interest ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁N ixon ▁family ' s ▁situation ▁" is ▁an ▁American ▁tra ged y ▁in ▁which ▁we ▁all ▁have ▁played ▁a ▁part . ▁It ▁could ▁go ▁on ▁and ▁on ▁and ▁on , ▁or ▁someone ▁must ▁write ▁the ▁end ▁to ▁it . ▁I ▁have ▁concluded ▁that ▁only ▁I ▁can ▁do ▁that , ▁and ▁if ▁I ▁can , ▁I ▁must ." ▁ ▁N ixon ▁continued ▁to ▁proc laim ▁his ▁innoc ence ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁In ▁his ▁official ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁p ardon , ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁" was ▁wrong ▁in ▁not ▁acting ▁more ▁decis ively ▁and ▁more ▁forth right ly ▁in ▁dealing ▁with ▁Water gate , ▁particularly ▁when ▁it ▁reached ▁the ▁stage ▁of ▁jud icial ▁proceed ings ▁and ▁grew ▁from ▁a ▁political ▁sc andal ▁into ▁a ▁national ▁tra ged y ". ▁ ▁Some ▁comment ators ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁p ardon ing ▁N ixon ▁contributed ▁to ▁President ▁Ford ' s ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁president ial ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁Al leg ations ▁of ▁a ▁secret ▁deal ▁made ▁with ▁Ford , ▁prom ising ▁a ▁p ardon ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁N ixon ' s ▁res ignation , ▁led ▁Ford ▁to ▁test ify ▁before ▁the ▁House ▁Jud ici ary ▁Committee ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 .