I wouldn't trust Nixon from here to that phone.

"I wouldn’t trust Nixon from here to that phone." So spoke Barry Goldwater, a man of fierce independence and sharp tongue, about the president who had once commanded the confidence of a nation. This saying, though simple and almost casual in its phrasing, carries the weight of a great truth about trust: that it is the foundation of leadership, and once broken, even the smallest distance becomes too far to bridge.

In these words we hear the echo of the ancients, who taught that a king without trust is no king at all. The armies may obey, the people may bow, the empire may seem unshaken, but if the heart of the people no longer believes in the word of their leader, then the throne already trembles. Goldwater’s judgment upon Richard Nixon was not merely about politics; it was about character, and the eternal law that deceit corrodes authority until nothing remains but suspicion.

The origin of this quote lies in the time of the Watergate scandal, when the truth of deception and abuse of power by Nixon’s administration came crashing down upon the world. Once, Nixon had been entrusted with the highest office, the keeper of the republic’s honor. Yet his actions unraveled that sacred bond. Goldwater’s sharp remark captured what millions felt: that even a man who sat in the highest chair could not be trusted to cross the distance to a single telephone without suspicion of betrayal.

History offers other such examples. Think of Julius Caesar, who trusted in the loyalty of his senators, only to be struck down by those closest to him. And yet, the reverse is also true: his own ambition had eroded trust among his peers, who came to believe he would make himself king. In both the betrayal of Caesar and the fall of Nixon, the lesson is the same: when trust is broken, even the mightiest are vulnerable, and even the smallest gesture becomes suspect.

Goldwater’s words also hold power for our private lives. How many friendships, marriages, or partnerships crumble not from great disasters, but from the quiet erosion of trust? A lie here, a betrayal there, and soon the distance between two souls feels greater than oceans. Without trust, no relationship—whether between nations or between lovers—can endure. And without the courage to live truthfully, we all risk finding ourselves distrusted, even in the smallest of matters.

Therefore, O listeners, learn this wisdom: trust is sacred currency. It cannot be bought with gold, nor restored once squandered. Guard it as you would guard your life. Speak truth, even when it costs you. Keep your promises, even when they are hard. For the one who is trusted is richer than kings, and the one who is distrusted is poorer than beggars.

And let this be the clear action: if you lead, lead with integrity; if you follow, follow with discernment. Do not give your faith to those who betray it, and do not betray the faith of those who give it to you. For, as Goldwater’s words remind us, a man who cannot be trusted to reach even the telephone without suspicion is a man already undone, no matter how high his station.

Thus, the teaching stands: trust is the pillar of power, the thread of friendship, the bond of all human order. Guard it, honor it, live by it—and you shall never fear the judgment spoken over Nixon, that damning verdict of a man once great, now reduced to a shadow of disbelief.