Gerald Ford was a Republican politician who served as the 38th President of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He became president after the resignation of Richard Nixon, following the Watergate scandal. Before his presidency, Ford was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 25 years and held the position of House Minority Leader. During his presidency, Ford focused on restoring public trust in the government and managing the economy, which faced challenges like inflation and recession. He is also known for his controversial decision to pardon Nixon, which aimed to help the nation move forward but faced significant backlash.