“I Love to Do Devilish Things”: All About Martha Mitchell, Gaslit’s Hell-Raiser

“Whenever she is in the public eye—which is often—Martha Mitchell almost always looks as if she’s having a good time.” So began Life’s 1970 cover story on Martha, the vivacious wife of President Nixon’s Attorney General John Mitchell. When the magazine hit newsstands, the Arkansas-born socialite was a D.C. celebrity—legendary for her late-night, reportedly alcohol-loosened phone calls to press. Though she smiled widely for the cameras, she hated Washington, political scheming, and how much time her husband was devoting to Nixon. She also didn’t care who knew it. “The day I start doing what I want again,” she told press… Read Full Article