Herblock uses the visual metaphor of the dead whale in the room for the evidence that by June 1973 the Watergate scandal had overwhelmed Richard Nixon personally, despite his continued denial. As the Senate began the Watergate hearings on May 18, 1973, Nixon’s staff exposed his knowledge and participation in the illegal activities. Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward reported on June 3, 1973, that former White House Counsel John Dean, a key Watergate witness, intended to reveal Nixon’s involvement when he testified.