When Gerald Ford assumed the presidency in August 1974, he inherited a fractious political environment. Divisions increased when President Ford made the choice to pardon former president Nixon in September 1974. According to Ford chief of staff and defense secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Ford had a solid record regarding national security, the economy, and domestic issues. President Ford was competitive in 1976 against Georgia governor Jimmy Carter and lost the presidential election only by a narrow margin.