Ronald Louis Ziegler served as the White House Press Secretary and Assistant to the President during the administration of U.S. President Richard Nixon. He became the youngest presidential press secretary in history at the age of 29. Ziegler is most remembered for his role during the Watergate scandal, where he initially dismissed the break-in as a "third-rate burglary attempt." His subsequent retractions and defenses of the administration led to his statements, particularly the word "inoperative," becoming emblematic of political obfuscation.