In Sacramento, California, on September 5, 1975, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, pointed a Colt .45-caliber handgun at Ford and pulled the trigger at point-blank range. As she did, a Secret Service agent grabbed the gun, and Fromme was taken into custody. She was later convicted of attempted assassination of the president and sentenced to life in prison.

Despite his background as an athlete, Ford had the misfortune of being caught on camera when he tripped down the stairs of Air Force One. The footage inspired Chevy Chase's portrayal of Ford on Saturday Night Live, cementing the president's image as a klutz, which he took in stride. "The portrayal of me as an oafish ex-jock made for good copy," Ford later wrote. "It was also funny."

Liberty was frequently photographed with Ford in the Oval Office, in the swimming pool at Camp David and on the South Lawn of the White House. Photographs of the dog were autographed with a rubber stamp of her paw print. And according to some sources, when Ford wanted to end a conversation in the Oval Office, he would signal Liberty to approach the guest wagging her tail.

Ford vetoed a total of 66 bills (48 regular vetoes and 18 pocket vetoes), 12 of which were overruled by Congress.

In 1975, Ford appointed John Paul Stevens as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States to replace retiring Justice William O. Douglas. After being confirmed, Stevens disappointed some conservatives by siding with the Court's liberal wing on key issues. Nevertheless, Ford praised Stevens in 2005, saying, "He has served his nation well, with dignity, intellect and without partisan political concerns."

Saddled with a poor economy, the fall of South Vietnam, and his unpopular pardon of Nixon, Ford trailed Democrat Jimmy Carter by a wide margin in early polls but managed to close the gap by election day, making the contest too close to call. Ford won 27 states, the most states ever carried by a losing candidate, but Carter won the election with 50.1% of the popular vote and 297 electoral votes.

The Betty Ford Center offers treatment for alcohol and other drug addictions, as well as prevention and education programs for family and children.