The Second Impeachment of President Trump

We the People

National Constitution Center

News, News Commentary, History

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 14 January 2021

⏱️ 44 minutes

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Summary

The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump for a second time this week, with a vote of 232 in favor, 197 against, and 4 not voting. Prior to the vote, host Jeffrey Rosen sat down with two experts on the Constitution and presidential power—Cristina Rodriguez of Yale Law School and Michael McConnell of Stanford Law School. They shared their thoughts on the article of impeachment passed by the House; the charge against President Trump of incitement of insurrection in the wake of the mob invasion of the U.S. Capitol; the meaning of high crimes and misdemeanors under the Impeachment Clause; if Section 3 of the 14th Amendment should be invoked to disqualify President Trump from holding office again; how the current media and information landscape may have contributed to polarization and events culminating in the riot; what reforms might help; and more. Professor McConnell is the author of the new book The President Who Would Not be King, and professor Rodriguez is the co-author, with Adam Cox, of The President and Immigration Law. Additional resources and transcripts available at constitutioncenter.org/constitution/media-library Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and welcome
0:07.7	to We The People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.
0:11.6	The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit chartered by Congress
0:16.7	to increase awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.
0:23.8	This week the House of Representatives introduced an article of impeachment against President
0:29.0	Trump after the storming of the Capitol last week by a pro-Trump mob.
0:35.0	On today's episode we will discuss the constitutional issues raised by the prospect of another impeachment, as well as recent events.
0:45.0	We'll also take a broader look at presidential power, past, president, and future.
0:50.0	I am honored to be joined by two of America's leading experts on presidential power and the Constitution.
0:58.0	Michael McConnell is the Richard and Francis Mallory professor and director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School
1:04.8	and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.
1:07.6	He is the author of the new book, The President who Would Not Be King, executive power under the Constitution.
1:15.0	Michael, it is an honor to have you back on the show.
1:18.0	Thank you.
1:20.0	Christina Rodriguez is the Leighton Homer Surbeck Professor of Law at Yale Law School.
1:25.8	She is the author with Adam Cox of the President and Immigration Law, which we had a great discussion
1:31.4	of in a town hall program last fall.
1:34.6	Christina, thank you so much for joining.
1:37.4	Thank you for having me.
1:38.9	Michael, you have just completed a book called The President who would not be King Executive Power under the Constitution.
1:46.6	Is there any historical precedent for last week's events and what do you make of the argument that the storming of the capital by a violent mob
1:56.8	represents the founder's nightmare?
	...

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