The Trump Verdict and the Rule of Law

We the People

National Constitution Center

History, News Commentary, News

4.6 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2024

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On May 30, former President Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments made during the 2016 election, making him the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. In this episode, two leading historians of the presidency—Stephen Knott of the United States Naval War College, and bestselling and author and attorney David O. Stewart—join Jeffrey Rosen to explore presidential attacks on the judicial system and rule of law throughout American history. They also discuss what this history can teach us in the wake of the Trump criminal verdict. Resources: “The Trump Manhattan Criminal Verdict, Count By Count,” The New York Times (May 30, 2024) The Indictment of Former President Trump, NCC’s We the People podcast (April 6, 2023) History of Impeachment from Andrew Johnson to Today, NCC’s We the People podcast (February 1, 2018) David O. Stewart, Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy (2009) David O. Stewart, American Emperor: Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America (2011) Stephen Knott, The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal (2019) Myers v. United States (1926) United States v. Cruikshank (1875) Questions or comments about the show? Email us at [email protected]. Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr. Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly. You can find transcripts for each episode on the podcast pages in our Media Library.

Transcript

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0:00.0	On May 30th, former President Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments during the 2016 election.
0:10.5	That makes him the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime.
0:14.0	Hello friends, I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center
0:22.0	and welcome to We The People, a weekly show of
0:24.2	constitutional debate. The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan
0:28.1	nonprofit chartered by Congress to increase awareness and understanding of the
0:32.4	Constitution among the American people.
0:35.4	In this episode, we'll explore the attitudes of presidents throughout U.S. history toward
0:40.1	the judicial system and the rule of law, and what this history can teach us in the wake
0:44.8	of the Trump criminal verdict. Joining me are two of America's leading historians of the presidency
0:50.2	and I'm so honored to convene them both.
0:53.0	Stephen Nott is an emeritus professor of National Security Affairs
0:57.0	at the United States Naval War College in Newport.
1:00.0	He previously served as co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
1:07.5	He is the author of many superb books of presidential history, including the lost soul of the American presidency,
1:15.0	the decline into demagoguery and the prospects for renewal, and his most recent book,
1:20.0	coming to terms with John F. Kennedy.
1:22.0	Stephen, it is wonderful to welcome you to We the People.
1:25.7	Thank you so much, Jeff.
1:26.8	It's always an honor to be with you and to speak to your audience.
1:31.4	David O'Stuert is a best-selling author and former trial and appellate lawyer.
1:35.8	He is the author of many fiction and non-fiction works, including impeached the trial of President
	...

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