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We the People

What is Treason?

We the People

National Constitution Center

News, News Commentary, History

4.61.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 July 2018

⏱️ 69 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

After his recent meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin and comments about Russian interference in the 2016 elections, President Donald Trump has sparked a new controversy relating to the constitutional definition of treason, and to what extent actions taken in support of a foreign nation might constitute treason. Jeffrey Rosen leads a discussion about  the Treason Clause of the Constitution, what it means, and how it has been interpreted.  Paul Crane is an assistant professor of law at the University of Richmond Law School. Previously, he served as a Bigelow Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School. He has also worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, as a Bristow Fellow for the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States, and clerked for Chief Justice Roberts on the U.S. Supreme Court. Deborah Pearlstein is a professor of law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University. Previously, she served in the White House from 1993 to 1995 as a Senior Editor and Speechwriter for President Clinton, and served as the founding director of the Law and Security Program at Human Rights First, where she worked on military commission trials at Gitmo. Pearlstein also clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court. Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you. Contact the We the People team at podcast@constitutioncenter.org The National Constitution Center is offering CLE credits for select America’s Town Hall programs! Get more information at constitutioncenter.org/CLE.

Transcript

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0:15.9

I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and welcome to We The People, a weekly show of constitutional debate. The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit institution chartered by Congress

0:21.6

to increase awareness and understanding of the Constitution

0:25.0

among the American people.

0:27.0

Today in a special bonus episode we respond to questions sent in by you

0:32.0

our wonderful We The People listeners. we

0:33.3

the people listeners,

0:34.3

the people, namely, what is the meaning of the treason clause

0:37.8

in section 3 of article 3 of the Constitution?

0:40.3

What was it originally intended to mean?

0:43.0

How has it been interpreted over time?

0:45.0

And might it be applied to recent events involving

0:50.0

Russia's potential interference in the 2016 elections.

0:54.5

Joining us on short notice to discuss this urgently important constitutional

0:58.0

question are two of America's leading constitutional law experts

1:01.5

and two of the leading experts in America on the treason clause you can find them on the interactive constitution in their contributions to the treason clause and I want you to call it up as you're listening.

1:14.0

Paul T Crane is a assistant professor at the University of Richmond School of Law,

1:18.0

where he teaches criminal law.

1:19.0

Deborah Perlstein is professor at the Benjamin and Cardozo School of Law.

1:23.4

Paul and Deborah, thank you so much for joining.

1:25.8

Thank you, it's good to be here.

1:27.2

Thank you, Jeff.

1:27.8

Real pleasure to be here.

...

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