nation, there was a palpable fear of an unchecked chief executive. so nearly 230 years ago when the framers gathered in philadelphia to sign the constitution, they found it necessary to include article 2, section 4, impeachment. a mechanism to remove a president for high crimes and misdemeanors fearing a return to a british monarchy style of government. the framers of the constitution wanted to make sure that the president would not grow into a king or a dictator. they wanted to make sure there was something in the constitution that would allow congress to keep that from happening. reporter: impeachment, a measure so severe it has only happened two times before in american history. andr andrew johnson was impeached in the house but later acquitted by a single vote in the senate for trying to remove his secretary of war without congressional approval. i shall resign the presidency
vote in the senate for trying to remove his secretary of war wow congressional approval the 37th president nixon resigned before he could be impeached, facing near certain removal from office, confronted with thee charge stemming from the break-in at dnc headquarters at the watergate. i did not have sexual relations with that woman, ms. lewinsky. bill clinton was impeached for lying to a grand jury about his relationship with white house intern monica lewinsky. without a two thirds majority to remove him, president clinton was acquitted in the senate the impeachment of president trump comes at a time when washington and indeed our nation is deeply polarized, a moment sure to define a turbulent era. ultimately the country has come out of these moments of fire and division stronger the great question for
states without any repercussions for turning into white supremacist traders. so the congress tried to do is at least require them to ratify the 14th amendment which made black people full citizens of the united states remember. and you also have to give them the right to vote. and at least stop this white supremacist violence. and johnson refused to do that. and his secretary of war was going to do it because remember, most of these attacks were on black union soldiers. and in the two particular ones that were most egregious was in new orleans and memphis where people just attacked black union soldiers for trying to vote. and in memphis for just existing. and that is what prompted johnson s impeachment because he refused to send his secretary of war down to stop this kind of
bill clinton committed obstruction of justice. perjury. he did perjury. nixon did the burglary. that s what it takes in the mind of common political persuasion. but as we were but again it s not just about common political persuasion. it s about what the law says and what s on the face of the constitution. throughout history, the dozens of individuals who have been impeached. you re talking about multiple federal judges. there was a secretary of war, i believe, who was impeached as well. often not for criminal offenses. remember the concept of criminal offenses was written into law and many of them are written into law long after the constitution. i hear you on that. go ahead, finish your point. i was just making the same point. not all crimes are impeachable and not all impeachable offenses are crimes. we should focus on what is the standard of conduct we wish to hold the future, future
justice and it s perjury. they say he committed perjury, mixed and did the burglary, that s what it takes in the mind of political persuasion. but again it s not just about common political persuasion but what the law says and what s on the face of the constitution. and throughout history the dozens of individuals who have been impeached, again only three presidents, but you re talking about multiple federal judges. there was a secretary of war, i believe, who was impeached as well. often not for criminal offenses. remember the concept of criminal offenses was written into law, and many of them were written into law long after the constitution. i hear you on that. go ahead. finish your point. i m just making the same point. it s just not all crimes are impeachable, and not all impeachable offenses are crimes. and again, we should focus on what is the standard of conduct we wish to hold the president, future presidents of the united states to? and if woo we want to open up