Chris Hayes talks to Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein about the limits of the presidential pardon and why attempted bribery is in itself a crime. Aired on 11/18/19.
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The Limits Of The Presidential Pardon | All In | MSNBC
Removing a duly elected president from office through impeachment is not a coup, and it’s certainly not a crime. It is the only legal and Constitution way to remove a president from office.
On Aug. 7, 1974, Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., House Minority Leader John Rhodes, R-Ariz., and Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott, R-Pa., made it clear to Nixon that he faced all-but-certain impeachment, conviction, and removal from office in connection with the Watergate scandal.
Nixon announced his resignation the next day, effective at noon on Aug 9, 1974.
In his 2006 book “Conservatives Without Conscience,” former Nixon White House Counsel John Dean wrote that the Capitol Hill trio “traveled to the White House to tell Nixon it was time to resign.”
In his 1988 autobiography, Goldwater wrote that after hearing their grim assessment, Nixon “knew beyond any doubt that one way or another his presidency was finished.”
The Founding Fathers understanding of bribery was derived from English law, under which bribery was understood as an officeholder’s abuse of the power of an office to obtain a private benefit rather than for the public interest. This definition not only encompasses Trump’s conduct—it practically defines it.
The Founders placed articles of impeachment in the Constitution for the purpose of protecting our democracy. A democracy that Trump clearly has no respect for, and is trying to tear apart.
Article II, Section 4, says the president “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
@Amy Elizabeth You forgot the star for ”doing well”. Love from Germany.
@The Home Plate Special It’s continuing to build but I believe the final GOP demise will be the election IF we get the people to vote.
@TheLovie999
I suppose it is.
Still, I would rather the Republicans had America’s best interests at heart,
instead of their own.It would appear they do not.
P.S. I grew up with dachshunds. Many fond memories…
@TheLovie999 Haha Like a gold star sticker? Most of my students prefer earning extra mins on the computer. 😉 Love from NY
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Abraham Lincoln
💯🇺🇸✨👏👏👏👏
@philosophicalreason Because a large segment of the population are deplorables haha Just look at the history of some of the politicians and leaders of the past . The difference is that the Republicans to win have engaged in the divisive policies and push the Lie about the mainstream media.
googlesucks you YEP!!!😂
Rose Johnson-Tsosie peer pressure or see the behavior .
@Nancy Simmer What? If you support trump that a typical comment
Instead of draining the swamp, Trump wants to pardon the swamp.
Whirlwind S
Yes.
to nurture corruption/the swamp and get rid of us.
Instead of draining the swamp, Trump crapped in the pool.
David J —
Trump can’t pardon what he’s helped made so much worse.
And pardon himself as well!
Trump is trying to break the constitution the constitution will win
@Parslow Pongbert …and once the president is out of office, they will be explaining their crimes in court.
@Parslow Pongbert yea this week it all catches up with trump
California is to blame for voting in Devin Nunes over Democrat, Andrew Janz, what a disaster that outcome after all.
Show me one instance where the president broke the constitution? I will show you hundreds where the Dems have done.
You don’t seem to know the difference between protecting or breaking. It’s the Democrats that wants to change Capitalism to Socialism. Democrats wants to eliminate freedom of speech and religion. It’s the Democrats wants to amend the RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS.
Trump looks like a really ugly bird. Lmao
Dan Ozomatli 😜the Angry Birds kicked him to the curb !
Little Donnie side view reminds me to buy a gobble gobble for Thanksgiving !
Can the GOP just give him a new hotel and all he has to do is resign?! You can’t tell me that Donald J Trump can’t be bought!
No Time For Hate 😜🤣😂😛
They already promised protection if he did the things they wanted.
Trump doesnt know one policy. People bring him theirs and he adopts them. Or steals them in his case.
Trumps holding them to it. But lets see who tells on whom first.
He can’t be bought because he stands for the constitution and the constitution can’t be bought, along with him not needing money by already being a billionare. 😉
If Trump resigns you get Pence and Pence is way more trouble than Trump because he is a religious fanatic .
Think of all the things we took for granted and assumed a POTUS would NEVER do. Now think of all the laws that will need to be written, because one brazen POTUS has broken all the norms. It’s like having to put warning labels on products that warn people not to put it up their butt.
@Captain Prototype I’m kinda with you on that. I really like Bernie and would be really happy if he got the nomination, but yeah things are way too close now and back in 16 that we can’t afford people to be sitting at home and crying, the court picks alone have already set the progressive movement back a generation, 4 more years of Trump and it would be out of reach for a lifetime.
@3LD. Exactly, the only rational thing to do was vote for Hiillary. Especially since Bernie had negotiated part of his platform into hers for his support. And support her he did! He knew the danger of Trump. But the 2016 Bob-ers decided to be childish and kept on sulking. Now their goal is maybe even 40 years away with the record conservative judges being put in at all levels. They are gonna have to live with it for their entire lives. Some might call it poetic justice……
It is a very good point to remember when somebody states that they will only vote for Bernie and no one else.
I understand the passion. (I’m living in a country where health care costs don’t cause bankruptcy)
But keep reminding people that when they stay home if Bernie doesn’t get the nomination, it will be a repeat of 2016.
3LD Sad but true, still very necessary
A POTUS should be able to pardon any one for any reason, provided it is in an authoritarian, banana republic.
3LD 😄
Im up for that… in a banana republic… and I like the “remedy”… if you don’t like the pospotus, for any reason.. you shoot him …. AND his supporters
Time to put aside childish things and pick up your fully loaded 25th Amendment remedy. Made by Remington
Like California.
Agent Orange is the quintessential poster child for Abuse of Power …
Drop him from a plane on Russia.
In what way. Prove your stupidity …
@Trumpenstein
From the AF1 toilet
Trump did indeed drain the swamp, right into the basement of the White House.
it’s flooded all the way up to the 45th floor.
The GOP is running out of lipstick for their big pink pig.
Picket Fence *Big orange pig. There, I fixed it for you.
@Steven Elmer Thank you dearest.
You mean Orange Pig.
We the people need to vote every Republican out of office.
And then add about a hundred amendments to the Constitution to button up the loopholes.
———-No, any American who genuinely loves this nation and cherishes their rights and Civil Liberties under the Constitution would never allow another Marxist Democrat occupying the White House for the remainder of the, 21st century!
———Marxist pose an existential to the lives, safety and welfare of every living American, with the left’s agenda of lawless borders and unsafe streets being prioritized by every Marxist is absolutely unacceptable to America’s plurality for the remainder of the , 21st century!
I’d say vote out the democrats, but they always rig the elections.
Dictator Wannabe Trump is FAILING.
Make Racists Afraid Again Trump is obviously a total and utter imbecile.
Imagine if he was actually as intelligent as he thinks he is, and how much damage he could do *then* ?
If we all make it through this, it should be a huge wake up call for everyone, that the system of checks and balances isn’t nearly as strong as we thought it was.
How so? The economy is booming, ISIS has been wiping off the map, you’re crying. He’s the perfect president.
@Mine Finder My CD’s were yielding 6% under Clinton, the national debt was wiped out under Clinton, I was pumping 99 cents/gallon gas under Clinton. The economy under Trump is unstable and weak.
@Nomow Letflowersgrow
You know why? Because Clinton lowered taxes, just like Trump and JFK did. Most booming economies of all time. And you can thank RINO Bush and Obama for the huge rise in gas prices.
There’s a bunch of Trump officials in prison or awaiting imprisonment who are depending on a pardon, now very worried about trump’s health.
“Is it really abuse when Trump does it? After all, he is an “unindicted co-conspirator”, so he is used to getting away with crimes. It is part of his lifestyle.” – Trump voters.
When you pardon a felon they are still a felon. They just haven’t done the time.
V And accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt.
@canadianperspective have you seen the video of Arpaio on CNN when jake tapper (I think but could be wrong) explained to him that accepting the pardon was admission of guilt? His mind was blown and it was freaking hilarious.
@Lauren Segars that was classic🤣
Honesty, integrity. Don’t ya miss the good old days?
Jack Boot YES, I do.
The attempted act is just as bad as the act itself. You WILL go to prison for attempted murder…..
Conversely, if the Republican defense of “he didn’t get away with it, so it shouldn’t matter” stands, does that mean that all the people in prison for attempted crimes should be let out of prison? They didn’t get away with their plans after all, so it shouldn’t matter.
If it is a good enough defense for the president, it should be a good enough defense for anyone else.
I bet he’ll try to pardon his divorce.
funny, but divorce is a state responsibility, ergo exempt.
He should not be able to PARDON CRIMINALS LIKE HIMSELF AND FAMILY AND ASSOCIATES