High government officials don't have a First Amendment right to be protected from firing based on their political views. That applies to presidents facing impeachment no less than other officials.
A response to Joshua Blackman and Seth Tillman
In a Thursday afternoon announcement, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D–Calif.) said Trump committed "an act of sedition" by inciting a riot on Wednesday afternoon.
Both can be pursued simultaneously. And there is potentially good reason to do so.
I supported the previous impeachment of Trump, and would be happy to see him impeached and convicted now. But before proceeding, we should carefully consider how effective a new impeachment effort is likely to be.
This is one of several cases that could become moot within weeks.
The reason is Trump's recent tweet calling for postponement of the election.
An abuse of power that doesn't violate federal fraud statutes can still be an impeachable offense - and still violate other criminal law.
The argument requires several controversial assumptions and leaps of logic.
"Each president has more authority than his predecessors."
From Iowa to impeachment, Biden burnout to Trump triumph, the opposition party had itself a rough 7 days.
After Watergate, Democrats rolled back executive power. Under Trump, they just want to be the ones who get to wield it.
"These people are vicious," Trump said.
While some senators seemed to endorse that misbegotten claim, others explicitly rejected it.
While some Republicans conceded that the president acted inappropriately, they concluded that his conduct was not impeachable.
It won't change the result of Trump's impeachment trial. It matters anyway.
Republicans should think twice before endorsing the dangerous myth that impeachment requires a criminal violation.
The Senate majority leader announced he will acquit President Trump.
Schiff, in a broad final plea, seemed to zero in on moderate Republicans who might toe the party line.
From Clinton's cockiness to Reagan's contrition to Nixon's defiance, three different models for Donald Trump
Starr urges senators to follow King's example and uphold "freedom and justice."
The Reason Roundtable podcast grapples with a news week so packed it makes Manhattan look like Kansas
It is the crowning achievement of Professor Dershowitz' long career. Not in a good way.
The pro-impeachment libertarian independent has more cash on hand than any of his competitors.
While Trump will almost certainly be acquitted within the next few days, impeachment might still damage him politically. And the long-term impact of this process will likely take a long time to unfold.
Impeachment managers in Trump's Senate trial have overplayed their hand by claiming that Ukrainians perished because he blocked aid from the country.
Trump's lawyer did not say a president "can do anything" to get re-elected, but he did say that goal cannot count as a corrupt motive.
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"If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in an impeachment."
The attempted muzzling of the former national security advisor is dubious.
Republicans are setting a dangerous precedent they may come to regret the next time a Democrat occupies the White House.
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"You must do what the Constitution compels you to do: reject these articles of impeachment, for the Constitution and for the American people," said White House counsel Pat Cipollone.
"Purely non-criminal conduct, including 'abuse of power' and 'obstruction of justice,' are outside the range of impeachable offenses," Dershowitz said.
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He also likens impeachment to "domestic war."
Also on the Reason Roundtable podcast: why we should be worried about the rise of Bernie Sanders
John Bolton's account of the Trump-ordered freeze on military aid to Ukraine highlights a contradiction at the heart of the president's defense.
It at least sends a message against future abuses of executive power.
He says "criminal-like behavior akin to treason or bribery" is enough, even if it's not "a technical crime with all the elements."
The Fox News legal analyst is driven by principle, not power. That's a rare commodity in today's environment.
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Rep. Sylvia Garcia threw cold water on accusations that former Vice President Joe Biden acted improperly in Ukraine.
As Rep. Justin Amash notes, the second article of impeachment charges the president with obstructing Congress by refusing to provide documents and testimony.
