Quotes about Impeachment, Impeachment Trials

New York Times

The supreme majesty of the law and the power of this republican Government was illustrated anew to-day by the fresh scenes and proceedings in the great trial of impeachment. The business-like, almost matter-of-fact manner in which the Congress of the United States proceeds with this grave work is the most striking illustration of the innate love and reverence for law and order that characterize the American people.

This was America’s first Presidential impeachment which occurred just a few years after America’s greatest crisis—the Civil War. It was handled in an orderly, serious manner following the law throughout.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

I have a negative approach to democracy. I think it should be primarily a mechanism by which people can remove a bad leader.

James Buchanan

I am the last President of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln's election came at a time when the preservation of the United States as one nation was in question. Many, including the incumbent President, had little confidence in Lincoln's capacity to govern:

John Randolph

Samuel Chase is tending to prostitute the high judicial character with which he was invested, to the low purpose of an electioneering partisan

Chase a Supreme Court justice at the time was a very partisan Federalist. The Senate was controlled by the Democratic Republicans. Randolph, then a member of the House of Representatives, orchestrated the impeachment of Chase because of his extreme partisanship. The Senate in trying the case had to decide for the first time what “high crimes and misdemeanors” the actually means in terms of impeachment. A number of the Democratic Republicans joined the Federalists in taking the view that however undesirable the Supreme Court justice’s partisanship would be, that did not reach the threshold of a “high crime and misdemeanor.” Chase was acquitted. In this sense this impeachment trial was similar to that of President William Clinton almost 200 years later. The behavior was undesirable but did not amount to a high crime and misdemeanor, Clinton was also acquitted.

Rush Limbaugh

The objective of the people who bring impeachment charges, if the Republicans do this on Trump, the objective will be to get one of them back in the power structure.

Howard Baker

What did the President know and when did he know it?

Noah Feldman

The 1994 elections that brought Newt Gingrich to power in the House decisively shaped the remaining years of Bill Clinton's presidency, pushing him further to the right and bringing out his latent tendency to govern every day as if an election were being held the next.

Richard Nixon

You must pursue this investigation of Watergate even if it leads to the president. I'm innocent. You've got to believe I'm innocent. If you don't, take my job.

Thomas Carlyle

Time was when an incompetent Governor could not be permitted among men. He was, and had to be, by one method or the other, clutched up from his place at the helm of affairs, and hurled down into the hold, perhaps even overboard, if he could not really steer. And we call those ages barbarous, because they shuddered to see a Phantasm at the helm of their affairs

He was distressed that “civilized” England had no way to get rid of an incompetent Prime Minister or other political leader, much less as incompetent king. (The King still held some power and influence then.

Monica Crowley

Article II of the articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon was just the simple fact that he talked about and suggested the potential use of the IRS against one or two political opponents.

Barbara Bush

Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is.

Paul Gosar

Perjury before Congress is perjury to the American people and an affront to the fundamental principles of our republic and the rule of law. Such behavior cannot be tolerated.

Trish Regan

Democrats are so enraged by President Trump that they have shown their willingness to undo the votes of 63 million Americans.

Bill Clinton

I did not have sexual relations with that woman–Miss Lewinsky.

Clinton later admitted to fallatio, claimed he was referring to sexual intercourse, and apologized for misleading the American people.

Lynn Samuels

But Bill Clinton had the good taste to lie about his sexual peccadillos. He had the honor and the decency to want to cover it up.

Robert Byrd

To remove or not to remove? That is the question.

Karl Popper

You can choose whatever name you like for the two types of government. I personally call the type of government which can be removed without violence democracy, and the other tyranny.

Nawaz Sharif

I became the prime minister of Pakistan through votes, whereas five honourable judges sent me home.

Rush Limbaugh

Who are we talking about? We're talking about the people that are trying to criminalize Donald Trump. We're talking about the people that are trying to impeach him. We're talking about people who are trying to via innuendo and leak and media assassination, we're dealing with people that are trying to destroy Donald Trump and his press secretary just signaled that they are serious about reaching out to these people to try to get certain things done, legislatively, like infrastructure or tax reform.

Alexander Hamilton

The people should choose whom they please to govern them.

Jacob Zuma

I fear no motion of no confidence or impeachment, for they are the lawful mechanisms for the people of this beautiful country to remove their president.

Jake Tapper

I think there are periods in this country when behavior is abhorrent: McCarthy, Watergate, Bill Clinton. It's just a question of how the checks and balances in the American system work and how leaders stand up to it or don't stand up to it.

Alexander Haig

The Watergate burglary was both illegal and stupid

House of Representatives

Unmindful of the solemn duties of his office, and contrary to the sacred obligation, did conduct himself in a manner highly arbitrary, oppressive, and unjust.

This article of impeachment is quoted often because it shows that criminal activity or violation of a law was not required for impeachment. The time was close to the adoption of the Constitution and presumably reflected sentiment of the founders. Chase however was acquitted as the Senate did not agree that the charges had been proven.

Gerald R. Ford

An impeachable offense is whatever the majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.

Ford was then a Congressman and there was a conservative inspired impeachment probe of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.

Impeachment, Impeachment Trials Quotes