Impeaching the President

An historical look at the practice of impeachment, how it impacted the terms of Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Clinton, and how it may affect Donald Trump.

"In an era when the notion of impeachment is tossed around as the ultimate political indictment, Alan Hirsch guides us with a steady hand through our own history to consider the three presidents who faced that ultimate punishment. This is a sober, precise, and carefully argued analysis that should be read by every member of Congress--and every president."--David K. Shipler, former reporter for the New York Times and Pulitzer Prize recipient

"Alan Hirsch brings clarity, wisdom, and wit to a contentious and critical subject. Impeaching the President is must reading for all concerned citizens."--Howard Shapiro, former FBI General Counsel

"Incredibly readable, well-researched, analytically sound and important."--Alan B. Morrison, Associate Dean for Public Interest & Public Service at the George Washington Law School

It seems quite possible that President Trump will be impeached. Concerns about connections with Russia's attack on our elections, obstruction of justice, illicit business deals, and compromised classified intelligence dominate the news. Robert Mueller's fast-moving investigation has already resulted in arrests, indictments, guilty pleas, and high-level cooperating witnesses. Anything can happen.

In response to the complexity of a rapidly evolving situation, constitutional scholar Alan Hirsch offers clear and to-the-point guidance for all matters relating to removing a sitting president--from the Founder's constitutional protections against executive criminality, and the instructive impeachment stories of presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton, to the particular ways that Donald Trump may be legally vulnerable, and the possibilities and limitations of presidential self-pardon.

Illustrated throughout with historical engravings, photographs, and other impeachment documentation, Impeaching the President does not advocate for any particular course of action, nor make any predictions about Trump's future. Rather, this concise, timely, and accessible analysis offers historical lessons and a perspective on how the Constitution provides stability during times of political uncertainty and crisis.

Praise for For The People: What the Constitution Really Says About Your Rights (co-authored with Akhil Amar)

"A fascinating conversation over the future of our Constitution and our Bill of Rights."--Legal Times

"Consistent and contentious throughout, Amar and Hirsch offer an analysis that should threaten both liberals and conservatives with a commitment to popular sovereignty both like to avoid."--Kirkus Reviews

"A healthy challenge to conventional wisdom, with significant implications for public policy."--Booklist

"Amar and Hirsch believe in the people . . . and they devote the most valuable part of their book to some useful reassurance against some of the boogeymen with which populism is often discredited." --New York Times

Alan Hirsch received his BA from Amherst College and JD from Yale Law School. He is the chair of the Justice and Law Studies program at Williams College. Alan has authored several books, including For The People: What the Constitution Really Says About Your Rights (Free Press) (coauthored with Akhil Amar) and A Citizen's Guide to Impeachment (Basic Books), The Duke of Wellington, Kidnapped! (Counterpoint). His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, Newsday among many other places.