The Case for Impeachment

by Allan J. Lichtman

Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

“Lichtman has written what may be the most important book of the year.”  —The Hill

What are the ranges and limitations of presidential authority? What are the standards of truthfulness that a president must uphold? What will it take to impeach Donald J. Trump? Professor Allan J. Lichtman, who has correctly forecasted thirty years of presidential outcomes, answers these questions, and more, in TheCase for Impeachment—a deeply convincing argument for impeaching the 45th president of the United States.

In the fall of 2016, Allan J. Lichtman made headlines when he predicted that Donald J. Trump would defeat the heavily favored Democrat, Hillary Clinton, to win the presidential election. Now, in clear, nonpartisan terms, Lichtman lays out the reasons Congress could remove Trump from the Oval Office: his ties to Russia before and after the election, the complicated financial conflicts of interest at home and abroad, and his abuse of executive authority.

The Case for Impeachment also offers a fascinating look at presidential impeachments throughout American history, including the often-overlooked story of Andrew Johnson’s impeachment, details about Richard Nixon’s resignation, and Bill Clinton’s hearings. Lichtman shows how Trump exhibits many of the flaws (and more) that have doomed past presidents. As the Nixon Administration dismissed the reporting of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as “character assassination” and “a vicious abuse of the journalistic process,” Trump has attacked the “dishonest media,” claiming, “the press should be ashamed of themselves.”

Historians, legal scholars, and politicians alike agree: we are in politically uncharted waters—the durability of our institutions is being undermined and the public’s confidence in them is eroding, threatening American democracy itself.

Most citizens—politics aside—want to know where the country is headed. Lichtman argues, with clarity and power, that for Donald Trump’s presidency, smoke has become fire.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062696830
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	12/15/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	309
Sales rank:	392,045
File size:	656 KB

About the Author

Allan J. Lichtman is Distinguished Professor of History at American University in Washington, DC, and formerly Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Chair of the Department of History. He is the author or co-author of eight books, including most recently, FDR and the Jews (with Richard Breitman), which won the National Jewish Book Award in American Jewish History, and was a New York Times Editor’s Choice pick and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History. He has also been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He lives in Maryland.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Author's Note xi

Introduction xvii

Chapter 1 High Crimes and Misdemeanors 1

Chapter 2 The Resignation of Richard Nixon: A Warning to Donald Trump 21

Chapter 3 Flouting the Law 45

Chapter 4 Conflicts of Interest 67

Chapter 5 Lies, Lies, and More Lies 87

Chapter 6 Trump's War on Women 111

Chapter 7 A Crime Against Humanity 123

Chapter 8 The Russian Connections 141

Chapter 9 Abuse of Power 175

Chapter 10 The Unrestrained Trump 203

Chapter 11 Memo: The Way Out 217

Conclusion: The Peaceful Remedy of Impeachment 231

Notes 239

Editorial Reviews

Lichtman has written what may be the most important book of the year.” — The Hill

“It is still striking to see the full argument unfold and realize that you don’t have to be a zealot to imagine some version of it happening…Lies. Abuse of power. Treason. Crimes against humanity. Martial law. Lichtman throws everything Trump’s way.” — Washington Post

“Liberal catnip.” — Joe Scarborough, Morning Joe

“Lichtman’s powerful book is a reminder that we are only at the start of the Trump investigations. The US system takes a long time to gather speed. Once it does, it can be hard to stop.” — Financial Times

“[Lichtman’s] book is a pretty substantial case for why Donald Trump should not have been president at all…The Case for Impeachment is a good backdrop for conversations that will likely remain a part of our national dialogue for some time.” — New York Journal of Books

From the Publisher

Lichtman’s powerful book is a reminder that we are only at the start of the Trump investigations. The US system takes a long time to gather speed. Once it does, it can be hard to stop.”

Financial Times

It is still striking to see the full argument unfold and realize that you don’t have to be a zealot to imagine some version of it happening…Lies. Abuse of power. Treason. Crimes against humanity. Martial law. Lichtman throws everything Trump’s way.

Washington Post

[Lichtman’s] book is a pretty substantial case for why Donald Trump should not have been president at all…The Case for Impeachment is a good backdrop for conversations that will likely remain a part of our national dialogue for some time.

New York Journal of Books

Liberal catnip.

Joe Scarborough

Lichtman has written what may be the most important book of the year.

The Hill

Lichtman’s powerful book is a reminder that we are only at the start of the Trump investigations. The US system takes a long time to gather speed. Once it does, it can be hard to stop.”

Financial Times

It is still striking to see the full argument unfold and realize that you don’t have to be a zealot to imagine some version of it happening…Lies. Abuse of power. Treason. Crimes against humanity. Martial law. Lichtman throws everything Trump’s way.

Washington Post