--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The legal grounds for impeachment are…" description: "\"“The legal grounds for impeachment are vital; without them, the political case for impeachment cannot be built. The primary question, however, is wheth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vi_2867641.png" --- # The legal grounds for impeachment are vital; without them… ![“The legal grounds for impeachment are vital; without them, the political case for impeachment cannot be built. The primary question, however, is whether the president’s conduct is so egregious that continuing to repose in him the chief executive’s awesome powers would be intolerable and could…” quote by Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vi_2867641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vi_2867641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vi_2867641.png) > ““The legal grounds for impeachment are vital; without them, the political case for impeachment cannot be built. The primary question, however, is whether the president’s conduct is so egregious that continuing to repose in him the chief executive’s awesome powers would be intolerable and could permanently damage if not destroy the nation.”” [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Impeachment needs solid legal basis; without it, political arguments lack foundation. **In simple terms:** Legal grounds are essential for impeachment. Key Takeaway Ensure clear legal justification before political action. Themes politics law accountability Mood serious concerned Type analytical policy When to use this quote - Congressional hearings - legal reviews - public debates Key Concepts Constitutional law executive power Questions to Reflect On - What evidence is needed to meet the legal threshold? - How do you balance legal and political considerations? A Different Perspective Legal standards can be ambiguous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Case Impeachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/case-impeachment-3906119/) [Grounds Impeachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grounds-impeachment-3906117/) [Impeachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeachment/) [Impeachment Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeachment-built-3906120/) [Impeachment Vital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeachment-vital-3906118/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives/) ## Related quotes > [“We must not fear the word, Rosenkranz aptly insisted. “A check on executive lawlessness is impeachment,” he said. “And if you find the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/we-must-not-fear-the-word-rosenkranz-aptly-insisted-a-check-on/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [With what Trump is doing now, provoking North Korea, risking actual destruction of part of the US, he is violating the system's rules on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-nairn/with-what-trump-is-doing-now-provoking-north-korea-risking-actual/) [Allan Nairn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-nairn/) > [“The two impeachment articles charged President Clinton with perjury and obstruction of justice.16 The charges satisfied the “high crimes and misdemeanors” threshold, for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-two-impeachment-articles-charged-president-clinton-with-perjury/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were adamant that impeachment not reach to errors of judgment, or what Edmund Randolph described as “a willful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-delegates-to-the-constitutional-convention-were-adamant-that/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Unlike the simple majority vote required for the House to approve articles of impeachment, a conviction by a two-thirds supermajority of the Senate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/unlike-the-simple-majority-vote-required-for-the-house-to-approve/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Passing articles of impeachment against President Obama in the House at this premature point would have the same effect. There is no public will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/passing-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-obama-in-the-house/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [If a politician takes a bribe to do what he thinks would have been best for the public anyway, he still goes to jail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-t-conway-iii/if-a-politician-takes-a-bribe-to-do-what-he-thinks-would-have-been/) [George T. Conway III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-t-conway-iii/) > [The only conduct that merits the drastic remedy of impeachment is that which subverts our system of government or renders the president unfit or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ruff/the-only-conduct-that-merits-the-drastic-remedy-of-impeachment-is/) [Charles Ruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-ruff/) > [Impeachment is one of the most significant and arduous authorities of the United States Congress, a power I do not take lightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/impeachment-is-one-of-the-most-significant-and-arduous-authorities-of/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [You go out and obtain from your political allies and friends in the academic world to sign a letter saying that the offenses as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ruff/you-go-out-and-obtain-from-your-political-allies-and-friends-in-the/) [Charles Ruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-ruff/) > [If the president does something dastardly, the impeachment process is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-kavanaugh/if-the-president-does-something-dastardly-the-impeachment-process-is/) [Brett Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-kavanaugh/) > [I have said it before and I will say it again: Impeachment is off the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/i-have-said-it-before-and-i-will-say-it-again-impeachment-is-off-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/an-impeachable-offense-is-whatever-a-majority-of-the-house-of/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [Impeachment did not have to be for criminal offenses - but only for a course of conduct' that suggested an abuse of power or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/impeachment-did-not-have-to-be-for-criminal-offenses-but-only-for-a/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-genius-of-impeachment-lay-in-the-fact-that-it-could-punish-the/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) ## More by Andrew McCarthy > [“As was easily foreseeable, the unprovoked military adventure empowered anti-American terrorists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/as-was-easily-foreseeable-the-unprovoked-military-adventure-empowered/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Republicans, as well as Democrats committed to our constitutional framework, should fearlessly marshal the administration’s frauds, obstructions, and violations of law. They should demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/republicans-as-well-as-democrats-committed-to-our-constitutional/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“In addition to involving the nation in an unauthorized war in Libya that empowered jihadist enemies of the United States, he and his subordinates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/in-addition-to-involving-the-nation-in-an-unauthorized-war-in-libya/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“The president and his subordinates willfully defrauded the American people, including investors in the public securities exchanges, in connection with Solyndra, a solar energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-president-and-his-subordinates-willfully-defrauded-the-american/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Rouhani triumphantly boasted in a tweet that the United States had “surrendered to Iranian nation’s will,” while the regime’s chief negotiator bragged that Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/rouhani-triumphantly-boasted-in-a-tweet-that-the-united-states-had/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Passing articles of impeachment against President Obama in the House at this premature point would have the same effect. There is no public will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/passing-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-obama-in-the-house/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“He and his subordinates have issued a visa to a self-proclaimed member of a formally designated Egyptian terrorist organization in order to enable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/he-and-his-subordinates-have-issued-a-visa-to-a-self-proclaimed/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Willful and repeated violation of the Constitution is the textbook example of high crimes and misdemeanors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/willful-and-repeated-violation-of-the-constitution-is-the-textbook/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Congressional Democrats want the current president to use the enormous raw power vested in his office by Article II to achieve statist transformation. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/congressional-democrats-want-the-current-president-to-use-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“With the November election looming and the president’s campaign rhetoric about decimating al-Qaeda becoming laughable, the White House endeavored to defraud the American people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/with-the-november-election-looming-and-the-president-s-campaign/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“He and his subordinates have repeatedly, systematically and willfully withheld from Congress and from the American people information to which they are entitled, despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/he-and-his-subordinates-have-repeatedly-systematically-and-willfully/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“Despite being briefed about the ongoing terrorist attack at the Benghazi facility very soon after it began, the president took no meaningful action as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/despite-being-briefed-about-the-ongoing-terrorist-attack-at-the/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [The idea that we cause harm by doing what we perceive to be the right thing, that's another theme that interests me. Because most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-idea-that-we-cause-harm-by-doing-what-we-perceive-to-be-the-right/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [It's embarrassing, isn't it? It took me 15 years to make an 18-minute movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/it-s-embarrassing-isn-t-it-it-took-me-15-years-to-make-an-18-minute/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [“As a federal district court in Texas recently ruled, federal law “mandates the initiation of immigration removal proceedings whenever an immigration officer encounters an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/as-a-federal-district-court-in-texas-recently-ruled-federal-law/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) [Explore all 115 Andrew McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) ## More Impeachment quotes > [The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-genius-of-impeachment-lay-in-the-fact-that-it-could-punish-the/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [I, of course, predicted attempt of Donald Trump impeachment back on November 22nd of 2016 year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-of-course-predicted-attempt-of-donald-trump-impeachment-back-on/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Impeachment is one of the most significant and arduous authorities of the United States Congress, a power I do not take lightly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/impeachment-is-one-of-the-most-significant-and-arduous-authorities-of/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [This impeachment narrative started before President Trump was even nominated to the Repub - as the Republican candidate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dagen-mcdowell/this-impeachment-narrative-started-before-president-trump-was-even/) [Dagen McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dagen-mcdowell/) > [Hillary Clinton, our junior senator from New York, announced that she has no intentions of ever, ever running for office of the President of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/hillary-clinton-our-junior-senator-from-new-york-announced-that-she/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [I think that in the minds of many, the press is being seen less and less as a neutral observer in the impeachment enterprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/i-think-that-in-the-minds-of-many-the-press-is-being-seen-less-and/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [To be clear, impeachment is above all else a political act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-cupp/to-be-clear-impeachment-is-above-all-else-a-political-act/) [S.E. Cupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-cupp/) > [Every time there's an institutional issue like impeachment, there's concern from the outside about what will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-temer/every-time-there-s-an-institutional-issue-like-impeachment-there-s/) [Michel Temer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-temer/) > [How to check these unconstitutional invasions of rights by the Federal judiciary? Not by impeachment in the first instance, but by a strong protestation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/how-to-check-these-unconstitutional-invasions-of-rights-by-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If the president does something dastardly, the impeachment process is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-kavanaugh/if-the-president-does-something-dastardly-the-impeachment-process-is/) [Brett Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-kavanaugh/) > [“Passing articles of impeachment against President Obama in the House at this premature point would have the same effect. There is no public will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/passing-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-obama-in-the-house/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [I salute the 51 congressmen who voted (for the impeachment complaints.) It's not over yet. There will always be hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corazon-aquino/i-salute-the-51-congressmen-who-voted-for-the-impeachment-complaints/) [Corazon Aquino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corazon-aquino/) > [“So many of the professional foreign policy establishment, and so many of their hangers-on among the lumpen academics and journalists, had become worried by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/so-many-of-the-professional-foreign-policy-establishment-and-so-many/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/an-impeachable-offense-is-whatever-a-majority-of-the-house-of/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [Maybe Trump himself will be voted out through impeachment, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/maybe-trump-himself-will-be-voted-out-through-impeachment-right/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) [Browse all 124 Impeachment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeachment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The legal grounds for impeachment are vital; without them, the political case for impeachment cannot be built. The primary question, however, is whether the president’s conduct is so egregious that continuing to repose in him the chief executive’s awesome powers would be intolerable and could permanently damage if not destroy the nation.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vital-without-them-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Impeachment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vital-without-them-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vi_2867641.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vi_2867641.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/211/andrew-mccarthy-4162_impeachment_the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vi_2867641.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The legal grounds for impeachment are vital; without them, the political case for impeachment cannot be…” — Andrew McCarthy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Andrew McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The legal grounds for impeachment are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vital-without-them-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/the-legal-grounds-for-impeachment-are-vital-without-them-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```