--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many presidents have battled with…" description: "\"Many presidents have battled with Congress over their executive privilege and what it covers, but the idea that the debate is cause for impeachment is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/mollie-hemingway-5548_congress_many-presidents-have-battled-with-congre_540257.jpg" --- # Many presidents have battled with Congress over their… ![“Many presidents have battled with Congress over their executive privilege and what it covers, but the idea that the debate is cause for impeachment is remarkably weak.” quote by Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/mollie-hemingway-5548_congress_many-presidents-have-battled-with-congre_540257.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/mollie-hemingway-5548_congress_many-presidents-have-battled-with-congre_540257.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/mollie-hemingway-5548_congress_many-presidents-have-battled-with-congre_540257.jpg) > “Many presidents have battled with Congress over their executive privilege and what it covers, but the idea that the debate is cause for impeachment is remarkably weak.” [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Executive privilege is limited; using it as a basis for impeachment is a weak argument. **In simple terms:** Executive privilege doesn’t justify impeachment. Key Takeaway Focus on concrete evidence for impeachment. Themes politics law impeachment Mood critical analytical Type political legal When to use this quote - Congressional hearings - media analysis - public policy debates Key Concepts constitutional law executive privilege Questions to Reflect On - Is executive privilege being misused? - What evidence truly warrants impeachment? A Different Perspective Overreliance on privilege can obscure accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Impeachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeachment/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) ## Related quotes > [Executive privilege is nowhere to be found in the Constitution, and thus is a very limited principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sestak/executive-privilege-is-nowhere-to-be-found-in-the-constitution-and/) [Joe Sestak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sestak/) > [Every time a president invokes executive privilege, there are three relevant audiences he has to think about: the courts, Congress, and the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/every-time-a-president-invokes-executive-privilege-there-are-three/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [There's several different forms of executive privilege. The one that is most absolute would be close advisers talking to the president himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/there-s-several-different-forms-of-executive-privilege-the-one-that/) [Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/) > [I have talked to Barack Obama about Star Wars recently, in the Oval Office, and he is definitely a fan. Article 2, Section 1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/i-have-talked-to-barack-obama-about-star-wars-recently-in-the-oval/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [The President seems to extend executive privilege way out past the atmosphere. What he says is executive privilege is nothing but executive poppycock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/the-president-seems-to-extend-executive-privilege-way-out-past-the/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [There are a lot of presidents in both parties - including President Obama - who had strong claims of executive privilege that I certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-lamb/there-are-a-lot-of-presidents-in-both-parties-including-president/) [Conor Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-lamb/) > [I've been in two different administrations, and I would say, particularly, President Obama was really careful to make sure that he wouldn't invoke executive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/i-ve-been-in-two-different-administrations-and-i-would-say/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [Every president since George Washington has taken executive privilege seriously. Every Republican president has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-lew/every-president-since-george-washington-has-taken-executive-privilege/) [Jacob Lew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-lew/) > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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 Mollie Hemingway > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Americans want a strong military but one that is extremely cautious about getting involved in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/americans-want-a-strong-military-but-one-that-is-extremely-cautious/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Trump's biggest success in his first term has been his foreign policy agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/trump-s-biggest-success-in-his-first-term-has-been-his-foreign-policy/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [If questioning the results of a presidential election were a crime, as many have asserted in the wake of the controversial 2020 election and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/if-questioning-the-results-of-a-presidential-election-were-a-crime-as/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [The Federalist was one of the only publications to consistently express skepticism toward the Resistance's conspiracy theory that Donald Trump was a traitor who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/the-federalist-was-one-of-the-only-publications-to-consistently/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Biden's first failed run for the presidency was ended by his dishonesty over his academic record and his plagiarism, including the biography and speeches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/biden-s-first-failed-run-for-the-presidency-was-ended-by-his/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [There is no Republican in existence who handles media malfeasance as well as Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/there-is-no-republican-in-existence-who-handles-media-malfeasance-as/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [One of the best family traditions is creative ways mothers and fathers discipline children while in church. My mother was an expert at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-best-family-traditions-is-creative-ways-mothers-and/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [American foreign policy in the George W. Bush era was made by a president closely affiliated with evangelical Christianity. The thrust of his agenda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/american-foreign-policy-in-the-george-w-bush-era-was-made-by-a/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Whether it relates to sexual harassment claims, or Coronavirus policies, the media play by two different sets of rules. To get good coverage as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/whether-it-relates-to-sexual-harassment-claims-or-coronavirus/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Publishing identical NeverTrump columns about Trump 'unraveling' month after month and year after year is yet another way to treat conservative Americans as second-class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/publishing-identical-nevertrump-columns-about-trump-unraveling-month/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Unlike a Google lobbyist endorsing Biden, a black Democrat state rep endorsing Trump publicly takes courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/unlike-a-google-lobbyist-endorsing-biden-a-black-democrat-state-rep/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [One of the reasons President Trump won in 2016 was his opposition to the way we fight wars. At the same time, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-reasons-president-trump-won-in-2016-was-his-opposition-to/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Tons of people struggle to pronounce words, remember information, and string sentences together, particularly as they age. Biden, already the oldest president in U.S.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/tons-of-people-struggle-to-pronounce-words-remember-information-and/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Brett Kavanaugh was a very difficult Supreme Court nominee for liberals to oppose. He had a stellar reputation, an impeccable record, and a genial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/brett-kavanaugh-was-a-very-difficult-supreme-court-nominee-for/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) [Explore all 100 Mollie Hemingway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) ## More Congress quotes > [Well, my wife, Cathy Gillespie, worked for Joe Barton, who was running for Congress in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gillespie/well-my-wife-cathy-gillespie-worked-for-joe-barton-who-was-running/) [Ed Gillespie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gillespie/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [So our focus has to be on the things that we can control, which is to take the necessary measures working with Congress to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-carney/so-our-focus-has-to-be-on-the-things-that-we-can-control-which-is-to/) [Jay Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-carney/) > [It's disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/it-s-disgraceful-that-year-after-year-congress-has-bowed-to-the/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) Joe Pitts > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [“ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/united-states-congress/congress-shall-make-no-law-respecting-an-establishment-of-religion-or/) United States Congress > [As the longest serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress, as somebody who came into office by defeating an incumbent Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-the-longest-serving-independent-in-the-history-of-the-united/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [As the first Member of Congress from western Washington to serve on the House Agriculture Committee in over 50 years, I am proud to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/as-the-first-member-of-congress-from-western-washington-to-serve-on/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [About one-half of the members of Congress are seekers for office at the nomination of the President. Of the remainder, at least one-half have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/about-one-half-of-the-members-of-congress-are-seekers-for-office-at/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [My younger self could not imagine standing on the floor of Congress as a member of Congress voting on legislation that, if enacted, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/my-younger-self-could-not-imagine-standing-on-the-floor-of-congress/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Rahul Gandhi cannot be a prime minister because he is a citizen of Britain, and his Indian citizenship will be cancelled; he won't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subramanian-swamy/rahul-gandhi-cannot-be-a-prime-minister-because-he-is-a-citizen-of/) [Subramanian Swamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subramanian-swamy/) > [We need less travelling by jet plaes from congress to congress... but more kneeling and praying and pleading to God to have mercy on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/we-need-less-travelling-by-jet-plaes-from-congress-to-congress-but/) [Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/) > [Well I think that what we're seeing now is that the people feel like they, the people in Congress don't have their consent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/well-i-think-that-what-we-re-seeing-now-is-that-the-people-feel-like/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) [Browse all 3,400 Congress quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Many presidents have battled with Congress over their executive privilege and what it covers, but the idea that the debate is cause for impeachment is remarkably weak.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mollie Hemingway" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/many-presidents-have-battled-with-congress-over-their-executive/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Congress" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/many-presidents-have-battled-with-congress-over-their-executive/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/mollie-hemingway-5548_congress_many-presidents-have-battled-with-congre_540257.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/mollie-hemingway-5548_congress_many-presidents-have-battled-with-congre_540257.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e30/mollie-hemingway-5548_congress_many-presidents-have-battled-with-congre_540257.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Many presidents have battled with Congress over their executive privilege and what it covers, but the idea…” — Mollie Hemingway", "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": "Mollie Hemingway", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Many presidents have battled with Congress...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/many-presidents-have-battled-with-congress-over-their-executive/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/many-presidents-have-battled-with-congress-over-their-executive/#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 } } ] } ```