How Impeachment Works

# Summary

In this episode, Josh and Chuck explore the fascinating and surprisingly vague history of impeachment in America, starting with the dramatic 1868 trial of President Andrew Johnson where a single senator's vote prevented his removal from office. They break down how impeachment actually works—it's not a criminal trial but rather a political process where the House indicts with a simple majority and the Senate convicts with a two-thirds vote—and trace the concept back to 14th-century British Parliament as a check on unchecked executive power. The guys discuss how the Framers almost accidentally included impeachment in the Constitution with just 103 vague words about "high crimes and misdemeanors," then dive into the details of subsequent presidential impeachments involving Nixon, Clinton, and Trump, revealing how this bizarre and often partisan process has shaped American politics.