Former DOJ lawyer who wrote pro-torture memos mocked for claim framers wouldn't want Trump impeached before election
John Yoo, a former Dept.of Justice lawyer who wrote the now-infamous flawed memos President George W. Bush used to support the use of torture, including waterboarding – which is a war crime – is out with another flawed “legal” theory. Yoo says President Donald Trump should not be impeached before an election, claiming the founding fathers would have opposed such action.
“I’m glad they’re reading the Constitution and citing the Framers for once but they’ve got it exactly backwards,” Yoo, getting it exactly backwards, told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham Wednesday night.
“What the Framers thought was the American people would judge a president at the time of an election, they would have never wanted an impeachment within a year of an election, it’s up to the American people.”
Fox guest John Yoo says the framers of the Constitution "would never have wanted impeachment within a year of an el… https://t.co/T8RvMK1vk1— Jason Campbell (@Jason Campbell) 1571280033
Yoo offered nothing to support his claim, and in fact, as some on Twitter suggested, tell that to Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States.
On February 24, 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly impeached President Johnson, by a vote of 128 – 47. He was not removed by the Senate, and served until the end of his term in 1869, less than a year after the end of his three month Senate trial.
This Princeton scientist sums up the facts perfectly:
Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868, an election year. Articles of impeachment were drafted against Richard Nixo… https://t.co/TZjMLNV7A5— Sam Wang (@Sam Wang) 1571284056
Sadly, Yoo is currently a Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.
Others respond:
Yoo's an "originalist," which is why he's leaning so hard on the Article II clause that says the president, "shall… https://t.co/XVONnLoFPp— Brian Beutler (@Brian Beutler) 1571284692
fox guest john yoo: the founders thought bribery was a-ok so long as a president does it in their first term https://t.co/po7QWo7mfE— Bobby Lewis (@Bobby Lewis) 1571316049
Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868, an election year. Articles of impeachment were drafted against Richard Nixo… https://t.co/TZjMLNV7A5— Sam Wang (@Sam Wang) 1571284056
This is John Yoo that DOJ's Office of Prof. Responsibility concluded committed "intentional professional misconduct… https://t.co/v1PwrqgE65— Lester Tate 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@Lester Tate 🇺🇸🇺🇦) 1571305427
Did the framers of the Constitution want the USG to torture people, John Yoo? Take a seat. https://t.co/YP8y5d6g8R— Elizabeth de la Vega (@Elizabeth de la Vega) 1571284058
@JasonSCampbell Er...he may want to flip back to the impeachment of Andrew Johnson...in 1868.— David Rothkopf (@David Rothkopf) 1571282682
@JasonSCampbell Torture Memo Guy is good at making stuff up.— Elie Honig (@Elie Honig) 1571284535
Andrew Johnson was impeached Feb 24, 1868 less than 9 months before the election of 1868 https://t.co/SEfvg2WfxH https://t.co/OFvnAQRmhG— David Frum (@David Frum) 1571300492
@JasonSCampbell Torture guy says what???— WUT (@WUT) 1571285120
Trust John Yoo to extend the Merrick Garland "precedent" to ignore what the Constitution demands. https://t.co/xxZb3dpbrM— emptywheel (@emptywheel) 1571313665
