Nixon is moments away from resigning as president. Enough, okay . All secret services in the room . Out. There can be no greater fall from no greater height. Five men in the Democratic National headquarters here in washington. Nixon was desperate. The white water. Hes thinking what am i going to do . Andrew johnsons impeachment was over policies. He did not deserve to be president of the United States. I am not a crook. One thing leads to another. A great and profound crisis. You are in the office of the president of the United States. How can you talk about blackmailing and keeping witnesses silence. William Jefferson Clinton. I did not have sexual relationship with that woman. Impeachment effort against him failed by a single vote. President nixon, a fallen leader. Impeached or high crimes and misdemeanors. I have impeached myself. Good evening, i am fareed zakaria. The constitution impeachment clause was written by men who fought a revolution to escape the tyranny of kings. Now they wanted to keep the president from becoming a monarch. In one version, the impeachment of bribery and malice administration. James madison says that was too vague. What if a president would cook up a scheme of speck haitiulati other words, what if the president were a crook . George mason of virginia came up with the phrase, high crimes and misdemeanors, thats article two, section four of the constitution. There was a moment in our history when it saved american democracy but in other times, it turned into a cheap political trick as a weapon. Which is it today . To answer that question, we need to understand the past so we know whether impeachment will work when we really need it. People are seriously talking about impeachment. Theyll immediately try to impeach the president. Well on our way into impeachment. The word impeachment was used by our account at least 12,000 times in 2018. Thats just on cable news. I say impeachment, impeachment. Impeachment thousands are in the street out here this evening. This was just one day after donald trump was elected president. The out cry is hardly surprising. Donald trump is the most po polarizing in an already bitterly divided america. Well impeach him, well impeach him but, he has not done anything wrong. Oh, that does not matter, well impeach the president. We have been through periods of polarization before. The difference now, i think, is that we dont have a common baseline effects. We disagree on reality. That dangerous state of affairs, we disagree on the facts of reality itself is reflected on how americans feel about impeachment. In november, 77 of democrats favored removing the president from office. 5 of republicans supported impeachment. Is there evidence to support an impeachment case against donald trump. As a legal matter, there is enough materials allege now that if true would support an impeachment charge. But, says noah feldman the president of the United States that does not mean the president could or should be impeached. Well explore that question later in the hour. But, first, we need to go back to understand what happens when democracy depends on impeaching the president. We now think of watergate as a time when america came together. And forced the crooked president out of office. To Richard Nixon and the republican party, the watergate scandal was a partisan war. It was a war with the fifth column. I had a partisan Senate Committee staff, special prosecutor staffs, media, we had a partisan judiciary staff, fifth column. I gave them a sword and they stuck it in. The real story of the war nixon describes is one that few americans know. It is a story of a small group of men who turned impeachment into an act of patriotism. It all begins on june 17th, 1972. Five men were arrested early saturday while trying to in seawall eavesdropping equipment at the Democratic National committee. Why was someone breaking into the Democrats Campaign office . I proudly accept that nomination for president of the United States. Well, Richard Nixon, won the presidency in 1968. By promising to get america out of vietnam. Are yall listening nixon . As the war dragged on, the Antiwar Movement exploded. As nixon campaigns for a second term, he fears vietnam may give his enemies the ammunition to defeat him. His men planned a series of dirty tricks. I suppose he went up the wall. He crippled the democrats, one of them was the watergate breakin. In 1972, nixon won reelection by a historic landslide. I Richard Nixon solemnly swear the watergate story was still growing. Just weeks after the election, inside the oval office, Richard Nixon declared war on the press. Sounds familiar . You are the enemy of the people. I call the fake news the enemy of the people. There are other reminders of the president. Donald trump directs particular anger at certain news organizations. Cnn which is so bad or pathetic. They are the fake, fake, disgusting news. Nixon went after the Washington Post, who bern steen led the watergate coverage. I want no reporters from the Washington Post to ever be in the white house, is that clear in none, thats a total order and if necessary, i will fire you. Do you understand . I do understand. Nixon hated the press. Because it was digging into the very story he was desperate to hide. That the white house was deeply involved in the watergate cover up. His campaign seemed to work early in his second term. Nixons Approval Ratings soared. But then came the first crack in the white houses defense. In the summer of 1973. All of america was driven by the watergate hearing. What did the president know and when did he know it . As the country watched white house counsel, john dean, turned on his president. Dean testified the watergate burglars were blackmailing white house aides. The white house is subjected to blackmail and i didnt know how to handle it. I told him that i can make an estimate that it may be as high as a Million Dollars. It was john deans words against the president of the United States. No comment. Nothing less for Richard Nixons presidency, may rise whether the public believe john dean or not. Most republicans continue to standby their president but then from a little known white house aide, a dramatic twist. My name is alexander b butterfield. Are you aware of any listening devices in the oval office of the president . I was aware of listening devices, yes, sir. It was a bomb shell. I had it not been for the tapes, i believe Richard Nixon would complete another term. President nixon decided not to release tapes of his conversations. If i were to make public of these tapes, the confidentiality of the office of the president would always be tresz papassed now on. I have never seen outrages and disturbed reporting, even as he tried to convince the people of watergate. What is it about Television Coverage the past weeks or months that arouse your anger. Dont get the impression that you arouse my anger. One can only angry with those who he respects. Mr. President. Finally a drastic step. Nothing like this ever happened before. The office have been sealed by the fbi. A mass firing of the men pursuing the tapes. The saturday night massacre. The news calls a sensation in the white house and sent reporters scrambling for their telephone. A great and profound price that the president set himself against his own attorney General Department of justice does it have to do with the department of justice . Why the time it was over, the Department Attorney general and the special prosecutor were all out. The bipartisan, americans outraged changed the politics for Richard Nixon. Tens of thousands of telegrams flooded washington. Western union was flocked, most of them demanded impeaching nixon. Nixon was forced to appoint a news special prosecutor. As the months went on bit by bit, he was forced to turn over the tapes. They were as damming. John deans testimony turned out to be entirely accurate. How much money do you need . I would say a Million Dollars the next few years. It was clear nixons defenses were beginning to crumble. Would you consider the crimes to be impeachable . Well, i have also quit meeting my wife the meeting will come to order. In july of 1974, in a packed hearing room, the House Judiciary Committee began to debate, removing the president. Make no mistake about this. This is a turning point, whatever we decide. Committee chairman peter rodino, was new to the job, some doubted whether he can handle it. A highly partisan prosecution if there were one. Many nixon loyalists were angry and still i mmovable. For republicans impeaching their president , they kept holding out for more evidence. The wave of evidence must be cleared and convincing. You cant substitute it for m anything else. Clear and convincing. You cant and should not under any circumstances to remove the highest office in the world for anything less than clear and convincing. As emotions began to run high, the facts were calmly recited and documented. Something surprising happens. Someone trying to buy the eye sle silence of a witness. The thing thats so appalling to me that the president when this whole idea was suggested to him, rise up and say, get out of here, you are in the office of the president of the United States, how can you talk about blackmail and bribery and keeping witnesses silence, this is the presidency of the United States. One by one, conservatives revered the president , put conscious over party. I cant condone what i have heard and i cant excuse it and will not standstill for it. I wish the president could do something to resolve himself. Perhaps the most conservative southerner from alabama, he served juror George Wallaces campaign. I wake up nights, wondering if this could not be some sort of dream, impeach the president of the United States. He did vote to impeach. Even the conservatives who stuck with the president reached across the isle to say thank you. I must admit and all candidness that it has been very fair. This impeachment has been historic and honorable. Republicans understood they were not going to carry their bids if they voted for impeachment. Some of them did it anyway. All those in favor say aye, all those oppose, say no. Mr. Donohue. Aye. Mr. Brooks. Aye. The Committee Approved three articles of impeachment, obstruction of justice, contempt of congress, abuse of power. Mr. Hutchins. No. Chairman rodino tleleft the m and cried. An official impeachment would come later with a full house vote. Nixons wall of republican defenders have kroumabcrumbled. There is a count down towards the expected and end of the nix nixons presidency. Tonight at 9 00, eastern daylight time, the president of the United States will address the nation. It was over. I have never been a quitter to leave office before my term is completed is a harm to every instinct of my body. As president , i must put the interests of america first, therefore, i should resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow. The impeach. Me me ment impeachment, it worked. The scandal itself triggered a lot of fate in government and politicians. It will be 25 years before impeachment will come up again. Do you understand that . This time it was a completely different story. I think i found my dream car. It turns out they want me to start next month. She can stay with you to finish her senior year . Of course she can [ laughter ] [ groaning ] hey want to drive . Really . [ engine revs ] do you think we can do this, rob . Things will be tight, but we can make this work. Thats great. [ laughing ] okay. Here we go. Now. [ gasps ] wait. Grandpa, what about your dream car . This is my dream now. [ laughs ] principle. We can help you plan for that. Remember when we all used to go to the cafeteria and just chow down midday . You mean, like, lunch . Come on. Voted most likely to help people save 668 when they switch. At this school . Didnt you get caught in the laminating machine . Ha. [ sighs ] box, have a great summer. Danielle. Ooh. Danielle, control yourself. Id like to slow it down here with a special discount for a special girl. Danielle, this ones for you. But im more than a number. When im not teaching, im taking steep grades and tight corners. My essilor lenses offer more than vision correction with three Innovative Technologies for my ultimate in vision clarity and protection together in a single lens the essilor ultimate lens package. So, i can do more of what i love buy two pairs of essilors best lenses and get a 100 back instantly. See more. Do more. Essilor in 1978, bill clinton, was running for governor in arkansas. I have been happy in doing it. He and his wife hillary, were investing in some real estate. A twobid real estate deal that ended up losing money would change the course of history. Are you subjected decades later, the white water controversy. The turbulent over white water. White water became a massive spiraling investigation. That led prosecutors to a sex scandal. There it is. William Jefferson Clinton is impeached. That became the second president ial impeachment in American History. How on earth did that Little Corner of arkansas i am here by deliver this article of impeachment. How did it explode into a constitutional show down. Yet somehow one thing leads to another and we are on the house floor debating whether the president of the United States should be removed from office. I did not have sexual relationship with that woman, miss lewinsky. When we think of the clintons impeachment, we think of a certain white house intern. Before there was monica, there were the mcdougals, jim and susan, clinton may not have been impeached had it not for them. They had other financial ties as well. So when jim and susan landed in legal trouble for fraud. If i am found guilty the white Water Development is not going to go away. There are too many questions. The clintons came under fire, too. Questions have been raised of the clintons financial and personal involvement of mcdougal. There was a growing drum beat for an independent council to investigate white water. We did nothing improper and i have nothing to say about it. Thank you. Old story. Clinton had a faithful choice to make, lock the special counsel and take a beating in the press. It appears to be the case of the president s past coming back to haunt him. Or leaving himself to a limitless investigation. The president gave in. I dont want to be distracted anymore, let him look into it. Years later, he called that decision one of the biggest miscalculations in his presidency. You have no budgets and limits, prosecutors will keep looking for the crime until they can find it. The First Special prosecutor, robert fist. Hes quick and thorough. He vows to wrap up his investigation quickly. Lets get out of the way. Would you guys get down. He was replaced and his successor, ken star, was far more aggressive. Our jobs was to gather facts and get at the truth. Expanding way beyond white water. How is this white water . The investigation leads in all different directions. This is wildly a historic night. No one could have been happier than stars approach than newt gingrich. They swept into congress in 1994. This is an earthquake preaching a new gospel of strict, orthodox and conservatives. Newt gingrich reshaped the republican party. We do not compromise with democrats. President clinton became the democr democrat, the republicans d despiced the most. I was clintons lover for 12 years. They viewed him as an imposter. The law is the law. The law is sacred. Ken star had been digging into the clintons for more than two years. Ru going to be working for the congress . His investigation was whining down. I am not going to be making any statements. Out of the blue, some explosive tape recording came his way. I never expected to feel this way about him. Conversations of Monica Lewinsky that was secretly recorded by her coworker. If you get an orgasm, thats having sex. No, it is not. Star ex pannpanded his investigation and looking into lewins lewinsky. I could not believe that scar was going down the road. Do you understand your answer are testimonies and being given under oath. Star learned that the president was testifying about lewinsky. A Sexual Harassment lawsuit brought by paula jones. I do understand that. In his testimony, clinton was not truth full about lewinsky. I never had sexual relationship with monic Monica Lewinsky. There are new allegations of fidelity over bill clinton. Charges of sex and lies and audio tape. Clinton kept on denying the affair. The allegations i have read are not true. Star was able to get lewinskys dress that had the president s dna with it. In dethere were semen on tha dress. Star released a detail xrated account on the scandal. Listing 11 possible grounds for impeachment including lying under oath and obstruction of justice. It is easy to forget in hinds sight but bill clinton was in real danger of being pushed out of office. Many of his fellow democrats were furious with him. Let justice be done though the heavens for. If they came to the white house like republicans did with nixon like 1974, saying your times up, that would have been it. Clinton he was able to rally the party and the country back to his side. I will continue to do all i can to reclaim the trust of the American People and to serve them well. His behavior may have been representab representabl