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Oath of Office: What Happens When Elected Officials Reject the Constitution?

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

Release Date: 07/20/2026

Oath of Office: What Happens When Elected Officials Reject the Constitution?

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

What does the Oath of Office actually mean if elected officials openly campaign on dismantling the Constitution before taking it? This episode explores a constitutional question that few legal scholars have confronted, but every American should understand. Professor Nick Giordano examines a critical constitutional blind spot at the heart of the American Republic. While the Constitution provides mechanisms to address corruption and abuses of power after an official takes office, it appears to provide no clear constitutional mechanism for examining whether someone who openly rejects the...

Oliver Wolcott: The Forgotten Founder & Declaration of Independence Signer

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

Oliver Wolcott, a Forgotten Founder and Declaration of Independence signer, picked up a musket to defend the nation he helped create. Discover the remarkable patriot who signed America's founding document, fought for independence, and devoted his life to serving the American republic. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin remain household names, yet few Americans know Oliver Wolcott, one of the forgotten Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence and fought in the American Revolution. A physician, farmer, judge, soldier, and Governor of Connecticut, Wolcott...

Manufactured Crisis: Is America’s Decline Deliberate? (with Jim Simpson)

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

America faces a Manufactured Crisis, or are today's biggest challenges simply a series of unrelated failures? Author Jim Simpson argues that open borders, illegal immigration, institutional capture, education, crime, and cultural upheaval are not isolated events but part of a larger strategy reshaping America. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano sits down with investigative journalist and author Jim Simpson to discuss the central thesis of his book, Manufactured Crisis: The War to End America. Together, they examine whether America's biggest domestic...

Education Crisis: How America Is Losing the Ability to Think

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

The education crisis has reached a breaking point, and the consequences extend far beyond the classroom. America’s education system cannot continue down this path without threatening the nation’s ability to think critically, innovate, and preserve a free society. This episode explores how America is losing the ability to think, and it’s more than a discussion about schools. Artificial intelligence did not create America’s education crisis. It exposed it. This episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast examines how decades of declining academic standards, grade inflation, technology...

Francis Lewis: The True Cost of Signing the Declaration of Independence

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

Discover why Francis Lewis lost his home, his fortune, and ultimately his wife after signing the Declaration of Independence. His story proves that "our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor" demanded far more than empty words. Most Americans celebrate Independence Day without understanding what the signers of the Declaration of Independence actually sacrificed after the ink dried. This episode of America's Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast explores the extraordinary story of Declaration signer and Founding Father Francis Lewis, a successful merchant who willingly risked...

The Politics of Envy: The Socialist Movement Republicans Still Don't Understand

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

The Politics of Envy is reshaping American politics, yet many Republicans and ordinary Americans still underestimate the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nicholas Giordano tears off the mask of "compassion" to expose how radical left-wing ideologues are executing a long-term cultural revolution inside the United States. Following a viral post confronting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's July 4th address, Professor Giordano breaks down how the Democratic Socialists of America built a disciplined...

Democrat Socialist Party: How the Left's Radical Shift Became Mainstream (with Rich Valdes)

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

The Democrat Socialist Party no longer sit on the political fringe. “Democratic” socialism is reshaping the Democratic Party, and the consequences could redefine America's political future. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano welcomes Rich Valdes, host of This Is America, for a hard-hitting conversation on the growing influence of democratic socialism, the rise of Zohran Mamdani, and why traditional Republican messaging continues to fall short. From housing affordability and inflation to the battle for young voters and the defense of America's founding...

Declaration of Independence: What Most Americans Were Never Taught

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

Why did America actually vote for independence on July 2nd, and who was the forgotten Italian patriot behind the words "all men are created equal"? Discover what most Americans were never taught about the Declaration of Independence as America celebrates its 250th anniversary. Why did fifty-six men lock themselves inside a sweltering room in Philadelphia, shut the windows to keep out royal spies, and sign a document that could have cost them everything? Most people believe the Declaration of Independence simply announced America's separation from Great Britain. It didn't. The Declaration...

Can Trump Really Drain the Swamp? | John Fawcett on the Deep State & 2028

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

Can Trump Really Drain the Swamp? Washington promised bureaucratic accountability, yet the Deep State continues to grow. Discover why meaningful reform remains elusive, who still holds power behind the scenes, and what it means for the future of constitutional government. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano sits down with John Fawcett, host of The Great America Show, for a candid, unfiltered conversation on the Deep State, FBI and CIA influence, government corruption, corporate media bias, and the battle over America's political future. From Tulsi Gabbard's...

Why Foreigners Believe in America But So Many Americans Don't

P.A.S. Report | Political Analysis, American Politics & Constitution

Why do foreigners believe in America while so many Americans no longer do? As Independence Day approaches and the nation prepares to celebrate America 250, this episode explores the growing disconnect between how the world views the United States and how many Americans view their own country. Millions of World Cup visitors arrived in America and left amazed by the freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and American values they experienced. At the same time, recent polling reveals a dramatic decline not just in Gen Z patriotism, but all Americans regardless of age, as more Americans question the...

More Episodes

Professor Nick Giordano examines a critical constitutional blind spot at the heart of the American Republic. While the Constitution provides mechanisms to address corruption and abuses of power after an official takes office, it appears to provide no clear constitutional mechanism for examining whether someone who openly rejects the constitutional order can honestly take the constitutional oath in the first place. Explore the purpose of Article VI, the meaning of constitutional fidelity, why existing Supreme Court precedent does not squarely answer this question, and why the survival of a constitutional republic ultimately depends on the character of both its leaders and its citizens.

What You'll Learn In This Episode:

Why the Oath of Office matters: Discover why the Founders required the constitutional oath and why it serves as one of the Republic's most important safeguards.
Reform vs. replacement: Learn why amending the Constitution through Article V is fundamentally different from campaigning to dismantle the constitutional order itself.
A constitutional blind spot: Understand why current constitutional law appears to provide no clear mechanism for examining the sincerity of the oath before an official assumes office.
Fraudulent oaths and constitutional subversion: Explore the difference between taking the oath in bad faith before entering office and using public office to undermine the constitutional system from within.
Why the voters matter most: Learn why civic virtue, constitutional loyalty, and an informed electorate remain the ultimate safeguard of the American constitutional republic.

Topics Covered: Oath of Office, Constitutional Oath, Article VI, United States Constitution, Constitutional Republic, Constitutional Law, Constitutional Fidelity, Supreme Court, Powell v. McCormack, Bond v. Floyd, Democratic Socialists of America, Separation of Powers, Federalism, Civic Virtue, American Government

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Episode Chapters

01:32 Why the Oath of Office Matters
02:24 Can Someone Who Rejects the Constitution Take the Oath?
07:09 Article VI Explained: The Constitutional Oath and the Founders' Intent
12:40 Reform vs. Replacing the Constitution: The Critical Difference
20:22 Constitutional Fidelity: Why the Oath Has No Verification Mechanism
27:30 Should Anti-Constitutional Candidates Be Allowed to Serve?
34:00 The Constitution Depends on Us

TOPICS