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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

Peter Muhlenberg: From the Pulpit to the Revolution

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

Why did Peter Muhlenberg, an ordained Lutheran pastor, leave his pulpit to lead American soldiers into the Revolutionary War? In this episode of America's Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano uncovers the extraordinary story of Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, the "Fighting Parson" of the American Revolution. Discover how a man of faith traded the safety of his church for a Continental Army command under George Washington and endured the brutal trials of Valley Forge before the American victory at Yorktown. As America marks its 250th anniversary, explore the clash...

Article V Convention of States: Breaking DC’s Grip (Mark Meckler)

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

Article V Convention of States: Can 34 states force a check on Washington’s power when Republican victories fail to deliver? In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano and Mark Meckler, president of Convention of States and Citizens for Self-Governance, confront Washington’s appetite for debt and control. Meckler makes the case for a balanced budget amendment, constitutional tax and budget caps, and congressional term limits through the Article V amendment process. They also debate repeal of the 17th Amendment, state legislative recall of U.S. senators, and the...

Bought a MAGA Hat? Inside Jack Smith's Arctic Frost Dragnet

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

Bought a MAGA hat? Jack Smith's Arctic Frost probe obtained buyer records and personal data on over 639,000 Republican supporters. Senator Chuck Grassley's latest Arctic Frost disclosures expose the scope of FBI subpoenas that reached Republican donors, MAGA hat buyers, and ordinary Americans. The revelations raise fundamental questions about political surveillance, government weaponization, and First Amendment rights. Professor Nick Giordano contrasts the Ilhan Omar raid with Jack Smith's Arctic Frost dragnet to explain the difference between legitimate criminal investigations and...

Salem Poor at Bunker Hill: Why He Risked Everything

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

Salem Poor bought his freedom for £27. Why did he risk his life six years later at the Battle of Bunker Hill? In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano explores the Black Revolutionary War soldier whose battlefield courage prompted thirteen officers and a brigade surgeon to petition the Massachusetts General Court for a reward. Trace Poor’s service through Saratoga, Valley Forge, and the Battle of Monmouth. As America marks its 250th anniversary, discover how his continued Continental Army service and later hardship challenge the...

Playing God with AI: Miranda Devine Exposes Big Tech

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

AI giants want to define humanity’s future. Miranda Devine challenges Big Tech’s power over truth, morality, and your freedom. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano joins New York Post columnist and author Miranda Devine to examine artificial intelligence, AI ethics, and Silicon Valley’s power. Devine argues that Anthropic’s approach to Claude and AI consciousness raises urgent questions about human dignity and who determines a chatbot’s moral code. They scrutinize tech executives’ demands for AI regulation, whether federal rules could shield...

2026 Midterms: Why Trump's Base Feels Abandoned

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

2026 midterms: Why does Trump's base feel abandoned despite major victories? What threatens Republican enthusiasm before November? Here is the institutional breakdown GOP leaders ignore. Despite landmark wins on the southern border and federal agency reform, high gas prices, the Iran war, and unmet promises of government accountability fuel intense frustration across the Republican base. Professor Nick Giordano cuts through superficial BS to analyze John Brennan's remarks on a "legion of professionals," FBI controversies, the Epstein files debacle, and the administrative state's power to...

Nicholas Herkimer and the Battle of Oriskany: A Warning for a Divided Nation

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

What happens when political division turns deadly, and neighbors become enemies? Nicholas Herkimer and the Battle of Oriskany reveal one of the American Revolution's bloodiest and most personal battles. In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano tells the story of Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer and the nearly 800 Tryon County militiamen who marched toward Fort Stanwix in August 1777. After accusations of cowardice and divided loyalty pushed Herkimer to abandon his plan, his column entered a deadly ambush near Oriskany, where...

National Debt Crisis: Ken Buck Says Congress Won’t Stop Spending

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

The national debt crisis reaches into your paycheck, your mortgage, and your retirement. Ken Buck warns that America’s $40 trillion debt demands action. Why do both parties promise fiscal responsibility, then approve bigger federal budgets? In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano talks with former Congressman Ken Buck about his book, Wake Up America!: The Rise of Socialism Is the Death of Freedom. Buck shares a firsthand account of congressional dysfunction, explains how party leaders pressure lawmakers to approve costly bills, and connects federal debt to the...

Iran War: Is Tehran Betting Everything on the U.S. Midterms?

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

Could the Iran War now hinge on the U.S. midterm elections? Tehran has taken its case directly to American voters as economic pressure, oil prices, and political unrest become weapons in the war. A 26-page open letter from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets American public opinion and urges voters to change the makeup of their government. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano examines Iran’s strategy, the IRGC letter, the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices, America’s refinery weakness, and the military buildup that could make Tehran’s bet on November...

John Paul Jones: The Naval Battle That Shocked Britain

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

How did John Paul Jones capture HMS Serapis when his own ship, Bonhomme Richard, was on fire and took on water? The Battle of Flamborough Head turned disaster into one of the American Revolution’s most remarkable naval victories. In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano tells the story of a Scottish sailor who took the war to Britain’s shores. As America marks its 250th anniversary, discover how Jones faced a more powerful Royal Navy warship, changed tactics after his heaviest guns failed, and refused to surrender. What You’ll...

More Episodes

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 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