Americans are called to think and then decide -- not decide then think: Presidential historian says after impeachment

Presidential historian Jon Meacham had a profound take on what should be expected of America going forward after the third impeachment in history. One thing he hoped is that Americans can take a step toward thoughtfulness instead of blind political allegiance.

"What I suspect we will see again and again and again on the campaign trail and from the White House itself is an unfolding presidential campaign by the incumbent president of the United States to turn out his base of support and to treat the union itself not as a political entity to be led but an audience to be entertained and engaged," predicted Meacham.

He went on to say that there is a kind of split-screen in the United States today, when it comes to the functioning of the Constitution.

"The ordinary majesty, however imperfect, of the government and the way the president has chosen to conduct his political public life," he said are the two split-screens we're watching. "Those two will never intercept. It's a kind of parallel play in the life of the republic, except that it's not play. It's our reality."

He said going forward that four or five major documents should be studied: Rep. Adam Schiff's (D-CA) closing argument, Sen. Mitt Romney's (R-UT) speech, Sen. Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) speech Wednesday and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) speech.

"Because those are very different views of the same reality," Meacham said. "I think what Schiff and Romney and Schumer did is they've laid out the importance of this moment in, not only historical context but in the unfolding context of the durability of a constitutional order that's based on both divided sovereignty and the rule of reason. That we actually, as Americans, are called to think and then decide, not decide, and then think."

Watch below: