One of the saddest things about Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial is that Rudy Giuliani and the Angry Fart Brigade won’t be there, defending Trump to the Senate. Rudy and his treason-farts are “witnesses” to Trump’s crimes, which is just another way of saying that Rudy’s nuts are in the inciting-an-insurrection vice as well. So Trump had to hire some lawyers outside of his narrow and flatulent circle of wingnuts, traitors and insane asylum escapees. He went with old-guard Republican lawyers who would actually be qualified to defend a former president or litigate what actually happened. Except now those dudes and ladies have quit.
Former President Donald Trump’s five impeachment defense attorneys have left a little more than a week before his trial is set to begin, according to people familiar with the case, amid a disagreement over his legal strategy. It was a dramatic development in the second impeachment trial for Trump, who has struggled to find lawyers willing to take his case. And now, with legal briefs due next week and a trial set to begin only days later, Trump is clinging to his election fraud charade and suddenly finds himself without legal representation.
Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, who were expected to be two of the lead attorneys, are no longer on the team. A source familiar with the changes said it was a mutual decision for both to leave the legal team. As the lead attorney, Bowers assembled the team. Josh Howard, a North Carolina attorney who was recently added to the team, has also left, according to another source familiar with the changes. Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris, from South Carolina, are no longer involved with the case, either. No other attorneys have announced they are working on Trump’s impeachment defense.
A person familiar with the departures told CNN that Trump wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud and that the election was stolen from him rather than focus on the legality of convicting a president after he’s left office. Trump was not receptive to the discussions about how they should proceed in that regard. The attorneys had not yet been paid any advance fees and a letter of intent was never signed.
[From CNN]
“Trump wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud and that the election was stolen from him rather than focus on the legality of convicting a president after he’s left office.” Yeah, I figured it would be something like that. It’s strange to think – or maybe not – that when he was in the White House, Trump was really only surrounding himself with sycophantic and fart-soaked yes-men who would just repeat whatever unhinged lie he wanted. Now that he’s out of the White House, the real world is here and his actual, professional lawyers didn’t want to just argue his deranged conspiracy. Because they know that they would be disbarred. The impeachment trial is going to be a mess though. It’s my hope that in addition to the impeachment hearing, we start getting announcements about the House and Senate having major hearings on what went down, why there were so many f–k ups on January 6th, and who facilitated the terrorist attack on the inside.
Also, Trump hired two new lawyers after his old ones quit:
Trump will be represented by David Schoen and Bruce Castor in his impeachment trial.
David Schoen is best known for meeting with Jeffrey Epstein in prison to represent him before Epstein died.
Bruce Castor is best known as a PA DA who refused to prosecute Bill Cosby.
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) January 31, 2021
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
I wonder if he intentionally drove away his lawyers to delay his impeachment trial? Or is he even capable of being that clever?
As soon as I posted my comment below I also wondered about this. He’s told that lie so many times that he likely believes it to be fact now, as do his idiot supporters. It’s just too much to hope that he creeps away like the cockroach he is, and ensconces himself in a deep, dark hole.
He may as well save his money and hire Ally McBeal as his lawyer. He’s not going to be impeached anyway.
As Rudy can confirm: he saves money by not paying his lawyers. He’s a very smart cookie.
He’s been impeached (indicted ). The trial will be to try to get him convicted, and or to prevent him from running again. The latter is more feasible and still necessary.
I saw a Trump 2024 bumper sticker last week. Yes, we need him to be done
Barring Trump from running again happens only if he’s convicted by the Senate, it’s not an option they can choose instead of conviction. If he’s convicted, then they vote on whether he can hold public office in the future and need only a simple majority to to bar him.
Before republicans showed that they don’t care if a crazy man sends a mob to kill them, many were hoping the potential to bar him from running against them would help sway some republicans to convict.
This isn’t crazy though. Trump knows 100% he won’t be convicted, for a hot second he was worried, but he’s been working the phones and making threats. There is zero chance Republicans will vote to convict. I think Romney will, and that’s it.
So with no chance in the world of being found guilty, why not stage a week long conspiracy rant about how you really won, and won bigly? HUGE. That’s what he’s going to do and it won’t matter because he won’t be found guilty. The only thing that matters about it is he will incite some more nuts to violence. This is NOT a downside for Trump. He loves people willing to murder and die for him. Win-win.
Yeah I agree – I don’t think he will be convicted, McConnell has shown his hand and you know the rest of the GOP will follow behind him.
But still SDNY with the lovely DA James is waiting for him and his whole family.
And who are they killing and dying for? A shitty reality show host who was previously most notable for his remarkable talent for bankruptcy. I still can’t understand what the hell convinced anyone to vote for him in the first place. I mean, obviously racism, but its not like the GOP was short on racists before he showed up.
I don’t know, I have marveled over this for years. This deranged clown who paints his face bright orange, and the clown hair…I don’t know. He excites something in people, a powerful combination of racism and misogyny. And it has something to do with being aggrieved. I have noticed all my life that right wing Christians are particularly aggrieved. I mean, for no reason, but now along comes this man who tells them that there is a reason. That they haven’t been treated “fairly”.
But I really don’t have the answers for this. Just some speculation.
I was standing in line at my local bookstore and the elderly lady in front of me was buying Art of the Deal. She actually requested that someone find it for her. Dumbfounded.
I’ve heard Trumpers say that he is sent by God to do their work and they truly believe that. I just look at them and think “THIS is who your god sent?! Really?! Your god has the taste of Lucifier.”
No, Darla it is not 100% that he won’t be convicted. Repeating the big lie about fraud is the one thing that will tank him. The Republicans cannot vote against conviction with him spewing the inciteful arguments that got him impeached.
I guarantee he cannot argue whatever he wants and skate. The Republicans know this will be televised and watched by everyone. They cannot have him stoking outrage. This is why he’s being so quiet. They have forced him to shut his mouth so as not to make it worse.
He is incapable of not making things worse. He is incapable of keeping his mouth shut for so long. And when he talks, he’s incapable of saying anything right.
The Dems need to put him in front of a microphone and let him implode.
@Rapunzel, I think I agree that going all in on the election was stolen may be the one thing that can get him convicted (depending on what hour you get me, I may be more cynical later in the day).
But I generally think that Trump making the trial about whether the election was fraud puts all the senators who voted to accept the election results have to essentially formally vote that they were part of the fraud to steal the election for Biden if they vote to acquit. There’s not much I put past the republicans at this point, but I would *hope* that at least 17 of them would find this to be a bridge too far.
So can we expect him to pull the ol’ Cosby “hey, come on, you can’t throw the book at a senile, decrepit old man” act? I feel like he’s too much of a narcissist to go along with that (though it could hardly be considered an act for him).
So weird how everyone around him is either some sort of sexual degenerate or an apologist for one…
Castor and Schoen seem like trump’s kind of people.
I watched our national broadcaster’s flagship documentary programme, 4 Corners tonight. I covered the events of January 6th. Of course, I’d seen coverage of those events and the day and sine, but to see it again, especially vision not seen before, ad to hear the leader of Proud Boys speak to our fabulous Sarah Ferguson, frightened the bejaysus out of me. I can only imagine how scary it must have been in that building that day. To think what would have happened if Pence had not refused to do trump’s bidding… Did the front man of the Proud Boys get arrested and charged? It didn’t sound like he did. I got the impression that those in the know believe this impeachment isn’t going to stick. Well, let’s see what transpires with his new team of legal eagles. I hope he pisses them off enough that they also quit.
Annakist – Instead of hoping the new lawyers quit, maybe hope they stay and actually do what Trump wants them to do. That might get 17 Senate Republicans ready to convict.
I hope he burns for all the discord, pain, and suffering he’s caused by being such a horrible person and the worst president in modern US history.
I’m guessing he’s always been an utter pain in the ass to work with/for but this “stolen election” lie is next level crazy. So I can see why he can’t keep anyone reputable. It truly is mind-boggling that he ascended to the presidency and just thoroughly destroyed so much of what we know and stand for, most notably truth.
@esmom, it really reeks of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, doesn’t it? Except now he doesn’t have the tailors for the extra padding of protection.
Fingers crossed he’ll represent himself! Or testify… what is the penalty for lying under oath at an impeachment trial?
What does he need lawyers for anyway when the jury has already made up their minds? Every day I think I can’t get anymore disgusted by these people and every day I’m proven wrong.
Just came here to say the same exact thing. The term “perversion of justice” could not be more apt.
They left because he told them he would only pay them if he won. My best bet. And they were like NOPE.
Yeah if they are willing to take on Trump’s case, I’m thinking money is the pivotal reason they would quit.
I would never do a job for someone with Trump’s long history of not paying invoices unless I were paid in advance. Any lawyer who doesn’t get a hefty advance to take them through the entire trial is just too stupid to breathe.
In more Deplorable Lawyer news: Dershowitz nominates Kushner, aide for Nobel Peace Prize.
But on the plus side, someone nominated BLM for the same prize.
I know who I would vote for.
So here’s my understanding:
The prior Senate vote allowed for the constitutionality of the impeachment to be debated at trial. According to Lawrence O’Donnell, “The Senate did NOT vote on the constitutionality of the impeachment trial today. They voted only on whether to debate the constitutionality today. 45 voted to debate it immediately. 55 voted to not debate it today with the understanding that it will be debated in the trial.” That vote wasn’t as good for Trump as people thought. Those 45 senators weren’t voting to let him off; they were voting to give him the opportunity to argue unconstitutionality.
Now, of course Republicans ducks, and this vote was probably so they can use unconstitutionality as a loophole not to convict, so the vote was not a good sign. But it wasn’t as good as most folks spun it. Why? Because unconstitutionality still needs to be argued.
Hence, Trump’s lawyers were looking to avoid conviction by arguing it was unconstitutional. They apparently quit because Trump, a total idiot, wanted to argue fraud instead. Now there’s precedent that this isn’t unconstitutional, but I’m sure Republicans won’t care much about that. So that loophole could allow him to skate on conviction. Even if Trump’s lawyers don’t really argue it.
So what could turn the tide in favor of conviction? Continuing to perpetuate his bog lie about fraud. Trump cannot be allowed to say “I love you” “you’re special” ” this is what happens when you rig an election” etc. Basically any of those things that got him kicked off Twitter would reignite enough outrage for conviction.
Now, do you think, for one second, that Trump won’t use those arguments when it’s what he truly believes? Doubtful.
My theory, and I’m sticking with it until it becomes impossible, is that Trump will make sure he has a lawyer who argued that he was the victim of fraud. These two new guys will get fired if they don’t. He will insist on this because he is a stubborn a–hole. I also believe Trump will take the stand in his defense and tank himself. I do believe he is incapable of doing anything right. And itching to defend himself. He wants to exonerate himself with his cheating conspiracy.
In short, Trump will shoot himself in the foot and get convicted.
It will happen. And once again, Republicans will be forced to see that Trump is toxic. Give Trump rope, and he will hang himself, even with the Republicans offering a chair to stand on.
@Rapunzel–THIS!
I’ve never bought into the idea that Trump does anything with intention, that he intended to drive his lawyers away, or send farting and dripping Rudy out as his spokesperson was part of a masterful laying of a path.
He is his own undoing.
Jack Schwartz, who wrote The Art of the Deal and has spoken out against Trump since 2016 has said that Trump has no strategy, rather that everything he does is all about him ie his narcissism.
I just want to say that I get a great laugh from the way you write, Kaiser. Your humour and sarcasm have been getting me through a horrible month in my life. When I need a distraction I go to your pithy and insightful commentary on Trump and The RF. Thank you.
My conspiracy theory: The only thing Dump has on the politicians that might refuse to convict-dirt. Even the gop members that voted to not certify the results of the election. All I could think is “what does he have on you?” An affair? Illegitimate child? Gay but promotes anti LGBTQ laws? Dump having dirt is the only thing I can think of that would have these fools continue to back him. Like if they don’t follow the plan they will be exposed.
SOMEONE has gotten to these people over the last couple of weeks and has been working hard at it. What would they be afraid of? They seem to get a pass on pretty much everything. How bad can it be?
That’s a great question. It’s obvious they feel they’ll be real-elected if they stand by him so what happens if they don’t? I say let the dirt spill! Expose them all
Well, at least we will be able to say he is the only POTUS ever to be impeached TWICE. He’ll hold that record for some time I imagine.
Trump and his children all believe they are facing charges. I believe this is why they are sinking their assets into Florida real estate, which will be safe from bankruptcy filings .
Ronald McDonald could represent him and he still will not be convicted in the Senate. It’s beyond frustrating that the republican Senators don’t have the balls to stand up to his base. And do what is right for the country. Let’s just get this over with and save the f’n country.
It seems like all the GOP members of Congress who are backing Trump are worried about their Donor base / voting base turning on them if they voted to impeach. What’s ironic about this is that every time someone’s identity comes out as having been attached to being a part of the insurrection, like a business owner, there’s been a huge public backlash against that person. Then Senator Josh Hawley had a ton of financial support pulled from his campaign after his remarks. So it’s kind of insane to see a flip in just a couple of weeks. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that we don’t know about.
The trial will be a hot mess but the wild card will be the insurrectionists, especially the 160 (and counting) who are charged. Some are claiming Trump gave them orders and some expected pardons from him. Trump did not put out a blanket pardon for his seditious ride or dies. If he or his lawyers get in the well of the Senate and officially denounce the mob there is a chance some will start thinking Trump is throwing them under the bus and spread that all over SM. That, I think, is why Trump is running the whole election fraud nonsense: to keep them to him. Trump loses power if he loses them.