Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi attacked President Trump’s lawyers, saying that they “disgraced themselves” during the Senate impeachment trial, and floated the idea that they be disbarred.
“I don’t know how they can retain their lawyer status, in the comments that they’re making,” Pelosi told reporters on Thursday.
“I don’t think they made the case. I think they disgraced themselves terribly in terms of their violation of what our Constitution is about and what a president’s behavior should be.”
Trump’s defense team wrapped up its case earlier this week, and Democrats have been arguing that witnesses should be called to gather more information about Trump’s controversial phone call with the president of Ukraine last summer.
Democrats have been highly critical of the case Trump’s lawyers put forward and specifically took issue with the performance of retired Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz.
“Dershowitz gave a scarcely believable theory of impeachment,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted. “Then suggested if presidents believe re-election’s in the public interest — when they act to benefit re-election, it’s in the public interest. No! By this logic, Nixon did no wrong in Watergate. It would unleash a monarch.”
Dershowitz gave a scarcely believable theory of impeachment
Then suggested if presidents believe re-election’s in the public interest—when they act to benefit re-election, it’s in the public interest
No! By this logic, Nixon did no wrong in Watergate
It would unleash a monarch
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 30, 2020
Dershowitz penned an opinion piece clarifying his remarks titled “I never said a president can do anything to get reelected.”
Most Senate Republicans have rejected the idea that more evidence is needed in the trial, and some believe that the trial could come to an end as soon as Friday.
“The momentum is clearly in the direction of moving to final judgment on Friday,” Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming said. “That vote will be Friday. We still have a couple of members who said they want to listen to the answers to questions, but that’s where the momentum is.”
Republicans are reportedly growing increasingly confident that they have the votes needed to sink the call for witnesses.
