Alan Dershowitz, a member of Trump’s legal team, took his expansive view of presidential power to an entirely new level
Senators finally got their chance to speak in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial Wednesday, delivering an open-ended string of questions to the lawyers representing the House and the president.
"If you have any lingering questions about direct evidence, any thoughts about anything we just talked about, anything I just relayed or we talked about the last week, there is a way to shed additional light on it. You can subpoena Ambassador Bolton and ask him that question directly," he said. “Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest,” Dershowitz said on the Senate floor, responding to a question about how presidents conduct foreign policy. “And if a president did something that he believes will help him get elected — in the public interest — that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.”
Dershowitz’s remarks underscore the extent to which Trump has surrounded himself with lawyers who believe in the so-called unitary executive theory — the idea that the president’s power is all but absolute and rarely subject to congressional oversight or investigation. But Dershowitz’s justification of all presidential quid pro quos goes even further than some of the most vocal proponents of expansive presidential power and quickly raised eyebrows on and off Capitol Hill.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Off Senate Floor, Trump Team Targets Bolton’s CredibilityThe White House on Monday took to television, social media and email to discredit accusations from former national security adviser John Bolton.
Read more »
Bolton pits Trump against Senate GOP's majorityAnalysis: It will be more difficult for Senate Republicans to defend against charges of a cover-up if they vote to acquit the president without hearing from witnesses, only to have John Bolton's story corroborate the main allegation against the president.
Read more »
Even if the Senate does not remove Donald Trump, this impeachment is far from a mistake'There was more uncertainty about the outcome of Soviet show trials than there is about the charade taking place in the U.S. Senate,' says usatodayopinion contributor djrothkopf.
Read more »
Key Senate Democrat says Trump team made 'persuasive' argument against obstruction article'He did make some good points on a couple of things on factual issues that I've got concerns about with, especially with regard to Article II,' Democratic Sen. Doug Jones said of the arguments made by Alan Dershowitz.
Read more »
There's something else at stake in Trump impeachment: control of U.S. SenateTrump’s impeachment trial may not result in his removal from office, but it could help determine whether Republicans retain control of the Senate in the November congressional elections.
Read more »
Senate impeachment trial live updates: Trump legal team to wrap opening arguments.marykbruce: 'There's a lot of pressure on these Republicans. There's also a lot of spin going round the Capitol this morning. But there are not a lot of answers as to what is ultimately going to happen on this question of witnesses.'
Read more »