Lawyer George T. Conway III, prominent Trump critic and husband of Trump aide Kellyanne Conway, thinks he knows why President Trump’s legal team for his Senate trial, following impeachment in the House, appears to be a patchwork:
The president has consistently encountered difficulty in hiring good lawyers to defend him. In 2017, after Robert S. Mueller III became special counsel, Trump couldn’t find a high-end law firm that would take him as a client. His reputation for nonpayment preceded him: One major Manhattan firm I know had once been forced to eat bills for millions in bond work it once did for Trump. No doubt other members of the legal community knew of other examples.
Of course, being cheap wasn’t the only reason Trump struck out among the nation’s legal elite. There was the fact that he would be an erratic client who’d never take reasonable direction — direction as in shut up and stop tweeting. [WaPo]
But why should it matter concerning the quality of Trump’s legal team? Trump’s most important legal representatives already reside in the Senate, headed by Senator McConnell (R-KY), and smart money on the street has heavy odds on the side of acquittal. Conway, being a lawyer, is looking through the prism of a court room. He loathes Trump, so any evidence of Trump incompetence is welcomed with uncritical acceptance.
I think Trump is perfectly well aware that he’ll probably win in the Senate. I think, in fact, that Trump is playing to the audience, which is those eligible voters who will actually go to the voting booth this November. He’s selected his representatives based on a mixture of the reputation and ambiance they project, as Politico notes, as well as their look on TV:
Trump wanted Dershowitz and Bondi on the team because he thinks they are talented on TV and convincing, a White House official familiar with the selections said. Starr, he thinks, gives him credence because of his role in the Clinton impeachment. [WaPo]
In line with Trump’s I’m so tough persona, his lawyers have called for an immediate dismissal on the ludicrous grounds that the impeachment is improper and abuse of power is not an impeachable offense. Silly? Sure. But this is how Trump plans to turn around the impeachment and make it into an advantage, by demonstrating his toughness and power. Just so long as his bone spurs don’t act up, it may work.
A quick trial, a rebuff of the charges, with no witnesses: that’ll be a signal that Trump is tough and his base, along with the GOP, should hang with him. It’ll get the attention of independents who hardly pay attention to politics: Oh, hey, look, the President stopped those damned Democrats!
On the other hand, if some of the Senate Republicans decide that it’s time to dig into this political amateur who is continually damaging the Republic, then Trump could get hurt. He’s at his worst when he’s seen to be flailing and at the mercy of forces beyond his control, such as when Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) at all his meals and kicked him in the shins during the government shutdown. A weak, vacillating President won’t impress independents, either.
Whether this translates into a long term advantage or disaster is another question, unless, of course, he’s convicted. Smart money is not on that outcome.
But it’s worth noting that President Trump is currently in Switzerland, ostensibly to mingle with business leaders. Switzerland is a favored hangout for those who’d rather not be in their home countries for various political reasons. Is Trump that worried? Well, I dunno, but modern social media platforms sure make it easier to throw rhetorical bombs from afar than it used to be.
