It’s not just Democrats in the House of Representatives who are arguing – based on a mountain of evidence – that Donald Trump has committed high crimes and misdemeanors that warrant an impeachment inquiry and possible removal from office.
As Rachel Maddow pointed out on her program on Wednesday, even Trump’s legal team appears to be acknowledging that, yes, their client is actively committing crimes.
“We’re not going to argue that he’s not criming,” Maddow said, mocking the president’s lawyers’ new argument. “Clearly, there’s no point in that. He’s definitely criming.”
Instead of denying any criminal conduct, they’re simply saying that “the president’s crimes can’t be investigated by any court anywhere or by any law enforcement entity.”
“He can’t even be stopped by police if he gets caught committing crimes red-handed,” the MSNBC added. “That’s where we are as of today.”
Video:
Trump’s lawyers are arguing in court that the president cannot be investigated or stopped even if he is caught in the act of committing a crime – even murder. #ctl #p2 #maddow pic.twitter.com/XjKepVZhIu
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) October 24, 2019
Maddow said:
It’s one thing to argue that as an abstract concept. It’s nuts as an abstract concept. But it does become the thing you have to argue in the specific, in federal court, as the president’s lawyer once it has become so clear that the commissions of crimes while he’s in office is going to be a regular part of the news cycle for this presidency. Then you really have to argue this. ‘Yes, your honor, we mean every crime, all the crimes, any crime you can imagine, they’re all okay. We’re not going to argue that he’s not criming. Clearly, there’s no point in that. He’s definitely criming. We can all see it. It turns out it’s all kinds of crimes. So our new argument is that we’re not even going to engage on what kind of crimes he’s engaged in, any crime is okay. Yes, even the worst one you can imagine. Not just having killed somebody but continuing to kill people in front of cops. We say the cops can’t stop him.’ That’s where we ended up today. The president’s crimes cannot be investigated by Congress. They’re going to physically shut down the impeachment inquiry while simultaneously argue in court that the president’s crimes can’t be investigated by any court anywhere or by any law enforcement entity. He can’t even be stopped by police if he gets caught committing crimes red-handed. That’s where we are as of today.
Trump defenders know they’re losing
What the president’s lawyers argued in court on Wednesday seems to echo what Trump’s GOP defenders in Congress have been saying.
Instead of denying criminal wrongdoing on the part of the president, they are attacking and obstructing the process or simply arguing that Trump cannot be charged or investigated while in office – regardless of how severe the crime is.
These arguments by the president’s defenders are stunning, to be sure. But they also reek of desperation.
It’s an indication that even they know that on the most important question of the day – whether the president committed high crimes and misdemeanors – they have no rational defense.
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