Trump Not Expected To Send Lawyer To Judiciary Committee Impeachment Hearings

on December 11, 2018 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump shrugs while speaking in the Oval Office on December 11, 2018. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Donald Trump is not expected to send a lawyer to next week’s impeachment inquiries led by the House Judiciary Committee, in order to not weaken his complaints about the process being rigged.

According to Politico Playbook, that leaves the President’s defense in the hands of his most ardent supporters — think Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and John Ratcliffe (R-TX).

While setting up guidance for the hearings, Democrats ensured that the President could have access to an attorney if he wanted one.

“The president’s counsel may question any witness called before the committee, subject to instructions from the chair or presiding member respecting the time, scope and duration of the examination,” they wrote.

But Republicans have been hammering at these inflated or fabricated procedural details to try to optically contort the hearings into the “witch hunt” Trump insists that they are.

Latest News
70
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. If I was a high powered lawyer I’d feel fortunate not to be tasked with Trump’s defense. Sitting before the Judiciary Committee and bitching about Hunter Biden for several days would be tiresome.

  2. “But Republicans have been hammering at these inflated or fabricated procedural details…”

    I don’t think this says what it was intended to say.

  3. Donnie is the author of "The Art of the Shlemiel."

  4. Thanksgiving will NOT be pretty in mixed political households this year, not pretty at all…

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

64 more replies

Participants

Avatar for discobot Avatar for paulw Avatar for ajm Avatar for fess Avatar for ghost Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for old_curmudgeon Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for epicurus Avatar for manhattan123 Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for schmed Avatar for benthere Avatar for pshah Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for southerndem Avatar for bankerpup Avatar for j_publicus Avatar for rucleare Avatar for ldcolton Avatar for emiliano4 Avatar for Akimbo

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Deputy Editor for News:
Deputy Editor for Audience and Strategy:
Editor-at-Large:
Contributing Editor:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher & Digital Producer:
Senior Developer:
Senior Designer: