Trump loses lead impeachment lawyers days before trial

Donald Trump’s top impeachment lawyers have left the former Republican president’s defense team just days before his trial is to begin, sources say.

Butch Bowers, a South Carolina lawyer who was reportedly set to play a major role in the Senate’s trial of Trump as well as Deborah Barbier, another South Carolina lawyer, are no longer with the team.

Three other lawyers including Josh Howard of North Carolina and Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris of South Carolina, also parted ways with Trump, sources told Reuters.

Trump, who still insists the disputed Nov. 3 presidential election was rigged, had differences with Bowers over strategy ahead of the trial set to begin on Feb. 9.

The decision for Bowers to leave was “mutual,” another person familiar with the situation said.

Trump wanted his lawyers to focus on his assertions of mass election fraud rather than the constitutionality of impeaching an ex-president.

The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives impeached the ex-president over his role in the invasion on the Capitol on January 6 that left five people dead, including a member of law enforcement.

He was blamed for inciting an insurrection when the lawmakers were busy certifying the victory of Joe Biden in the election.

In a statement, Trump spokesperson Jason Miller, instead of addressing the uncertainty around the legal team, railed against impeachment itself, saying the vast majority of Senate Republicans voted that convicting a former president is unconstitutional.

"The Democrats' efforts to impeach a president who has already left office is totally unconstitutional and so bad for our country,” said Miller. “In fact, 45 Senators have already voted that it is unconstitutional. We have done much work, but have not made a final decision on our legal team, which will be made shortly."

The House introduced an article of impeachment last week to the Senate that charges Trump with high crimes and misdemeanors for whipping up an insurrection and disrupting the peaceful transfer of power.

Conviction in the Senate could result in a vote to bar him from running for office again, but the conviction is unlikely as only a few Republican senators may vote for impeachment.

Last Tuesday, 45 Senate Republicans supported a failed effort to stop Trump’s impeachment trial in a show of party unity.

ME