Dershowitz to WIN: Impeachment effort ‘threatens the Constitution’

“It violates the impeachment provision of the Constitution, as well as the person. It’s a terrible thing,” Dershowitz told World Israel News.

By Joseph Wolkin, World Israel News

It appears President Donald Trump will need to weather a second impeachment as Democrats led by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in the House of Representatives prepare their case against him.

If impeachment goes through, and there’s every indication it will given that Democrats control the House majority, Trump would become the only U.S. president impeached twice. He faces a single charge of “incitement of insurrection.”

Famed attorney Alan Dershowitz, one of Trump’s legal team who defended the president before Congress during the first impeachment, has spoken out strongly against the move by House Democrats. He says, “They are prepared to tear up the Constitution in an effort to remove him by any and all means.”

Dershowitz spoke to World Israel News recently about the impeachment effort and what it would mean for the president as well as the fight against anti-Semitism.

Q: What is your biggest takeaway as of now with what Congress is trying to do to the president?

“What they’re trying to do is impeach him without trying him. They’re trying to hang an impeachment over his head. Wait until after he leaves office. Then, they can try to disqualify him from future offices. They are trying to circumvent the usual impeachment process. It’s mostly symbolic. It threatens the Constitution. It violates the impeachment provision of the Constitution, as well as the person. It’s a terrible thing.”

Q: They also want Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump. What are your thoughts?

“It’s totally inept. It’s totally inapplicable. The 25th Amendment applies to the incapacitation. It doesn’t apply to disagreements in politics. The president is perfectly capable of remaining in office for eight more days. The 25th Amendment shouldn’t even be discussed.”

Q: What’s the point of impeaching him with such little time remaining in his presidency?

“Just symbolically. They want to say he was removed from office.”

Q: Let’s shift over to the fight against anti-Semitism. How difficult is it to fight against BDS in the courts right now?

“Let’s be clear, anti-Semitism is diminishing, not increasing. BDS is failing. We’re winning the battle. Anti-Semitism is condemned throughout the world and in America. There are pockets of anti-Semitism, but anti-Semitism has dramatically increased since I was a young man. BDS is failing on campus.”

Q: In terms of the legal aspect, what is illegal about BDS in American law?

“There are two issues. One, you can advocate BDS. You can advocate anything. It’s OK to advocate BDS, but you can’t practice it. Practicing BDS is discrimination based on nation origin and religion.”

Q: What do Jewish students need on campuses in order to fight this?

“They need information and courage. They need to be willing to stand up to their peers, faculty and administration. A lot of students are showing that courage, and they’re doing that very well. We, the older folks, need to be supporting them.”

Q: President Trump took major steps to support Israel during his presidency. How will President-elect Joe Biden work with Israel once his term begins?

“I think he’s going to be more nuanced. He’s generally going to be supportive of Israel. There are some people who he’s appointed who do raise questions. Kristen Clarke, who is appointed as the assistant attorney general in charge of the civil rights division, has a sordid history with anti-Semitism. But most of his appointments have been very good.”

Q: What can Biden do to continue fighting against anti-Semitism?

“He needs to withdraw the nomination of Kristen Clarke. Second, he should make a firm commitment to fight anti-Semitism on campus. Third, he should not go back to the Iran deal the way it was originally written. He should add some very important changes.”

Q: What can be changed to the Iran deal?

“It needs to be much harder in terms of inspections. There shouldn’t be an end date to the deal.”

alan dershowitzDonald TrumpimpeachmentUS Constitution