Trump eyes lawyer who spoke at rally to help in impeachment trial: report
President Trump is reportedly considering hiring an attorney who spoke at the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., last week before the president’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as part of Trump’s defense in his second impeachment trial.
Two unidentified sources told Reuters that John Eastman, a conservative attorney who clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and who was part of the legal team that represented Trump in cases contesting the election results in several states, is under consideration to be a part of Trump’s defense team.
Trump on Wednesday became the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice after ten Republican House members joined Democrats in passing an article of impeachment against him for “inciting insurrection” over his role in the deadly rioting.
During the rally last Wednesday, Trump urged his supporters to march on the Capitol and display “strength” as they “fight” for him and pressure lawmakers to reject President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
“All we are asking is that Vice President Mike Pence … allow the legislatures of the state to look at [allegations of voter fraud] so we can get to the bottom of it and the American people know whether we have control of the direction of our government or not,” Eastman said while appearing with Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, during the event. “We no longer live in a self-governing republic if we can’t get the answer to this question.
Giuliani, who called for “trial by combat” during the rally, is expected to lead Trump’s second impeachment defense just as he did the first time the president was impeached.
Eastman was on the receiving end of backlash late last year after he penned a Newsweek op-ed questioning whether Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is eligible to serve in the role because her parents were not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
“If the President of the United States asked me to consider helping him, I would certainly give it consideration,” Eastman told Reuters.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.