Jan 31, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Trump announces new legal team for second impeachment trial

Axios

Former President Trump announced on Sunday that lawyers David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor Jr. will lead his defense at his upcoming impeachment trial.

Why it matters: The hiring comes a day after news broke that South Carolina lawyers Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier had left the team, due in part to the fact that Trump wanted them to argue the election was stolen rather than focus on the constitutionality of the trial, CNN reported.

Driving the news: According to the statement from Trump's office, Schoen had "already been working with the 45th President and other advisors to prepare for the upcoming trial" and that lawyers "agree that this impeachment is unconstitutional."

Of note: Trump's trial begins Feb. 8. Trump was impeached by the House before he left office earlier this month for "incitement of insurrection" over the U.S. Capitol riots.

Forty-five Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, supported an effort to dismiss his trial earlier this month, arguing it would not be constitutional to convict a former president.

Go deeper: Democrats plan to marshal video, audio for Trump trial

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Trump announces new legal team for second impeachment trial

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