Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz got into a heated debate with the co-hosts of ABC’s “The View” over President Donald Trump’s impeachment on Wednesday.
Co-host Joy Behar said, “We just heard you argue in that clip that whatever John Bolton says doesn’t matter. You still don’t think any of this is impeachable, but the only people who actually agree with you are on your defense team. And 75% of Americans want to hear from Bolton. So why should we listen to you?”
Dershowitz said, “Well, I made constitutional arguments. My sole role in the case was to argue the constitutional issues. I would have been making exactly the same argument if Hillary Clinton had been elected president and if she had been impeached for abuse of power, obstruction of congress. In fact, I started doing my research on impeachment and decided to write a book when Hillary Clinton was in the lead, and it looked like she would be elected, and the Republicans were yelling, lock her up and impeach her. Indeed we did a cover, a mock cover for my book, the original title of which was ‘The Case Against Impeaching Clinton,’ Hillary Clinton. So I’m making exactly the same constitutional argument.”
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg interrupted, saying, “OK, here’s the thing, Alan, you’re not going to get any time because you got four people trying to ask you questions, so I’m asking you to move faster.”
Dershowitz said, “I have to make this point. Shortly after the Constitution was enacted, the dean of the Columbia Law School said that the weight of authority was in favor of it being a crime. Now the academics all say it isn’t. Why? Because Donald Trump is being impeached. If Hillary Clinton were being impeached, they’d all be on my side. ”
Behar shot back, “That’s just baloney.”
Goldberg said, “I’m moving you on, or I’m cutting you off. One or the other is going to happen. I don’t want to make this contentious, but we only have several minutes. You’re laughing. I’ve always been respectful to you, and you’ve always been respectful to me. ”
Dershowitz said, “I am. I’m very respectful to you.”
Sunny Hostin said, “You’re arguing now that there was no crime committed here, but the GAO, an independent watchdog said last week that withholding the aid to Ukraine was illegal, a crime.”
Dershowitz said, “No, they didn’t say that. No, no, no.”
Hostin said, “Yes, they did.”
After a back and forth, Hostin said, “Let’s assume that I’m right and you’re wrong and they said that they did. Would that be enough for you?”
Dershowitz said, “Let’s bet $1,000 to be contributed to the peace of Israel and Palestine.”
He added, “They didn’t say a crime. They didn’t say a crime. They have no jurisdiction to conclude it’s a crime. Moreover, the GAO is dead wrong.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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