Trump's Entire Team Of Impeachment Lawyers Quits With Roughly One Week Before Trial; Trump Says He Could Argue This "Simple" Case Himself (We Won't Be That Lucky!)

January 21, 2021: Butch Bowers is Donald Trump's new impeachment lawyer. The South Carolina-based attorney was hired with the help of Senator Lindsey Graham.

"The search capped weeks of frantic searching", according to the New York Times. "The former president's lawyers from the first impeachment trial had made clear that they did not want to be a part of the looming trial." Trump says Rudy Giuliani will not be involved.

"Operatives in South Carolina generally said that Mr. Bowers would be a good fit for the president . . . 'He's not a MAGA Republican so it will help with establishment Republicans,' said Bakari Sellers, a Democratic strategist based in South Carolina."

January 31, 2021: Butch Bowers has resigned. The other four lawyers on Trump's legal team have also quit: Deborah Barbier, a criminal defense lawyer who had been expected to be co-lead counsel with Bowers, Josh Howard, Johnny Gasser, and Greg Harris.

The Times reports that Trump "pushed for his defense team to focus on his baseless claim that the election was stolen from him . . . Trump has insisted that the case is 'simple' and has told advisers he could argue it himself and save the money on lawyers. (Aides contend he is not seriously contemplating doing so.) . . . Mr. Trump and Mr. Bowers had no chemistry, a quality the former president generally prizes in his relationships. Mr. Trump prefers lawyers who are eager to appear on television to say that he never did anything wrong; Mr. Bowers has been noticeably absent in the news media since his hiring was announced."

In addition to the inevitable clash of how to argue Trump's case — do we accept reality or not? — there is also the fact that Trump will be using his own money for his defense and is infamous for not paying people (he recently refused to pay Rudy's fees).

How many names do you think are on the list of competent lawyers who are keen to derail their careers by working for free (probably), on a shitshow of a case (definitely), defending a ranting, delusional sociopath who is convinced he knows more about the law than anyone, and are also willing to get on board with only a week to prepare because the previous legal team quit en masse?

All five of the impeachment lawyers who were expected to represent former Pres. Trump have called it quits, sources told @ABC News. https://t.co/4SBfjLpALE

— ABC News (@ABC) January 31, 2021

Five of Trump's impeachment lawyers have stepped aside a little more than a week before his Senate trial in a disagreement over legal strategy, sources say https://t.co/NbWOeow9wE

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 31, 2021

He should have paid his previous lawyers. https://t.co/RRon9zfsSF

— Khashoggi’s Ghost (@UROCKlive1) January 31, 2021

Bowers has been noticeably muted for someone leading a Trump defense, choosing not to talk to most reporters. The person familiar with the situation said there was no chemistry between Bowers and Trump.

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 31, 2021

A third attorney, Josh Howard, who was also recently added to Trump's defense team, has also left, I'm told. Trump wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud and it was stolen from him rather than focus on proposed arguments about constitutionality.

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 31, 2021

Add just now from @jeffzeleny — A person familiar with the matter says that the other two South Carolina lawyers, Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris, are also no longer involved in Trump’s impeachment case. https://t.co/zXRfBmlPOy

— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) January 31, 2021

“Mr. Trump has insisted that the case is ‘simple’ and has told advisers he could argue it himself and save the money on lawyers.” Sounds like a plan. 😎https://t.co/v23hqp6Seb

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) January 31, 2021

Trump is lawyer-less 1 week before his Senate Trial... if members of the bar are walking away so too should members of the Senate... #ConvictAndDisqualifyTrump

— Chris Hahn (@ChristopherHahn) January 31, 2021

"I NEED YOU TO BE MY LAWYER" pic.twitter.com/0rrO9p8Uys

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) January 31, 2021

It’s not just that Trump insisting that the trial be about his long-since-debunked election fraud claims is essentially a claim that the insurrection was *justified*; it’s that it’s perhaps the only remaining way that enough Senate Republicans could be shamed into convicting him. https://t.co/Sw9sW23xX9

— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) January 31, 2021

I asked one of Donald Trump’s former lawyers for a reaction to his new impeachment legal team.

Their response?

“Should be a circus.”

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 1, 2021

has anyone made a law firm called four seasons total litigating because omg do it already

— ᑕᕼᑌᑎK (@chunkled) January 31, 2021

What a great idea! 👏🏻

That being said, whenever I think I have an original thought, I remind myself it’s probably not.

(The domain name is still available, however. 😏)https://t.co/wnJdFnj5Fk pic.twitter.com/qao7qhfGsU

— DogMa ❣️🐶🐶🐶🐶❣️ (@Moratel_Entles) January 31, 2021

"I'm tired, boss." pic.twitter.com/Ra9fwIfnCj

— ⚜️CussinAssCajun⚜️ (@LibCajunFishtit) January 31, 2021

Their is so much more to this story that needs to be told @tedlieu, @RepSwalwell, @SenWhitehouse, @SenGaryPeters, @SenAmyKlobuchar, @SenBlumenthal, @SenBooker, @SenSchumer and @SpeakerPelosi. I look forward to telling it under oath and I will bring the receipts! #LevRemembers https://t.co/owhur2aJUR

— Lev Parnas (@levparnas) January 31, 2021

Please, let Lev speak #LetLevSpeak #LevRemembers @HouseJudiciary pic.twitter.com/XZ0RowhfsU

— MadMerlin✨ (@MadMerlin5) January 31, 2021

Trump gives public vote of support to pro-insurrection Rep who thinks "Jewish lasers" in space are starting wildfires out west. Not only won't be purged from GOP caucus but be a de facto leader. McCarthy will fall in line. GOP increasingly explicit in support for insurrection. https://t.co/4GVlK43ket

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 30, 2021

Will take a bit for most to realize it. But with this call Trump has made Greene de facto leader of the House GOP caucus. She speaks for him and he supports her. So she is untouchable. Nominal leaders like McCarthy will fall in line and take her lead because they answer to Trump.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 30, 2021

Somehow Greene is still serving in Congress after everything we've seen and heard, and everything she's *proudly admitted* about desiring violence against her opponents. It's like I'm living in some alt-right fan fiction.

— Max Burns (@themaxburns) January 29, 2021

Why is there this weird obsession with "bIPaRtiSanShiP" only when Democrats have power? I don't remember anybody grilling Republicans in early 2017 about why they weren't bending over backwards to work with Dems.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 31, 2021