Former President Donald Trump’s chief attorney warned Tuesday that “the floodgates will open” if the Senate condemns Trump for instigating the deadly storming of the Capitol by his supporters.
During arguments on day one of Trump’s second impeachment trial, attorney Bruce Castor said numerous former government officials could be subject to impeachment proceedings if House Democrats, led by U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Would overcome the ex-president.
“If you go down the road, Mr. Raskin asks you to go down and the locks will open,” Castor told the Senate.
“The political pendulum will shift one day. This room and the room across the street will one day change and partisan allegations will become common. “
Castor suggested that politicians could eventually be elected to Congress by campaigning for the pledge to overthrow controversial government figures, most notably former Attorney General Eric Holder and the failed “Fast and Furious” gun probe.
In response to the democratic attacks on Trump’s claim that he cannot be tried because he is no longer in office, Castor also said that “the idea of an amnesty in January is nonsense”.
If Trump actually played a role in the January 6 Capitol riot, Castor said, “you’re going to arrest him after he’s out of office.”
“The Justice Department knows what to do with such people,” he said.
Castor noted that some of the people charged with breaking into the halls of Congress have been charged with conspiracy, but “none” have been charged with conspiring with Trump.
Castor further accused House Democrats of having purely political motives for ousting Trump on Jan. 13, a week before he was replaced in office by President Biden.
“Why are we here?” he asked.
“The majority of the House of Representatives does not want to see Donald Trump as a political rival in the future. That is the real reason why we are here. “
Castor, who advocated his case before fellow adviser David Schoen, seemed to deliver his comments off the cuff and he occasionally erred, in sharp contrast to the prepared statements of Raskin, Representative Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) And Rep. David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island), who also used video and other visual aids to illustrate their comments.
A source close to Trump said the move was deliberate.
“This is about lowering the temperature after the emotionally charged opening of the Democrats, before unleashing the hammer on the unconstitutional nature of this allegation witch hunt,” the source said.