Dershowitz calls Trump impeachment a 'loaded weapon' that would be 'so dangerous to the Constitution'

Harvard Law professor emeritus and constitutional law scholar Alan Dershowitz said that while he does not believe it would result in a Senate trial, impeaching President Trump over what he said in an address prior to protesters storming the Capitol building on Wednesday would provide a "loaded weapon" to both parties to use at their will in the future.

"It will not go to trial. All the Democrats can do is impeach the president in the House of Representatives. For that, all you need is a majority vote. You don’t have to take evidence, there are no lawyers involved," Dershowitz said. "But the case cannot come to trial in the Senate because the Senate has rules and the rules would not allow the case to come to trial until – according to the majority leader – until 1 p.m. on Jan. 20, one hour after President Trump leaves office." Dershowitz added that "the Constitution specifically says the president shall be removed from office upon impeachment." He said that because it does not say "the former president," the Senate's "jurisdiction is limited to a sitting president," barring the possibility of a trial.