As Donald Trump faces down multiple indictments, his legal team has taken to referring to their client as “President” in court. MSNBC host Katie Phang was “disgusted” by that on Thursday night, calling it “an example of how dishonest” lawyers can be.
Appearing on “The Reid Out” with host Joy Reid, Phang noted that it was impossible not to notice how Trump’s team kept trying to elevate his status by repeatedly referring to him as “President Trump” before the judge.
“That is the kind of stuff that makes our profession as lawyers look bad,” she said. “That is the disingenuous move that you make us a lawyer that is a problem with our profession. He’s not the president. He’s the former president.”
Phang applauded the judge for not “taking the bait” and still referring to him as Mr. Trump. And indeed, that is the proper way to go about it.
Though retaining the honorific of President has become custom in informal conversation, the title should be reserved in formal settings — like court proceedings — for whoever is actually the current president.
“People may think it’s superficial, Joy, but it’s an example of how dishonest the profession can be when you’re just trying to service a client,” Phang added.
You can watch the full discussion from “The Reid Out” in the video above.
