Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial is underway, and it’s already gotten weird. One of Trump’s new lawyers, Bruce Castor, made quite an impression on Tuesday when he spoke for nearly an hour without saying much of anything with any substance, and folks on Twitter had all sorts of thoughts about his inane rambling.
For example, at one point during his argument that it’s unconstitutional to impeach a president who’s out of office, Castor suggested that actually Trump should have been arrested and charged with a crime rather than be impeached. Perhaps not the best point to make here — considering Trump could be arrested too.
At another point, Castor cited “the slipper slope principle” to say that the result of Trump’s second impeachment, Republicans might respond with a frivolous impeachment of Eric Holder, who was Obama’s attorney general for six years.
Castor went on and on like that at length, saying very little and making numerous specious arguments. And folks on Twitter who were watching from home were not amused by his inane rambling. And the consensus seems to be from those watching on TV that Castor was making it up as he went along.
Which is perhaps not ideal for someone trying to make legal arguments.
You can check out a sampling of those responses below, starting with one that makes apt use of the “What you just said…” speech from “Billy Madison.”
We also got a couple folks referencing that viral video in which a lawyer accidentally activated a Zoom filter that made him look like a little kitty cat — something that perhaps Castor wishes he had during his speech.
Everyone watching Bruce Castor right now. #ImpeachmentTrial pic.twitter.com/T0y2mGoZcp
— Ahmed Ali (@DrAhmednurAli) February 9, 2021
Bruce Castor says Trump can't be tried since he no longer holds office. Nonsense. Our Senate did this twice in the past.
He also forgets this legal maxim, which I taught my @SUCollegeofLaw students yesterday:
Ubi Jus Ibi Remedium
For every wrong, the law provides a remedy
— David Cay Johnston (@DavidCayJ) February 9, 2021
We truly have no idea what Trump's lawyer, Bruce Castor, is talking about right now. pic.twitter.com/Hio5JIPgwd
— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) February 9, 2021
How bad is Bruce Castor's presentation in defense of Trump so far? Newsmax cuts into it so Alan Dershowitz can trash it.
"There is no argument. I have no idea what he's doing. I have no idea why he's saying what he's saying!" pic.twitter.com/3tVD9V3UcZ
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) February 9, 2021
Ever have one of those nightmares where it's your time to talk and everybody's looking at you, but you haven't prepared anything?
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) February 9, 2021
Castor is wasting the time of a great nation.
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) February 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/JillFilipovic/status/1359239560702607365
I'm no lawyer, but not even a cat filter could save Bruce Castor right now.
— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) February 9, 2021
Did Rudy Giuliani suggest Bruce Castor to make his legal skills look sharper by comparison?
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) February 9, 2021
Bruce Castor's argument boils down to "you can totally scream fire in a crowded theater."
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) February 9, 2021
every future law student who gives a rotten moot court presentation: OK, I wasn't Castor bad, right?
— Jen "We aren't going back " Rubin 🥥🌴 (@JRubinBlogger) February 9, 2021
On Newsmax, Alan Dershowitz, who served on Trump’s impeachment team last year, says this of Bruce Castor: “I have no idea what he’s doing. Maybe he'll bring it home, but right now, it does not appear to me to be effective advocacy."
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 9, 2021
Just in: Bruce Castor is being paid by the word.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) February 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/russbengtson/status/1359241231176466435
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Trump is being impeached for a second time for inciting the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol that left five dead, including a Capitol police officer. House Democrats filed just one article of impeachment, for high crimes and misdemeanors related to that incitement of violence.