Trump’s lawyers and the Constitution

Lawyers for Donald Trump stretched beyond the facts when they argued there’s an open-and-shut case that the Constitution bars impeaching former presidents. That question is not settled, though the weight of legal views contradicts the Trump team’s assertions.

Bruce Castor and David Schoen addressed the Senate Tuesday on the first day of Trump’s trial after Democratic impeachment managers from the House presented the opening of their case for conviction. Trump is accused of inciting the deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Democrats overcame a procedural hurdle as the Senate voted 56-44 to proceed with trial but face tough odds trying to win the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump.