Trump Attorney Says ‘Technical Violation’ of Constitution Not a Crime

Former President Donald Trump’s lawyer told NBC’s Chuck Todd on Sunday that a “technical violation of the Constitution” would not be a violation of criminal law. 

The Details: John Lauro, Trump’s criminal defense attorney, went on several Sunday shows to discuss the charges against the former president. After Lauro claimed former Vice President Mike Pence never said Trump broke the law, Todd pushed back, saying Pence had said Trump had asked him to violate the Constitution. “A technical violation of the Constitution is not a violation of criminal law,” Lauro replied. Lauro later told NBC News (Lean Left bias) that he “never said that President Trump committed a technical violation.”

For Context: While it is unclear what Lauro meant by a “technical violation,” Trump is charged with allegedly violating a federal law that makes it a crime to conspire against people’s constitutionally or legally protected rights — in this case, “the right to vote, and to have one’s vote counted.” Todd appears to have been referring to a quote in which Pence said Trump and his “crackpot lawyers” asserted that Pence could overturn the election — authority which Pence denied possessing. 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage mainly appeared in D.C. politics-focused outlets with either Lean Left or Lean Right ratings. Some coverage differed on whether the lawyer was speaking hypothetically or admitting Trump violated the Constitution.