But the legal scholar also argued that he still doesn’t \u00ab\u00a0think it’s going to make a criminal case.\u201d<\/b>
\nAlan Dershowitz, who often defends Donald Trump, has warned that special counsel Robert Mueller\u2019s report will have negative political repercussions for the president.
Appearing on the ABC News television program This Week on Sunday, the Harvard Law professor emeritus said that Trump\u2019s legal team is already bracing to respond to the probe\u2019s findings.
\u201cI think the report is going to be devastating to the president and I know that the president’s team is already working on a response to the report,\u201d Dershowitz told George Stephanopoulos.
But the legal scholar also said he did not believe the findings would lead to criminal charges against the president.
\u201cWhen I say devastating, I mean it’s going to paint a picture that’s going to be politically very devastating,\u201d he said, but added: \u201cI still don’t think it’s going to make a criminal case.\u201d
Dan Abrams, ABC News chief legal analyst, pushed back against Dershowitz\u2019s assessment however, arguing that the report could lead to a criminal case.
\u201cAlan is taking the position that the president effectively can\u2019t obstruct justice,\u201d Abrams pointed out.
But Dershowitz shot back, suggesting that a president can only obstruct justice if \u201che does what [former President Richard] Nixon did, destroy evidence, tamper with witnesses, pay hush money.\u201d The lawyer argued that thus far, it seems the case centers around the president\u2019s tweets.
\u201cYou can\u2019t tamper with witnesses by issuing public tweets,\u201d he said.
Responding, Abrams asked: \u201cWhere in the law does it say it has to be public?\u201d He then suggested Mueller will be more likely to \u201cput the pieces together\u201d than to focus on Trump\u2019s individual actions.
Special counsel Robert Mueller arrives at the U. S. Capitol for closed meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 21,2017 in Washington, DC Alex Wong\/Getty Images
Trump\u2019s 2016 presidential campaign team has been the subject of an ongoing probe into alleged collusion with the Russian government. Thus far, the investigation has resulted in 32 individuals indictments and six guilty pleas, including that of the president\u2019s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Last week, Trump submitted written responses to questions from Mueller in connection with the inquiry.
With Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives in January, speculation has mounted that the opposition party will launch impeachment proceedings against the president. But Trump has brushed aside the allegations, arguing that the probe has only bolstered his supporters.
\u201cI think it makes my base stronger. I would have never said this to you. But I think the level of love now is far greater than when we won,\u201d the president reportedly said. He has also consistently referred to the investigation as a \u201cwitch hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n