GOP lawmakers, Trump campaign rip ‘liberal law professors’ testifying in impeachment hearing

President Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill and members of his reelection campaign took to Twitter Wednesday to tear into three witnesses as they testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee that the president committed impeachable offenses. 

The Republicans hammered law professors Pamela Karlan, Noah Feldman and Michael Gerhardt, three witnesses invited to the hearing by the Democratic members of the Judiciary panel. Jonathan Turley, who was invited by Republicans, avoided scorn. 

“Congrats to the professors who won the Dems’ nationwide talent search for the most elitist, unhinged anti-Trump professors in America. These meltdowns based on triggered emotions, 3% of the facts & ignoring the other 97% of the story is a permanent stain on US history. Good work,” Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) tweeted.

Congrats to the professors who won the Dems’ nationwide talent search for the most elitist, unhinged anti-Trump professors in America. These meltdowns based on triggered emotions, 3% of the facts & ignoring the other 97% of the story is a permanent stain on US history. Good work.

— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) December 4, 2019

“Democrats are holding a national T.V. hearing to ask three liberal law professors why President Trump should be impeached. Really something,” added Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), one of the president’s staunchest defenders on Capitol Hill.

Democrats are holding a national T.V. hearing to ask three liberal law professors why President Trump should be impeached.

Really something.

— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) December 4, 2019

The Trump campaign piled on, with senior adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle saying the professors presented “zero-star legal analysis” and that the hearing was “embarrassing.”

It’s two-star theater coupled with zero-star legal analysis. Embarrassing. https://t.co/h0hEfRfweK

— Kimberly Guilfoyle (@kimguilfoyle) December 4, 2019

Andrew Clark, the rapid response director for the Trump campaign, also underscored Federal Election Commission filings showing that Karlan donated to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) presidential campaign. 

Impeachment witness Pamela Karlan donated $1,000 to Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign in JULY. pic.twitter.com/982MhtfU9O

— Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) December 4, 2019

The broadsides came in response to testimony from the three professors in which they said they believed Trump had met the bar for impeachment in his dealings with Ukraine.

Trump “abused his office by corruptly soliciting [Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce investigations of his political rivals in order to gain personal advantage, including in the 2020 presidential election,” Feldman told the committee.

“The president’s serious misconduct, including bribery, soliciting a personal favor from a foreign leader in exchange for his exercise of power, and obstructing justice and Congress are worse than the misconduct of any prior president,” added Gerhardt.

The House launched its impeachment probe into Trump in September over his alleged efforts to leverage a White House visit and nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to get Kyiv to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and meddling in the 2016 presidential election. 

Trump’s allies have stuck by him, however, with many claiming that the president merely sought to ensure that U.S. tax dollars were not being used for corrupt purposes in a country known for misconduct by politicians. 

Trump’s supporters kept up their defense during Wednesday’s hearing, suggesting the impeachment investigation amounted to a coup. 

“This hearing is an abuse. There is no evidence of presidential misconduct and we are hearing talking points from activist Democrat ‘experts.’ #StoptheCoup against our Republic and @RealDonaldTrump,” Tom Fitton, the head of the conservative group Judicial Watch who often appears on cable news, tweeted.

This hearing is an abuse. There is no evidence of presidential misconduct and we are hearing talking points from activist Democrat “experts.” #StoptheCoup against our Republic and @RealDonaldTrump.

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) December 4, 2019