Constitutional law professor Alan Dershowitz in a Sunday Breitbart piece called out his former Harvard colleague Laurence Tribe for praising and then subsequently withdrawing his support from Michael Avenatti, who became famous for representing a porn star against former President Donald Trump. Dershowitz also called out Tribe's claims that Trump "attempted to murder" former Vice President Mike Pence.
"My former Harvard Law School colleague, Laurence Tribe," Dershowitz wrote, "contributed to the Avenatti bandwagon. On August 12, 2018, shortly after Avenatti's announced his 'qualifications' to run for president. Tribe tweeted: 'Michael Avenatti's contribution to the political dialogue deserves a hearing. He's smart, clear & committed to facts and evidence. A powerful fighter, he seems to be a good listener, knows how to use the media, knows what he doesn't know & seems practical as well as progressive.'"
But after "Avenatti's subsequent guilty plea and conviction for numerous frauds," Tribe tried to "erase" all support for him, tweeting, "this couldn't have happened to a more deserving dude. The only time I ran into Michael Avenatti in person was in a cable studio green room. He wouldn't give me the time of day, much less engage in civil discourse. An ego on Steroids."
"That was the past," Dershowitz continued. "Tribe showed extraordinary poor judgment, and an unwillingness to admit he was wrong back then, but he has continued to show even worse judgment now," the law professor added, speaking to Tribe's claims that the former president tried to murder the former vice president.
"In a recent CNN interview, Tribe assured his viewers that 'without any doubt, beyond a reasonable doubt, beyond any doubt' Trump was guilty of numerous crimes, including the 'attempted murder' of Vice President Mike Pence. He said: 'You don't have to go to law school' to know that these crimes have been committed.'
"Well, actually you do," Dershowitz added. "Any first-year law student writing such drivel on a criminal law exam would receive a D-, even with grade inflation. It is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard a law professor say.
"The point is that reasonable people cannot seriously 'even talk about' Trump being guilty of attempted murder. It is not a close case. These are the absurd rantings of a zealot who has lost all perspective and judgment when it comes to Donald Trump.
"There is much to criticize about Trump's actions of January 6, 2021. But even suggesting that he is guilty of attempting to murder his vice president shows judgment akin to supporting Michael Avenatti for president.
"This is important," Dershowitz said, "because Tribe has become the go-to academic spokesperson for the woke hard left on all legal matters Trump. If this is representative of their thinking, they — and we — are in real trouble."
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