Alan Dershowitz explains why Constitution's Framers 'explicitly rejected' key Democrat impeachment claim

Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz explained Friday that Democrats' claims that President Donald Trump abused his power is not an actual "impeachable offense."

Democrats approved two articles of impeachment against Trump last month: one for abuse of power and another for obstruction of Congress. Dershowitz has already explained how the Supreme Court could undercut the allegations of obstruction of Congress, and on MSNBC Friday, Dershowitz told MSNBC host Ari Melber how Democrats claim of abuse of power falls flat, too.

"Abuse of power, even if proved, is not an impeachable offense," Derwshowitz said.

"That's exactly what the framers rejected. They didn't want to give Congress the authority to remove a president because he abused his power," he explained. "They have to prove treason, they have to prove bribery, or they have to prove other crimes and misdemeanors."

In explaining why he believes Democrats' claims of abuse of power are not legitimate impeachment claims, Dershowitz partially revealed the legal strategy he will use to defend Trump at the president's upcoming impeachment trial.

"Virtually half of American presidents — from Adams, to Jefferson, to Lincoln, to Roosevelt — have been accused of abuse of power, and the framers explicitly rejected those kinds of broad, open-ended criteria," Dershowitz explained.

Although Dershowitz was announced Friday as one of lawyers who will defend the president, Dershowitz told Melber that he will not plan Trump's defense strategy, but instead present a "very nonpartisan view of the Constitution" during Trump's trial.

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