Trump hires Butch Bowers as impeachment lawyer


Former President Donald Trump has hired attorney Butch Bowers to represent him in his Senate impeachment trial.
Trump adviser Jason Miller confirmed the news on Twitter, saying Bowers is "well respected by both Republicans and Democrats and will do an excellent job defending" the former president.
Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and attorney Jay Sekulow represented Trump during his first impeachment trial, and both men have told associates they won't be around for round two, a person familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Bowers is based in South Carolina, and during the George W. Bush administration he served in the Justice Department as a special counsel for voting matters. He also was a counsel to former South Carolina Govs. Mark Sanford and Nikki Haley, both Republicans. Bowers was recommended to Trump by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the Journal reports.
Last week, the House voted to impeach Trump on a charge that he incited an insurrection. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday would not say when she will send the article of impeachment to the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected to ask Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to start pretrial proceedings on Jan. 28, with the trial beginning in mid- to late-February, the Los Angeles Times reports.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Music reviews: Haim, Addison Rae, and Annahstasia
Feature "I Quit," "Addison," and "Tether"
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Trump gives himself 2 weeks for Iran decision
Speed Read Trump said he believes negotiations will occur in the near future
-
What would a US strike on Iran mean for the Middle East?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION A precise attack could break Iran's nuclear programme – or pull the US and its allies into a drawn-out war even more damaging than Iraq or Afghanistan
-
US says Trump vetoed Israeli strike on Khamenei
Speed Read This comes as Israel and Iran pushed their conflict into its fourth day
-
After Israel's brazen Iran attack, what's next for the region and the world?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Following decades of saber-rattling, Israel's aerial assault on Iranian military targets has pushed the Middle East to the brink of all-out war
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefs
Speed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
-
Why Israel is attacking Iran now
The Explainer A weakened Tehran and a distracted Donald Trump have led Benjamin Netanyahu to finally act against long-standing foe