David Schoen, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, says he will ā€œhave to do betterā€ after a group of Republican senators slammed his defense on the first day of the Senate Impeachment trial.

He noted criticism from Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) who suggested the arguments from Trump’s team were weak.

ā€œI’m sorry he felt that way,ā€ Schoen told USA Today. ā€œI’ll have to do better next time.ā€

Cassidy praised the House Impeachment managers and described their arguments as ā€œfocused, relied upon and trusted upon the opinion of legal scholars.ā€

He then moved on to call the arguments from Trump’s team ā€œunfocused.ā€

ā€œThey attempted to avoid the issue. And they talked about everything, but the issue at hand,ā€ Cassidy said.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) mentioned Trump’s other lawyer Bruce Castor, as IJR reported.

Advertisement

ā€œI was perplexed by the first attorney, who did not seem to make any arguments at all, which was an unusual approach to take,ā€ she said.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) offered his take on the legal team.

ā€œI thought the President’s lawyer, the first lawyer just rambled on and on and on and didn’t really address the constitutional argument,ā€ he said.

Cornyn explained, ā€œFinally, the second lawyer got around to it and I thought, did an effective job but I’ve seen a lot of lawyers and a lot of arguments and that was it was not one of the finest I’ve seen.ā€

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also said she was ā€œreally stunnedā€ by Castor’s arguments.

ā€œI couldn’t figure out where he was going, spent 45 minutes going somewhere, but I don’t think he helped with us better understand where he was coming from on the constitutionality,ā€ Murkowski said.

Alan Dershowitz, one of Trump’s attorneys from the first Impeachment trial, blasted Castor, as IJR reported.

Advertisement

ā€œThere is no argument. I have no idea what he’s doing. I have no idea why he’s saying what he’s saying,ā€ he said. ā€œCome on, the American people are entitled to an argument, a constitutional argument.ā€

It is likely the former President is still acquitted after only six Republicans sided with Democrats to declare the trial constitutional.