One of the Democrats’ star witnesses, Stanford Law School professor Pamela Karlan, invoked Barron Trump during Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing in an attempt to attack the president, drawing sharp criticisms from the GOP.
Karlan unexpectedly mentioned Trump’s 13-year-old son Barron during Wednesday’s impeachment hearing in an effort to explain the difference between Trump’s position and that of a king.
“What comparisons, Professor Karlan, can we make between kings, that the framers were afraid of, and the president’s conduct today?” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) asked.
“So kings could do no wrong, because the king’s word was law. And contrary to what Trump has said, Article II does not give him the power to do anything he wants,” Karlan said.
She added, prompting laughter in the room:
And I’ll just give you one example that shows you the difference between him and a king, which is the Constitution says there can be no titles of nobility. So while the president can name his son Barron, he can’t make him a baron.
Her smug response prompted a sharp reaction from allies of Trump, slamming her for mentioning the president’s youngest son, as children are traditionally off-limits.
“So Hunter Biden is off limits, but 13 year old Barron Trump is not?” Trump’s campaign asked. “This gets more unreal by the minute!”:
So Hunter Biden is off limits, but 13 year old Barron Trump is not?
This gets more unreal by the minute!
— Team Trump (@TeamTrump) December 4, 2019
“How vile of a person do you have to be to attack a 13 year old child on national TV for laughs?” Donald Trump Jr. asked.
“Apparently, vile enough to be the supposed star witness for Democrats,” he added. “Grotesque”:
How vile of a person do you have to be to attack a 13 year old child on national TV for laughs?
Apparently, vile enough to be the supposed star witness for Democrats.
Grotesque. https://t.co/duljFjieWI
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 4, 2019
“This is a very serious, solemn, and prayerful process,” Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) wrote, jabbing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA):
This is a very serious, solemn, and prayerful process https://t.co/EehksxwZ4G
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) December 4, 2019
“Classless move by a Democratic ‘witness,'” White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham wrote.
“Prof Karlan uses a teenage boy who has nothing to do with this joke of a hearing (and deserves privacy) as a punchline,” she added. “And what’s worse, it’s met by laughter in the hearing room. What is being done to this country is no laughing matter”:
Classless move by a Democratic “witness”. Prof Karlan uses a teenage boy who has nothing to do with this joke of a hearing (and deserves privacy) as a punchline. And what’s worse, it’s met by laughter in the hearing room. What is being done to this country is no laughing matter.
— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) December 4, 2019
“Democrats chose liberal professor Pam Karlan as their star impeachment witness,” the Trump War Room pointed out.
“She just went out of her way to mock and attack Barron Trump, the President’s 13-year-old child,” it added. “Democrats have disgraced themselves by giving a platform to this unhinged, petty kook”:
Democrats chose liberal professor Pam Karlan as their star impeachment witness.
She just went out of her way to mock and attack Barron Trump, the President's 13-year-old child.
Democrats have disgraced themselves by giving a platform to this unhinged, petty kook. pic.twitter.com/LuteVNdbS7
— Trump War Room (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TrumpWarRoom) December 4, 2019
More:
Democrat "witness" Pamela Karlan is completely UNHINGED.
She is now attacking @realDonaldTrump's 13 year old son Barron Trump in an attempt to smear President Trump.#StopTheMadness #JerryRigged pic.twitter.com/4aktNR2Tps
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) December 4, 2019
That was a cheap shot at the President's 13-year-old son.
It was an extremely unnecessary attempt at a joke.
And it was also so so so incredibly and painfully scripted. https://t.co/bbImwHzjMu
— Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) December 4, 2019
Annnd she just HAD to bring up his son. WOW
— Mike Pache (@MikePacheFox10) December 4, 2019
It should have drawn boos. What a terrible thing to say. https://t.co/nEf0qLNlTQ
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) December 4, 2019
So disgusting and pathetic. https://t.co/KYAAClXwMK
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) December 4, 2019
Not a good look for Angry Professor Karlan- she is attacking Barron Trump – I thought kids were off limits? #maga #ImpeachmentHearings pic.twitter.com/PHILY3yarv
— Matt Batzel (@MattBatzel) December 4, 2019
Hunter Biden is off limits but Barron Trump isn’t… https://t.co/NykrnEtdV9
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) December 4, 2019
Constitutional professor uses President Trump’s 13 year old son to make the case against his father.
This is disgusting, leave children out of your politics, Barron did not ask for this, and this professor should be ashamed of herself pic.twitter.com/XzJFYaC7ex
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) December 4, 2019
Prof. Pamela Karlan now invoking 13-year-old Barron Trump to dunk on @realDonaldTrump.
Cool cool. pic.twitter.com/gXkgzHB910
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) December 4, 2019
Karlan ultimately joined two of her colleagues in agreement that the president committed an impeachable offense:
Eisen: Did President Trump commit the impeachable high crime and misdemeanor of abuse of power?
Feldman: The president did commit an impeachable abuse of office.
Karlan: Same answer.
Gerhardt: We three are unanimous.pic.twitter.com/feXCKFb6IN
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 4, 2019
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