Rachel Maddow on Thursday examined Donald Trump’s reluctance to be referred to as the “former president” and suggested how it could spectacularly backfire during his upcoming Senate impeachment trial.
The host of MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” noted how Trump, his legal defenders and spokespeople have recently consistently referred to the one-term leader as the “45th President,” suggesting he still thinks he’s actually in office or is, at the very least, willing to continue projecting that illusion to supporters.
Some Republicans, however, are arguing Trump can’t be tried next week for inciting the deadly U.S. Capitol riot because he’s not the president anymore.
“I am here to tell you, dude does not agree that he is a former president and he is not allowing anyone to describe him that way,” explained Maddow.
“If that’s the trap door they’re going to use to try to get him out of a Senate impeachment conviction, he’s going to fight it,” she predicted. “He insists he cannot be called a former president. He must be called the 45th president. He’s still using the presidential seal.”
“There’s no sign that he concedes that there’s now a 46th president and so he’s an ex,” Maddow added. “I mean, how many ticks are we away from him claiming that he is still in office, that he still has the powers of the presidency? That he’s rightfully still president?”
Trump has rejected Democrats’ request that he testify at his trial.
Watch the video above.