Trump announces new impeachment legal team

The former president's trial is scheduled to start the week of Feb. 8.

Last Updated: January 30, 2021, 11:24 PM EST

This is Day 12 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Top headlines:

Here is how events are unfolding. All times Eastern.
Jan 30, 2021, 11:24 PM EST

Trump parts ways with top impeachment lawyer

President Donald Trump is parting ways with the lawyer who was supposed to anchor his impeachment trial -- beginning in just a little over a week, sources told ABC News.

The former president will no longer be working with South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers and his associates, including Deborah Barbier. A source close to the former president described the change as a "mutual decision" between the parties. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who urged Bowers to take the case, had told his Senate GOP colleagues Jan. 21 that Bowers would be representing Trump.

"The Democrats' efforts to impeach a president who has already left office is totally unconstitutional and so bad for our country. In fact, 45 Senators have already voted that it is unconstitutional. We have done much work, but have not made a final decision on our legal team, which will be made shortly,” Jason Miller, a spokesperson for Trump, told ABC News Saturday.

In this Sept. 10, 2009, file photo, attorney Butch Bowers speaks during a news conference at the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C. Bowers is used to defending public officials in ethics cases.
Mary Ann Chastain/AP, FILE

It's not clear who will be representing Trump, with several options now off the table.

Trump's former top lawyer, Jay Sekulow, who represented him at his first impeachment trial, will not be taking part in this trial. Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer, also said he will not be representing the former president after appearing at the same rally that preceded the siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The Senate trial is scheduled to start on Feb. 9. Regardless of who represents Trump, not enough GOP senators have shown an inclination to convict him.

Read more about the tumult in Trump's impeachment legal team here.

-ABC News' John Santucci

Jan 30, 2021, 4:28 PM EST

Another quiet Saturday at the White House

It's the second Saturday of the Biden administration, and things are again quiet at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Biden does not have any public events on his schedule this weekend and does not include any mention of the work he may be doing behind the scenes amid the negotiations over his COVID-19 rescue package.  

Biden's Saturday schedule last week included that he would be meeting with his advisers in the Oval Office despite that meeting being closed to the press.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden leaves the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, Jan. 24, 2021
President Joe Biden leaves the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, Jan. 24, 2021.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

It's not unusual for Biden's weekends to be on the quiet side. Outside a few Saturday events toward the end of the transition or outings to go to Mass, Biden focused most of his public schedule on the traditional workweek. Still, in the midst of the pandemic and negotiations over the nearly $2 trillion proposed rescue package, it's notable how low a profile the new administration is keeping on the weekend.

Biden's White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain did give a short overview of the White House agenda Saturday, responding to a tweet from Sen. Amy Klobuchar expressing the odd feeling of waking up on a Saturday and not having to contend with a tweet from President Trump. 

“Quick tweet to say we're working at the WH today on next steps in the COVID response, making sure we're ready for the winter storm, and advancing the American Rescue Package," Klain tweeted in response.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Jan 30, 2021, 3:02 PM EST

South Carolina GOP votes to censure Rep. Tom Rice

The South Carolina GOP voted on Saturday to censure Rep. Tom Rice, one of the 10 Republicans who supported impeaching Trump -- formally rebuking one of their own in another sign that Trump continues to hold significant sway over the Republican Party. 

The move, although symbolic, was approved by 43 members of the executive committee, with two abstaining and none voting against it.

"Congressman Rice's vote unfortunately played right into the Democrats' game, and the people in his district, and ultimately our State Executive Committee, wanted him to know they wholeheartedly disagree with his decision," Drew McKissick, the chair of the state party, said in a statement. 

Rice represents the 7th Congressional District, which stretches from the border with North Carolina to Myrtle Beach and backed Trump by nearly 20 points in the 2020 election.

After the impeachment vote, McKissick said he was "severely disappointed" in Rice, a five-term congressman.

-ABC News' Kendall Karson

Jan 30, 2021, 2:13 PM EST

Biden's executive actions reverse most 'egregious' Trump policies: Kate Bedingfield

White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield defended President Joe Biden’s use of executive actions on ABC’s “The View” on Friday.

“What he's done is looked at some of the most egregious, damaging actions from the Trump administration, done by executive order, and used his authority as president to roll those back and to undo that damage and to start to get us on a better path,” Bedingfield said.

--ABC News' Adia Robinson

Related Topics