Law professor Alan Dershowitz, who has argued consistently against the investigations into Donald Trump, alleged that special counsel Robert Mueller is trying to catch the president in a "perjury trap." Someone who actually prosecuted people for a living, however, said otherwise.
During a Wednesday panel discussion, Dershowitz explained that asking questions about his motive firing former FBI Director James Comey or going easy on Michael Flynn would set up the "trap."
CNN host Anderson Cooper noted that it's only a so-called "perjury trap if someone wants to perjure themselves."
But Dershowitz argued it wasn't true.
"Well, no one is being forced to lie, so it's not a perjury trap -- correct me" if I'm wrong, Cooper said.
"Well, I will," Dershowitz shot back. He claimed that if Trump said something he "believes is truthful" and another witness saying the opposite, Trump could be prosecuted for perjury.
However, former federal prosecutor Anne Milgram agreed with Cooper's assessment that the biggest trap is a candidate prone to lying.
"And also I think the way the professor's describing perjury, it makes it seem like if there are two completely different version of events, someone can be charged with perjury," she began. "In my experience as a state and federal prosecutor, that's not the case. To prove perjury is a very high standard, and you actually have to be able to prove to a jury that one version of events is false."
Dershowitz claimed that's why she's a prosecutor and not a defense attorney and that he would never allow any of his clients be set up for something like that.
"If I could switch a little, I think it's worth debating this question of perjury, but I'll tell you my view," Milgram came back. "My view is that the president doesn't want to go in. So, we talk about whether or not the lawyers want him to go in or don't want him to go in. So, what we're seeing a little bit is this dance."
Dershowitz also argued that the idea of using someone's tweets against them is absurd and he fears for any clients who tweet moving forward.
Cooper explained that no other person has the power to fire the investigators and prosecutors in the case. Trump does, and has threatened to do so.
Watch the full discussion below:
