Alan Dershowitz speaks at a White House Hanukkah ceremony, December 2019 (Al Drago/New York Times)

UPDATE, JAN 15:

Further thoughts on Joe Biden’s inauguration, the Capitol attack, the impeachment of Donald Trump, and the challenges for US politics and society in an interview with UCB Radio:

UPDATE, 2045 GMT:

An extract from my interview with BBC News Channel about the split in the Republican Party between an establishment faction and the Trumpists:

UPDATE, 1430 GMT:

I spoke further with Monocle 24’s Georgina Godwin on Thursday about the significance of the second impeachment of Donald Trump.

We review Trump’s position, including the role of Alan Dershowitz and the future of the Republican Party before I address Godwin’s question, “Isn’t there a danger that this makes Trump a martyr?”

Listen to Discussion from 6:05:

Whatever happens, Donald Trump will play the victim. It’s a paradox that one of the most bullying, aggressive Presidents in US history will say, “I’m a victim of the ‘Fake News Media’. I’m a victim of the Democrats. I’m a victim of the courts.”

There was an attempt last week to prevent Joe Biden becoming President of the US that was instigated by Donald Trump. For the first time in American history, US citizens attacked their own Capitol building. Five people died, and the group were looking to kill others.

If you don’t hold Donald Trump accountable for that, you have set aside democracy and American security for your worry, “How might he react?”

ORIGINAL ENTRY: I joined BBC Talkback’s William Crawley on Wednesday, responding to Trump advocate — and possibly Trump’s defense attorney in the forthcoming impeachment trial — Alan Dershowitz.

After Dershowitz’s interview with Crawley, I cut through the celebrity lawyer’s misrepresentations, both of the 1st Amendment and of Trump’s speech on January 6 inciting his followers to march on the Capitol to block the confirmation of President-elect Joe Biden.

The other guest is Greg Swenson of Republicans Overseas UK.

Listen from 1:17.18

After the Capitol Attack: Facing the Authoritarian, the Racists, and the Overtones of Fascism

The 1st Amendment does not say that free speech is unrestricted. It does not permit freedom of speech to incite violence. It does not permit freedom of speech to incite the overthrow of the Government. And it certainly does not permit freedom of speech for the head of the Government to incite its overthrow.

And on the “political reality”:

I’m afraid that Mr. Dershowitz misrepresented Donald Trump’s speech on January 6. Having failed to overturn the election via the courts, State legislatures, Congress, and even Mike Pence, he told his supporters to go to the Capitol and “fight, fight like hell” to block a President-elect Biden.