The Dershowitz Paradox: 5 Reasons Why Alan Dershowitz Is Not A 'Trump Supporter'—But May Still Vote For Him
Alan Dershowitz, the renowned legal scholar and Professor Emeritus at Harvard Law School, has become one of the most polarizing figures in modern American politics. As of late 2025, the question of whether he is a "Trump supporter" is less about party loyalty and more about a deep, complex philosophical split over constitutional law and civil liberties.
The short answer is no—he is not a traditional supporter. Dershowitz has publicly stated he remains a liberal Democrat in his political philosophy, yet he has also confirmed he can no longer vote for the Democratic Party and is considering casting his ballot for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. This paradox stems from his belief that his defense of the former President during the first impeachment trial was a defense of the U.S. Constitution itself, not an endorsement of the man or his policies. His political evolution represents a seismic shift from a lifelong Democratic voter to a self-described "non-partisan defender of due process" who feels alienated by the modern Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Alan Dershowitz: A Legal Career Defined by Controversial Clients
Alan Morton Dershowitz was born on September 1, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, making him 87 years old as of 2025. His career is one of the most decorated and controversial in American legal history.
- Full Name: Alan Morton Dershowitz
- Born: September 1, 1938 (Age 87 in 2025)
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
- Education: Brooklyn College (B.A., 1959), Yale Law School (LL.B., 1962)
- Career: Lawyer, Law Professor, Author, Political Commentator.
- Academic Tenure: Joined Harvard Law School faculty in 1964 and, at the age of 28, became the youngest full professor of law in its history. He is now Professor Emeritus.
- Notable Legal Clients: His reputation as a fierce criminal defense attorney was built on a long list of high-profile and infamous clients, including Claus von Bülow, Patty Hearst, Harry Reems, Leona Helmsley, Jim Bakker, Mike Tyson, Michael Milken, O.J. Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, and President Donald Trump.
The Constitutional Defense: Why Dershowitz Joined Trump’s Impeachment Team
The central event that thrust Dershowitz into the heart of the "Trump supporter" debate was his role on President Donald Trump’s legal team for the first impeachment trial in 2020.
Dershowitz has consistently maintained that his involvement was not a political endorsement but a defense of the constitutional principle of impeachment. He argued that a president’s action, even if taken for personal or political gain, does not warrant impeachment unless it constitutes a crime. His famous—and controversial—assertion was that if a President believes his election is in the public interest, any action taken to promote that election cannot be a constitutionally impeachable offense.
He saw his role as preventing the creation of a "dangerous constitutional precedent" that could weaponize the impeachment process against future presidents of any party. This stance, he argues, is consistent with his lifelong commitment to defending civil liberties and due process, regardless of the client's guilt or public perception. In his view, he was defending the office of the presidency and the U.S. constitutional law, not the man, Donald Trump.
He has since written extensively on the topic, including his book, The Case Against Impeaching Trump, and the more recent Get Trump: The Threat to Civil Liberties, Due Process, and Our Constitutional Rule of Law, solidifying his position as a defender of legal process against what he perceives as a politically motivated "get Trump" campaign.
The Political Evolution: From Lifelong Democrat to Independent Voter
Dershowitz's relationship with the Democratic Party has completely fractured in recent years, which is a major factor in his current political alignment and the perception that he is a Trump supporter.
The Disillusionment with the DNC
For over 70 years, Dershowitz was a committed Democrat, having voted for every Democratic presidential nominee since John F. Kennedy. However, he publicly announced his departure from the party, citing a profound disillusionment. He claims the modern Democratic Party has become "anti-Israel" and "anti-Jewish," particularly following its response to international conflicts. He cited the recent DNC's platform and its members as the main reasons for his disgust and decision to leave the party.
This political shift is not a full embrace of the Republican ideology but a rejection of what he sees as the progressive left's abandonment of classical liberal principles, including a commitment to free speech and due process. This is the core of his political evolution: he hasn't moved right, he argues, but the Democratic Party has moved away from him.
The 'Canceled' Professor
A major, and very current, element of his story is the claim that his defense of Trump led to him being "canceled." Dershowitz has spoken frequently about being ostracized by his former liberal friends and colleagues, especially at his summer home in Martha’s Vineyard. He has even threatened legal action over perceived blacklisting. This personal experience of being "canceled" has cemented his view that a dangerous culture of political intolerance is thriving on the left, further pushing him into a position of defending those targeted by it, including Donald Trump.
The 2024 Election and the Third-Term Hypothetical
The most recent and compelling evidence of Dershowitz’s complex stance comes from his commentary on the upcoming 2024 election and his direct conversations with the former President.
Considering a Vote for Trump
Despite his long history as a liberal, Dershowitz has openly discussed the possibility of voting for Donald Trump in 2024. He has stated that his decision would be based on which candidate he believes poses the least threat to the Constitution and due process. For him, the choice is between a Democratic Party he no longer recognizes and a Republican candidate he views as flawed but whose prosecution he perceives as a threat to the rule of law.
The Third-Term Constitutional Question
Dershowitz also revealed that he met with Donald Trump to discuss the constitutionality of a third term. This discussion was the basis for his book, Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term? His legal analysis concluded that the US Constitution is not entirely clear on the matter, leaving unresolved questions about whether a president who was impeached but not convicted could serve again.
This engagement—writing a book and consulting directly with Trump on a hypothetical constitutional path back to the White House—places him in the orbit of a "confidant" rather than a mere commentator. However, Dershowitz views this as his professional duty: to analyze and defend the Constitution's integrity, even for a client as controversial as Donald Trump.
Conclusion: A Non-Partisan Defense of Due Process
To definitively label Alan Dershowitz a "Trump supporter" is to miss the nuance of his current political identity. He is not an ideological Republican, nor does he embrace Trump’s *Make America Great Again* (MAGA) political movement. Instead, he has positioned himself as an independent, non-partisan legal scholar whose primary allegiance is to the core tenets of American law: civil liberties, due process, and the Constitution. His defense of Donald Trump is, in his own narrative, a defense of these principles against what he sees as a dangerous, politically motivated attempt to criminalize political differences. His willingness to vote for Trump in 2024 is less an endorsement of the man and more a protest against the political left he feels has abandoned him and the foundational principles of American jurisprudence.
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