WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Defending Donald Trump could almost make the lawyer who represents him a household name.
During the O.J. Simpson trial, everyone became familiar with the late Johnnie Cochran.
In Florida, Jose Baez had a national profile after defending Casey Anthony, who was acquitted of the murder of her 3-year-old daughter in Orlando in 2005.
However, the Washington Post and other national news outlets claim some of Florida’s top defense lawyers are turning down the chance to represent the former President.
Trump needs an attorney licensed to practice law in the state.
The Post quoted sources as saying Donald Trump is a difficult client who often ignores his lawyers’ advice, threatens to engage in illegal activity and skips out on legal bills.
Other publications wrote law firms fear they’ll lose clients if they represent Donald Trump.
West Palm Beach Attorney Michael Salnick has been a defense lawyer in several high-profile cases in the past four decades.
“A defense lawyer truly is liberty’s last champion,” said Salnick, adding it’s not healthy for the legal system if a polarizing defendant like Trump struggles to find someone to represent him. “And I truly and firmly have believed in that for 40 years. You don’t decide who you represent, because it’s politically incorrect, or because it’s going to hurt your practice, or because people are going to think ill of you.”
As for Trump, he describes reports of scrambling to find attorneys in the Mar-a-Lago case, as fake news.
The former president posted on his social media platform Truth Social, “I already have excellent and experienced lawyers.”