Alan Dershowitz claims former friends are 'shunning' him for his defence of Donald Trump
Alan Dershowitz, the lawyer and academic, has revealed he has been "shunned" by former friends on Martha's Vineyard because of his defence of President Donald Trump.
The 73-year-old former Harvard Law professor claims liberal elites have closed ranks to exclude him from their social circles on the wealthy Massachusetts island because of his defence of the president's civil liberties.
Mr Dershowitz, who famously defended OJ Simpson, has been a vocal critic of the decision to appoint a special counsel to investigate the US president for possible Russian collusion in the 2016 election.
He has also defended Mr Trump against claims he should be investigated for obstruction of justice as well as suggestions that the president should be impeached.
Despite voting for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic rival, instead of Mr Trump and donating money to her campaign, Mr Dershowitz claims as a result of his recent comments some of his old friends" were "trying to ban me from their social life".
"I am a liberal Democrat in politics, but a neutral civil libertarian when it comes to the Constitution," the academic wrote in a column for the political website The Hill.
"But that is not good enough for some of my old friends on Martha’s Vineyard. For them, it is enough that what I have said about the Constitution might help Trump. So they are shunning me and trying to ban me from their social life on Martha’s Vineyard.
Mr Dershowitz revealed that among his former friends was an academic at a distinguished university who has told their acquaintances that he will not attend any events at which Mr Dershowitz may also be present.
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"He and others have demanded 'trigger warnings' so that they can be assured of having 'safe spaces' in which they will not encounter me or my ideas," Mr Dershowitz wrote.
Others in his social circle have threatened to stop contributing to organisations that sponsor his talks, he claimed.
