Alan Dershowitz, who spoke in President Donald Trump’s defense at the impeachment trial this week, was at the White House today for the president’s Middle East peace plan announcement.

At one point during the event, Trump praised Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for berating an NPR reporter because of her questions about Ukraine. Mary Louise Kelly said after the interview, Pompeo erupted and yelled at her and asked her if she could point to Ukraine on a map. She said she did. Pompeo issued a stunning statement in response that insinuated she pointed to the wrong country.

On CNN tonight, Dershowitz and Jeffrey Toobin got pretty heated over the impeachment trial before Toobin took a moment to ask Dershowitz why he gave Pompeo a pat on the back as Trump praised Pompeo over that confrontation.

“Why are you patting Mike Pompeo on the back?” Toobin asked.

“Because I like Mike Pompeo’s views on the Middle East,” Dershowitz said. “I thoroughly disapprove of the way he has reportedly treated a reporter. I don’t think reporters should be treated that way, in any way, and I don’t think presidents should say that it’s a good thing to treat a reporter like that.”

“You patted him on the back when the president was praising him for attacking the reporter,” Toobin said.

“I think you’re reading too much into that. I had patted him on the back a dozen times when we talked about the Middle East. That’s what my pat was intended to encourage,” Dershowitz responded. “If he can help to bring about peace in the Middle East, I’ll forgive him his rudeness toward a reporter.”

You can watch above, via CNN.

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