MSNBC host snarks at Alan Dershowitz over Russian probe, and he shuts her down

MSNBC's Joy Reid thought it was a good idea to mock famed lawyer and professor emeritus at Harvard Law School Alan Dershowitz, but he shut her down with just one tweet.

Her criticism was aimed at his opinion that the investigation into Russian interference and collusion "endangers democracy. Rather than engage with him on the merits of the case, she mocked that he was posing opinions out of opportunistic self-interest.

"If by 'democracy' you mean Alan Dershhowitz [sic] getting a Supreme Court seat or at least solicitor general for his obsequious loyalty to Trump," she tweeted, with a link to a story at The Hill reporting Dershowitz's comments about the investigation.

"The idea of trying to create crimes just because we disagree with [President Trump] politically, and target him, really endangers democracy. [It] reminds me of what the head of the KGB said to Stalin: 'Show me the man, and I will find you the crime,'" Dershowitz said on a radio talk show.

"[This is] where things happen in darkness and secrecy. The American public doesn't learn about it," he said.

Dershowitz took to Twitter Monday to respond to Reid's criticism.

"Ad hominems don't respond to serious arguments," he posted simply.

He referred to the logical fallacy which has to do with an interlocutor assailing her rhetorical opponent with insults rather than attacking the argument.

Dershowitz also responded to former White House Ethics Counsel Richard Painter, a frequent Trump critic, over the same comments.

"As a civil libertarian I can't remain silent in the face of violations of civil liberties regardless of the political implications," he tweeted. "That's the difference between me and partisans who place politics over principles."

Special Counsel Mueller has reportedly opened a grand jury investigation into the matter, while many have speculated that Trump is looking to fire him in order to end the politically damaging investigation.