John Dowd is either the perfect choice to represent President Donald Trump or a combustible addition to his criminal defense team, depending on whom you ask.

Dowd signed up last week to work with New York civil litigator Marc Kasowitz and lawyer and radio personality Jay Sekulow on Trump's private legal team as he faces a criminal investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia. Their representation and Trump's reaction to the investigation thus far have been marked by fierce attacks of perceived opponents and curt denials.

Though he's not himself a quintessential New York lawyer—the type who combines dealmaking instincts with sharp public statements and sharper elbows—Dowd fits that combative mold.