In his opening remark, lawyer Michael van der Veen claimed that Trump’s impeachment trial is “an unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance.”
Former US President Donald Trump’s impeachment defense team on Friday dismissed Democrats’ allegations that Trump incited the Capitol attack and said that asking supporters to fight is a standard political rhetoric. The team played a lengthy montage of Democratic politicians using the word “fight” numerous times in their speeches, campaign rallies, and on television.
Trump’s defense lawyer David Schoen played the 10-minute long video that showed various Democratic politicians including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris reaching out to their supporters and asking to fight against Trump’s administration. The aim was to show the word “fight” is a common political phrase and it doesn’t include Trump inciting violence. Trump had asked his supporters to “fight like hell” before the riot broke at the US Capitol on January 6. Schoen told the Democrats that every single one of them used it. He said: “You didn’t do anything wrong. It is a word people use but, please stop the hypocrisy.”
Trump’s lawyers highlighted that in the same January 6 speech, Trump asked the crowd to behave “peacefully,” and his general distrust of the election results is protected under the First Amendment.
In his opening remark, lawyer Michael van der Veen claimed that Trump’s impeachment trial is “an unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance.” Veen said: “Like every other politically motivated witch hunt the left has engaged in over the past four years, this impeachment is completely divorced from the facts, the evidence, and the interests of the American people.”
Trump’s second impeachment trial is speeding to a conclusion with Trump’s team using just three hours for the presentation from the allotted 16 hours.
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