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Defense attorneys taught their arguments for three hours, accusing Democrats of going after D. Trump.
Two days earlier, Democratic impeachment leaders had made their case by posting shocking images of angry Republican supporters attacking the Capitol on January 6 to prevent confirmation of Joe Biden’s election victory.
The Senate will meet again on Saturday at 10 pm (5 pm Lithuania time) to discuss whether to allow witness testimony, then both sides must present their final arguments.
The verdict is expected to be voted on the same day. So far, it looks like Democrats won’t get enough Republican support for the conviction.
On Friday, defense attorney Michael van der Veen called the impeachment “a manifestly unconstitutional act of political revenge.”
He called on 100 members of the jury of senators to “vote quickly and decisively” to dismiss the charge of inciting the rebellion.
But impeachment leaders say Trump deliberately instigated national tensions after defeating Biden on Nov. 3, alleging without evidence that massive electoral fraud had taken place.
On January 6, he held a fierce rally near the White House, inviting the crowd to march on Congress, where Biden’s victory would be confirmed that day.
The crowd invaded the United States Capitol and interrupted the statement of the election results. Five people were killed in the chaos that followed, including a woman who was shot to death when he invaded the Capitol and a crowd beaten up by a police officer.
Impeachment leaders say Trump, who has not expressed regret for encouraging a violent crowd, is so dangerous that he should be removed from office again.
D. A short sentence requires a two-thirds majority of 100 seats in the Senate. That means that at least 17 Republican senators should be supported by 50 Democrats in the vote.
While Trump appears to be acquitted, even a few Republican votes against him would leave a historic mark on his presidency, fueling internal disagreements within the party over whether to follow his populist and divisive vision or return to more moderate values.
Hypocrisy
The former president’s lawyers argued that his fiery words to the crowd at the January 6 rally were a figure of speech, even as he called on the rebellious crowd to “fight the devil” for his presidency.
They also argue that the real goal of the Democrats is to remove Trump from the political scene.
“Let’s be clear: this trial is so much more than President Trump,” said defense attorney Bruce Castor.
“This is about the recall of 75 million Trump voters and the criminalization of political opinions. That’s what this lawsuit is about,” he said.
In response to a shocking video used by Democrats, defense attorneys showed their montages of Democratic lawmakers saying the word “fight” in their previous speeches and on television.
Among them were Democratic senators, as well as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Please stop the hypocrisy,” said David Schoen, Trump’s attorney.
“Ignited and incited” the crowd
Footage archived by the impeachment leaders in the Senate show high-ranking politicians, including then-Vice President Mike Pence, fleeing the Capitol after an angry crowd stormed the compound last month.
Schoen ridiculed that video as an “entertainment package” and said Trump could not be held responsible for the actions of the crowd.
But impeachment chief Jamie Raskin pointed out that the Republican had encouraged extremism even before Election Day, constantly undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
“This short-lived uprising did not come from the air,” Raskin said. “It was not the first time that Donald Trump had ignited and incited the crowd.”
He said it was necessary for the Senate to condemn Trump and bar him from running for president again in 2024, otherwise there was a risk that the same behavior would occur again.
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