Trump Legal Team Lays Out Their Case in Second Impeachment Trial

Tara Mergener
02-12-2021

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Former President Donald Trump's legal team is fighting back on day four of his impeachment trial. On Friday, they kicked off their defense, arguing he's not guilty of inciting an insurrection.

"History will record this shameful effort as a deliberate attempt by the Democrat Party to smear, censor, and cancel not just President Trump," said Trump attorney Michael Van Der Veen. 

BELOW:  Watch the Next Phase of the Impeachment Trial

They're pushing back against the case made by Democrat House impeachment managers that his words are responsible for the Capitol Hill riot last month that killed 5 people, including a police officer. 

It does not appear there will be enough votes to convict Trump and his lawyers want to keep it that way.   

The defense team painting his words just before the attack as political speech protected under the First Amendment, insisted a trial to convict the former president is unconstitutional and that his comments were taken out of context. 

During the proceedings, a video showing examples of numerous Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and President Joe Biden using charged rhetoric themselves.    

This week, House impeachment managers spent two days laying out an emotional case against the former president.   

But the defense says their case is lacking, hypocritical and that they manufactured evidence by selectively editing Trump's words over and over.

Meanwhile, Trump's legal team is said to be meeting with GOP senators to talk strategy and insure most Republicans are united in acquitting Trump. 

After the Trump team wraps its case, senators can question both them and the House impeachment managers. 

The trial could continue playing out over the weekend and even into early next week before a final vote is conducted. There's no solid word on a timeline.

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About The Author

Tara
Mergener

Tara Mergener is an award-winning journalist and expert storyteller who spent the majority of her career as a correspondent in Washington, D.C. She worked at CBS Newspath for many years, reporting for all CBS platforms, including CBS News and CBS affiliates throughout the nation. Tara also reported at CNN, Hearst’s Washington, D.C. Bureau, and was a contributor on Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren. Tara has won dozens of awards for her investigative and political reporting, including Headliner Foundation’s Best Reporter in Texas, multiple Edward R. Murrow awards, Texas Associated Press
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