Trump Impeachment Legal Team Wraps Defense

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former President Donald Trump’s legal team wrapped up its defense in the impeachment trial this afternoon. While the House impeachment managers used about 10 of their 16 allotted hours of argument time, Trump’s legal team concluded its case in a little over three hours.

In their short presentation, Trump’s attorneys reiterated their argument that the former president’s language on Jan. 6 was protected by the First Amendment. They also attempted to deflect the prosecutions’ case by accusing Democrats of hypocrisy and playing a video of some Democrats using the word “fight” in various interviews.

Senators then had a total of four hours to submit written questions for the impeachment managers and Trump’s defense team to answer. Topics ranged from questioning the specific actions Trump took on Jan. 6, talking about the “Big Lie” and asking if Trump is innocent because he said “be peaceful” during his speech. Rep. Jamie Raskin’s (D-Md.) response to the “be peaceful” question was, “If you rob a bank and on the way out the door, you yell, ‘Respect private property!’ that’s not a defense to robbing the bank.”

Tomorrow, if the impeachment managers request it, there will be an argument on whether the Senate should consider motions to subpoena witnesses and documents. Finally, closing arguments will take place over four hours, equally divided between the two sides, before the final vote to convict.