{"id":106695,"date":"2021-02-10T23:40:29","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T23:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=106695"},"modified":"2021-02-10T23:40:29","modified_gmt":"2021-02-10T23:40:29","slug":"trumps-impeachment-trial-lawyers-aim-to-shift-blame-democrats-say-he-has-no-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/trumps-impeachment-trial-lawyers-aim-to-shift-blame-democrats-say-he-has-no-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump's impeachment trial lawyers aim to shift blame; Democrats say he has no defense"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – On the eve of his impeachment trial on a charge of inciting the deadly U.S. Capitol attack, Donald Trump\u2019s lawyers on Monday denied he had encouraged the violence that they blamed on \u201ca small group of criminals,\u201d while the Democrats who will prosecute the former president said he has no valid defense.<\/p>

Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 8, 2021. REUTERS\/Marco Bello<\/figcaption>

Trump\u2019s legal team, seeking to convince members of the 100-seat Senate not to convict the Republican or to bar him from again serving in public office, gave fresh insight into their defense strategy in a brief filed ahead of his unprecedented second impeachment trial.<\/p>\n

The defense lawyers reiterated their argument that the Constitution does not allow for impeachment proceedings against a former president even as Democrats and many legal experts argued such a move – the first in U.S. history – is permissible. They called the trial a \u201cbrazen political act\u201d by Democrats with a \u201chunger for this political theater\u201d with the intention to \u201csilence a political opponent and a minority party.\u201d Trump\u2019s four-year term ended on Jan. 20.<\/p>\n

The charge of \u201cincitement of insurrection\u201d passed by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on Jan. 13 focused on Trump\u2019s speech to a crowd of supporters shortly before hundreds of them stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, sending lawmakers into hiding and leaving five people dead including a police officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe evidence of President Trump\u2019s conduct is overwhelming,\u201d the nine Democratic House impeachment managers, who will serve as prosecutors, wrote in their brief. \u201cHe has no valid excuse or defense for his actions. And his efforts to escape accountability are entirely unavailing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conviction requires a two-thirds majority, meaning 17 Republicans would need to join the Senate\u2019s 50 Democrats in the vote. Based on preliminary votes and public comments, there appears to be little chance of that occurring.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s lawyers said he was speaking only in a \u201cfigurative sense\u201d when he told followers to go to the Capitol and \u201cfight like hell\u201d as Congress was formally certifying Democrat Joe Biden\u2019s election victory. Trump\u2019s use of the word \u201cfight,\u201d the defense said, \u201ccould not be construed to encourage acts of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNotably absent from his speech was any reference to or encouragement of an insurrection, a riot, criminal action, or any acts of physical violence whatsoever,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s lawyers said he could not be held responsible for the actions of \u201ca small group of criminals – who had come to the capital of their own accord armed and ready for a fight.\u201d<\/p>

Slideshow ( 4 images )<\/span><\/figcaption>

Several of the roughly 200 people charged following the riot have tried to shift at least some blame onto Trump as they defend themselves in court or in the court of public opinion.<\/p>\n

The impeachment, Trump\u2019s lawyers wrote, \u201cwas only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum\u201d on Jan. 6.<\/p>\n

CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE<\/h2>\n

The Democratic managers ridiculed Trump\u2019s defense argument that he was simply exercising his free speech rights under the Constitution\u2019s First Amendment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe House did not impeach President Trump because he expressed an unpopular political opinion,\u201d the Democrats wrote. \u201cIt impeached him because he willfully incited violent insurrection against the government.\u201d<\/p>\n

Defense lawyers Bruce Castor, David Schoen and Michael van der Veen said the Constitution \u201cdoes not provide for the impeachment of a private citizen who is not in office.\u201d A failed Jan. 26 bid to dismiss the case on that basis drew support from 45 of the 50 Senate Republicans.<\/p>\n

A U.S. law professor and impeachment expert whose research Trump\u2019s lawyers cited said they misrepresented his work in Tuesday\u2019s brief.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s false claims of a stolen election and his speech before the riot have left fissures in his party. Ten House Republicans voted to impeach him.<\/p>\n

A source familiar with trial discussions said it will open on Tuesday with a four-hour debate and then a vote on whether the proceedings are unconstitutional because Trump is no longer president. Beginning on Wednesday at noon, there will be up to 32 hours of trial debate, and the Senate would vote on whether to allow witnesses if House prosecutors want any, the source said.<\/p>\n

The Senate will pause from Friday evening to Saturday evening to honor a request by lawyer Schoen, who observes the Jewish Sabbath, and resume on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s first impeachment trial, on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate Biden and his son Hunter, ended in February 2020 in acquittal by the then-Republican-led Senate.<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – On the eve of his impeachment trial on a charge of inciting the deadly U.S. Capitol attack, Donald Trump\u2019s lawyers on Monday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":106694,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nTrump's impeachment trial lawyers aim to shift blame; Democrats say he has no defense - Fin2me<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/trumps-impeachment-trial-lawyers-aim-to-shift-blame-democrats-say-he-has-no-defense\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump's impeachment trial lawyers aim to shift blame; Democrats say he has no defense - Fin2me\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"WASHINGTON (Reuters) – On the eve of his impeachment trial on a charge of inciting the deadly U.S. Capitol attack, Donald Trump\u2019s lawyers on Monday [...]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/trumps-impeachment-trial-lawyers-aim-to-shift-blame-democrats-say-he-has-no-defense\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fin2me\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-10T23:40:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/cnewsfotor36.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/trumps-impeachment-trial-lawyers-aim-to-shift-blame-democrats-say-he-has-no-defense\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/trumps-impeachment-trial-lawyers-aim-to-shift-blame-democrats-say-he-has-no-defense\/\",\"name\":\"Trump's impeachment trial lawyers aim to shift blame; 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