The defense lawyers for former President Donald Trump made their arguments on Friday, only using about 3 of the 16 hours that they were allotted. The lawyers played several videos of high-profile Democrats and accused the House managers of falsifying evidence. One attorney even decried the article of impeachment as “constitutional cancel culture.” Senators also got the chance to ask questions of the managers and the lawyers. But there was one rare moment of unity on Friday in this incredibly divisive trial.
Trump’s defense team pushed back against the accusations from House managers that the former President incited an insurrection, with attorney Bruce Castor going as far as saying that there was no insurrection.
The attorneys also weighed in on the House managers’ criticism of Trump’s usage of the term “fight like hell,” saying that their client was referring to Republican members of Congress. They even displayed a 10-minute montage of almost every Democratic Senator using the word ‘fight’ in some way, which you can watch here.
Attorney David Schoen accused House managers of falsifying evidence. He singled out a photo of Lead Manager Jamie Raskin in the New York Times, in which the Maryland Democrat can be seen looking at a tweet from Trump with an incorrect date. The tweet in question was never used in the House managers’ presentation.
After the attorneys concluded their presentation, Senators were given the chance to present questions to both the managers and the attorneys. The question that caused the most raucous in the chamber was from Sen. Bernie Sanders. The Independent from Vermont asked both sides if they believed that the presidential election was stolen from Trump. Attorney Michael van der Veen dismissed the question, saying that it was not relevant to the article of impeachment. You can watch the heated exchange below.
Trump’s defense team also asserted that he did not know that Vice President Mike Pence was in danger on January 6. But Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a fierce Trump ally, said that he was on the phone with the President while the Vice President was being escorted to safety by Secret Service agents. Van der Veen dismissed the call as “hearsay,” but Tuberville stood by his account of the call on Friday.
Now that both sides have made their arguments and the Senators have been given the chance to ask questions, closing arguments and a final vote could happen as early as Saturday, meaning that the trial could be over by Saturday evening. A conviction remains unlikely, but some Republican Senators have praised the arguments made by the House managers. The trial will resume on Saturday at 10:00AM ET.
There was one moment during Friday’s proceedings that drew applause from Senators of both parties. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that the Senate would vote to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman, who is credited with keeping pro-Trump rioters away from the Senate chamber on January 6. The Senate unanimously approved the bill, and it now heads to the House for approval.