Trump Lawyers Blast Impeachment Trial As ‘Political Theater’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday blasted the impeachment case towards him as an act of “political theater” as they accused House Democrats of exploiting the chaos and trauma of final month’s riot on the U.S. Capitol for his or her get together’s acquire.

In a brief filed on the eve of the impeachment trial, legal professionals for the previous president leveled a wide-ranging assault on the case, foreshadowing the claims they intend to current when arguments start Tuesday on the identical Senate flooring that was invaded by rioters on Jan. 6.

They counsel that Trump was merely exercising his First Amendment rights when he disputed the election outcomes and argue that he explicitly inspired his supporters to have a peaceable protest and subsequently can’t be answerable for the actions of the rioters. They say the Senate shouldn’t be entitled to attempt Trump now that he has left workplace, an argument contested by even some conservative authorized students, and so they deny that the aim of the case is justice.

“Instead, this was 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 upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on Jan. 6 by a few hundred people,” the legal professionals wrote in a quick obtained by The Associated Press.

“Instead of acting to heal the nation, or at the very least focusing on prosecuting the lawbreakers who stormed the Capitol, the Speaker of the House and her allies have tried to callously harness the chaos of the moment for their own political gain,” they added.

The trial will start in earnest Tuesday with a debate and vote on whether or not it’s even constitutional to prosecute the previous president, an argument that might resonate with Republicans eager on voting to acquit Trump with out being seen as condoning his conduct.

Under a draft settlement between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the proceedings will break Friday night for the Jewish Sabbath on the request of Trump’s protection staff and resume on Sunday. There will doubtless be no witnesses, and the previous president has declined a request to testify.

Trump’s second impeachment trial is opening with a way of urgency — by Democrats who wish to maintain him accountable for the violent Capitol siege and Republicans who need it over as rapidly as attainable.

The proceedings are anticipated to diverge from the prolonged, sophisticated trial that resulted in Trump’s acquittal a yr in the past on fees that he privately pressured Ukraine to dig up filth on a Democratic rival, Joe Biden, now the president. This time, Trump’s rally cry to “fight like hell” and the storming of the Capitol performed out for the world to see. Trump very nicely might be acquitted once more, and the trial might be over in half the time.

Under the phrases of the trial being negotiated, it might launch first with a debate over its constitutionality, a key argument of the previous president’s protection. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., pressured a vote on the difficulty final month, and senators will once more be confronted with a debate and vote.

Opening arguments would start Wednesday at midday, with as much as 16 hours per aspect for displays.

Trump is the primary president to be twice impeached, and the one one to face trial after leaving the White House. The Democratic-led House accepted a sole cost, “incitement of insurrection,” performing swiftly one week after the riot, probably the most violent assault on Congress in additional than 200 years. Five folks died together with a lady shot by police contained in the constructing and a police officer who died of accidents the subsequent day.

So far, it seems there will likely be few witnesses referred to as, as the prosecutors and defense attorneys speak directly to senators who’ve been sworn to ship “impartial justice” as jurors. Most are additionally witnesses to the siege, having fled for security that day because the rioters broke into the Capitol and briefly halted the electoral depend certifying Biden’s victory.

Instead, House managers prosecuting the case are anticipated to depend on the trove of movies from the siege, together with Trump’s incendiary rhetoric refusing to concede the election, to make their case. His new protection staff has mentioned it plans to counter with its personal cache of movies of Democratic politicians making fiery speeches.

“We have the unusual circumstance where on the very first day of the trial, when those managers walk on the floor of the Senate, there will already be over 100 witnesses present,” mentioned Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who led Trump’s first impeachment. “Whether you need additional witnesses will be a strategic call.”

Democrats argue it’s not solely about successful conviction, however holding the former president accountable for his actions, though he’s out of workplace. For Republicans, the trial will check their political loyalty to Trump and his enduring grip on the GOP.

Initially repulsed by the graphic photographs of the siege, Republican senators together with Senate Republican chief Mitch McConnell denounced the violence and pointed a finger of blame at Trump. But in latest weeks GOP senators have rallied round Trump arguing his feedback don’t make him answerable for the violence. They query the legitimacy of even conducting a trial of somebody now not in workplace.

On Sunday, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi described Trump’s impeachment trial as a “meaningless messaging partisan exercise.” Paul referred to as the proceedings a farce with “zero chance of conviction” and described Trump’s language and rally phrases as “figurative” speech.

Senators have been sworn in as jurors late final month, shortly after Biden was inaugurated, however the trial proceedings have been delayed as Democrats centered on confirming the brand new president’s preliminary Cabinet picks and Republicans sought to place as a lot distance as attainable from the bloody riot.

At the time, Paul pressured a vote to put aside the trial as unconstitutional as a result of Trump is now not in workplace, drawing 44 different Republicans to his argument.

A distinguished conservative lawyer, Charles Cooper, rejects that view, writing in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece Sunday that the Constitution permits the Senate to attempt an ex-official, a major counterpoint to that of Republican senators who’ve appeared towards acquittal by advancing constitutional claims.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one in all Trump’s ardent defenders, mentioned he believes Trump’s actions have been mistaken and “he’s going to have a place in history for all of this,” however insisted it’s not the Senate’s job to evaluate.

But 45 votes in favor of Paul’s measure recommended the close to impossibility of reaching a conviction in a Senate the place Democrats maintain 50 seats however a two-thirds vote — or 67 senators — can be wanted to convict Trump. Only 5 Republican senators joined with Democrats to reject Paul’s movement: Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Schiff was on NBC’s “Meet the Press, Wicker spoke on ABC’s “This Week,” Paul was on “Fox News Sunday” and Graham was on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Associated Press author Hope Yen contributed to this report.