Washington: Attorneys for former President Donald Trump will begin presenting their defense on Friday in the Senate impeachment trial, after House Democrats spent two days linking Trump’s words and actions to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack.
Although they have as many as 16 hours over two days to make their case for the former president, the defense attorneys are expected to make expediency a tenet of their defense.
After two days in which Democrats played dozens of video and audio clips to argue Trump was responsible for sending violent supporters to take over the Capitol, defense attorneys are expected to lean on a primary theme — that the trial itself is unconstitutional because Trump has already left office, and his words are protected under the First Amendment.
Attorney David Schoen said his team expects to take only a few hours on Friday to present their case.
Trump’s team also includes attorneys Bruce Castor, Michael van der Veen and William Brennan.
Defense attorneys are expected to show video evidence to argue that Trump told rioters on Jan. 6 to protest peacefully and that Democrats had also used strong language.
After Trump’s team finishes presenting its case, the Senate will then have an opportunity to ask questions. The trial will then move to the witness and evidence phase, if Democrats plan to introduce any, before both sides make their closing arguments.
The trial is expected to last into next week.
