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Trump's Lawyers to Present his Defense in Just 1 Day

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - Lawyers for former U.S. President Donald Trump say they
   only need one day to present their client's case in his impeachment
   trial before the U.S. Senate.

   Trump's lawyers are mounting the former president's defense Friday
   without any testimony from the former president, who has declined to
   participate in the trial.

   The defense follows a two-day presentation by House Democrats linking
   Trump's rhetoric at a rally on Jan. 6 to the actions of the mob that
   overtook the U.S. Capitol shortly afterward in an attempt to block the
   certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

   In an unusual move Thursday, three Republican Senators -- Lindsey
   Graham of South Carolina, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah -- who
   are jurors in the trial, met with Trump's lawyers.

   CNN reported that David Schoen, one of Trump's lawyers, said the
   lawmakers wanted to ensure that the Trump's defense team was "familiar
   with procedure" before Friday's presentation.

   Trump is reported to be disappointed with the performance of his
   lawyers --- Schoen and Bruce Castor -- who were recruited after the
   former president's first legal team quit shortly before the trial
   began.

   Impeachment prosecutors contended Thursday there is "clear and
   overwhelming" evidence that former Trump incited insurrection by
   sending a mob of his supporters to the Capitol last month to confront
   lawmakers as they were certifying that he had lost the November
   election to Democrat Joe Biden.

   In closing arguments, the lead impeachment manager, Congressman Jamie
   Raskin of Maryland, told the 100 members of the Senate acting as jurors
   they should use "common sense on what happened here."

   "It is a bedrock principle that no one can incite a riot" in the
   American democracy, Raskin said.

   But he argued that Trump urged hundreds of his supporters to march to
   the Capitol on Jan. 6 and then, when they stormed the building, smashed
   windows, ransacked offices and scuffled with police, "did nothing for
   at least two hours" to end the mayhem that left five people dead,
   including a Capitol Police officer.

   "He betrayed us," Raskin said of the former U.S. leader, whose
   four-year term ended Jan. 20 as Biden was inaugurated as the country's
   46th president. "He incited a violent insurrection against our
   government. He must be convicted."

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