Donald Trump's lawyers argued four key points during their defense of the former president on Friday — all focused on process.
The latest: Trump's defense team has ended its brief presentation, and questioning has begun. The former president's defense team could not answer a question on when he knew about the breach of the U.S. Capitol, saying the "rush" to impeach has resulted in "zero" investigation into the issue.
- Rep. Stacey Plaskett responded to the same question on behalf of Democrats, stating, "This attack was on live TV. On all major networks in real-time. The president as president has access to intelligence information, including reports from inside the Capitol. He knew the violence that was underway."
Democratic leadership told senators they expect to end the Q&A portion of the trial Friday night, then recess until 10 a.m. Saturday morning, three Democratic aides tell Axios.
- A final vote is expected Saturday around 3 p.m. ET, suggesting neither side plans to call witnesses.
Highlights:...
- Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen kicked off the presentation by arguing that "no thinking person" could conclude that Trump incited the insurrection on Jan. 6, calling the impeachment an "unconstitutional act" of "political vengeance" and a "political witch hunt."
- Van der Veen showed clips of House Democrats in 2016 objecting to Trump's victory in several states — including lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin. "To litigate questions of election integrity within the system is not incitement to insurrection. It is the democratic system working as founders and lawmakers have designed," Van der Veen argued.
- He falsely claimed that one of the first people arrested after the Capitol attack was