Trump’s defense team is coming out swinging, slamming the claim former President Donald Trump “encouraged” violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 is a “monstrous lie.”
“To claim that the president in any way wished, desired or encouraged lawless or violent behavior is a preposterous and monstrous lie,” Michael van der Veen, an attorney for Trump, said during Friday’s Senate impeachment trial.
Van der Veen then pointed to Trump’s tweets on that day where he told protesters to “stay peaceful” and “no violence because we are the party of law and order” in defense.
Watch the video below:
"To claim that the president in any way wished, desired or encouraged lawless or violent behavior is a preposterous and monstrous lie," Trump's legal counsel says during the #impeachmenttrial. https://t.co/D2izN4zffb pic.twitter.com/hGOaRJrQuX
— ABC News (@ABC) February 12, 2021
NBC News fact-checked Trump’s lawyer’s remark suggesting those were the first two messages Trump shared following the Capitol breach. The network called it “false” and said the first message during the riot was a montage of the rally earlier that day. And, the first tweet, once the Capitol was actually breached, was a post where Trump bashed Pence.
Trump’s tweet to “stay peaceful” came over a half hour after protesters stormed the Capitol and his other message of “no violence” came an hour into the riot, NBC News reports.
Trump’s defense team began their arguments on Friday, which followed two days of arguments by the House impeachment managers. They are arguing why Trump is not guilty of inciting violence that occurred on Jan. 6.
Following Election Day, Trump continued to push unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud.
His team is expected to argue that the trial is unconstitutional and why Trump’s comments on Jan. 6 are protected by the First Amendment.
President Joe Biden shared with reporters on Friday his thoughts about the impeachment trial, saying, “I am just anxious to see what my Republican friends do, will they stand up?”