Impeachment trial: Stunning phone call Trump held with McCarthy during Capitol riot revealed
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Your support makes all the difference.The Senate adjourned after Donald Trump's legal team closed its arguments in their defence against impeachment, with a key GOP senator that had indicated a willingness to cross the aisle saying it was "much stronger" than its opening statements.
Alaska's Lisa Murkowski reportedly said the revamped line-up was "very organized in what they've presented and how they've done it.”
During day four of the impeachment trial, Trump's team presented multiple videos that supercut instances of Democrats using the same language they have charged the ex-president of using to incite the riots at the US Capitol.
The videos were the main thrust of Trump's free speech defence, with lawyers arguing the First Amendment must apply to all political speech or it applies to no political speech - including that of Democrats.
They also submitted that the House impeachment managers had manipulated evidence and selectively edited Trump's key speech from 6 January to remove explicit calls for supporters to make their voices heard "peacefully and patriotically".
Day four began amid reports of growing tensions between Trump and his team, with the former president said to want Bruce Castor to have minimal involvement following his disastrous appearance on Tuesday during opening arguments.
Mr Castor kicked off the second session more than two hours into the defence.
It comes as Joe Biden says he is "anxious" to see what his Republicans friends to and whether they will "stand up", despite previously saying he wasn't going to watch proceedings or get involved in deliberations.
The trial will continue on Saturday, 13 February at 10am EST.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s up-to-the-minute coverage of all the latest in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, as the former president’s defence team prepares to take to the floor to defend their client against charges he incited the January 6 insurrection.
Summary of third day of Trump impeachment trial
From the steps of the US Capitol, The Independent’s Griffin Connolly wraps up what happened on the third day of Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial.
Trump impeachment trial: Third day summary
From the steps of the US Capitol Griffin Connolly wraps up what happened as the prosecution in Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial ended.
Republican senator says Trump defence is ‘our side’ in impeachment trial
Republican senator Roy Blunt has described Donald Trump’s defence team as “our side” - in doing so saying the quiet part out loud when it comes to GOP desire to acquit Mr Trump no matter what.
“I’m not sure when our side starts but Saturday’s looking better all the time,” Mr Blunt told reporters, according to Politico’s Kyle Cheney.
Mr Blunt also said that evidence some rioters had planned the assault on the US Capitol for weeks undermined prosecutors’ claims Mr Trump incited the insurrection, whereas Democrats said it supported their overarching case.
Trump lawyers hold impeachment ‘strategy’ meeting with Republican senators
A group of Republican senators met privately with Donald Trump‘s legal team representing the former president in his impeachment trial to discuss “strategy” ahead of the defence argument on Friday.
Senators have sworn an oath to “do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws” during the impeachment trial.
Following Thursday’s closing arguments from House impeachment managers acting as prosecutors in the trial, Trump attorney David Schoen told reporters that his meeting with Republicans concerned “procedure” for Friday’s hearing.
Read more here:
Trump attorneys hold impeachment ‘strategy’ meeting with Republican senators
Lawmakers have sworn to 'do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws' during trial
Trump’s former communications chief asks what former president ‘has on these senators'
Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications chief, has criticised Republican senators over their likely acquittal of Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, which is likely to be concluded tomorrow.
“What does Trump have on these senators that would cause them to disavow their oaths and when did he get it on them?” Mr Scaramucci tweeted overnight.
Only a handful of Republican senators even deemed Mr Trump’s trial constitutional, and many have already signalled they plan to acquit the former president.
Though Mr Scaramucci’s tweet implies Mr Trump has secret leverage of GOP lawmakers, the truth is likely more mundane - that they are terrified of the former president’s base turning on them.
Lawyer David Schoen leaves impeachment trial to do Fox News interview ‘on Trump’s orders’
Donald Trump‘s lawyer took a break from listening to the House impeachment managers while they laid out their case against the former president to instead appear on Fox News, a move that was reportedly at the request of his client.
Lawyer David Schoen was spotted outside the Senate chamber on Thursday afternoon while Representative Ted Lieu, one of the impeachment managers, explained the case to impeach Mr Trump to senators, reporter Philip Crowther with the Associated Press revealed.
Instead of listening, Mr Schoen decided to speak to Fox News in a live interview about the impeachment trial.
Read more here:
Lawyer leaves impeachment trial to do Fox News interview ‘on Trump’s orders’
Lawyer went on cable-news channel to call impeachment managers' argument 'offensive'
Democratic senator recalls moment he realised ‘Trump was egging rioters on'
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, has recalled the moment he believed Donald Trump was “egging on” the Capitol rioters on January 6.
“I remember the moment I saw Trump’s tweet attacking Pence,” Mr Murphy tweeted overnight. “We were in the chamber as aides were scrambling to bar the doors. Some were sobbing in fear.
“The mob was outside. Someone yelled out shots had been fired. I turned to Tim Kaine and said, ‘Oh my god, he’s egging them on’.”
Mr Trump infamously did nothing when the insurrection began, only tweeting a video hours later calling for “peace” but praising the mob as “very special” and continuing to falsely claim the election was stolen from him.
Ted Cruz under fire for tweeting about breast milk during Trump impeachment trial
Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz has provoked fresh anger at the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump after tweeting about breast milk during Wednesday’s session rather than paying attention to proceedings.
While the House Democrat impeachment managers were presenting harrowing video evidence illustrating just how close a pro-Trump mob had come to tracking down lawmakers including Mike Pence, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and Mitt Romney, Mr Cruz was apparently perusing an article from The Washington Examiner on his phone about a British hospital moving to ensure more inclusive language is used in discussions of maternity.
The Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust has moved to drop terms considered to be trans-exclusionary such as “breast milk” to avoid causing unnecessary offence, directing its midwives to refer to “human milk” and “chest milk” instead.
Read more here:
Ted Cruz under fire for tweeting about breast milk during Trump impeachment trial
Texas senator posts expression of outrage against 'Orwellian' political correctness culture from Senate rather than considering incitement evidence against president
Georgia district attorney Fani Willis outlines criminal investigation into Trump call
Georgia district attorney for Fulton County, Fani Willis, has outlined details of her criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s infamous phone call with Brad Raffensberger, in which he tried to pressure the Georgia secretary of state into overturning his election defeat there.
Speaking to MSNBC, Ms Willis said they would be looking to determine Mr Trump’s “state of mind” when he made the phone call.
Oath Keepers leader waited for Trump to ‘activate’ them before Capitol attack
A leader of the Oath Keepers militia says she waited for Donald Trump to “activate” them before going to attack the Capitol last month.
Jessica Watkins was waiting for direction from the ex-president before traveling to Washington DC to try and violently overturn his election loss to Joe Biden, federal prosecutors say.
Watkins, 38, even took part in “two days of war games” to prepare and train for the 6 January attack on the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying Mr Biden’s win.
Prosecutors say she stated the need to wait for instructions from Mr Trump before taking action, and had talked about being “field-ready before inauguration”.
Read more here:
Oath Keepers leader waited for Trump to ‘activate’ them before Capitol attack
Jessica Watkins allegedly underwent 'war games' training to be 'field-ready' for inauguration
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