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.
Democrats’ ‘manipulated evidence’ and selectively edited footage, say Trump defence team
David Schoen showed images of tweets used in Democrat evidence purported to show how they have been manipulated, with different dates and a “blue check” mark added where they otherwise didn’t exist.
“This not a real screenshot that he’s working with, this is a recreation of a tweet, and you got the date wrong when you manufactured this graphic. You did not disclose that this is a manufactured graphic and not a real screenshot of a tweet,” Schoen says of the image used in a New York Times photoshoot, with the correct date updated before it was submitted as evidence.
“The problem, the user’s real account is not verified and has no blue checkmark, as you can see. Were you trying to make her account seem more significant or you just sloppy? If we had due process in this case we would know the truth.”
Here is what the original tweeter, Jennifer Lynn Lawrence said about it:
“I’ve never been verified on Twitter so why did my Tweet used in the fact-free impeachment include a verification badge? I’m assuming Democrats faked it like they are faking the whole case. @RepSwalwell why did you add a verified badge to my tweet in your presentation?”
Trump defence team play video of Democrats calling to ‘fight’
While they used videos of Jonny Depp and Madonna threatening to assassinate a president and blow up the White House, let’s stick to the politicians used in this Fight Club supercut.
Kamala Harris: “Does one of us have to come out alive” (of an elevator with Trump, Pence or Jeff Sessions.) Also: “The strength of who we are is we will fight.” Plus: “It is a fight borne out of patriotism.”
Nancy Pelosi: “We’ve got to be ready to throw a punch.”
Maxine Waters: “I will go and take Trump out tonight.”
Elizabeth Warren: “Take him out now.” Also: “We fight harder, we fight tougher, and we fight passionately”.
Corey Booker: “Please, get up in the face of some congresspeople.”
Inflammatory language from both Democrats and Republicans ‘alarming’, but must be protected as free speech, says Trump defence team
Back to the video montages, Michael Van Der Veen prefaced the next video as a defence of the First Amendment for all political parties and not as an excuse for Donald Trump’s language.
“The inflammatory language from both sides of the aisle has been alarming frankly, but this political discourse must be considered as part of these proceedings to contextualize Mr Trump’s words,” says Michael Van der Veen.
“I am not showing you this video as some excuse for Mr Trump’s speech, this is not ‘whataboutism’, I am showing you this to make the point that all political speech must be protected.”
Defence team invokes Associate Justice James Wilson in free speech defence
“Are we to ignore the words and teachings of James Wilson? The House managers surely want you to,” says Michael Van der Veen.
He died in 1798.
No return of Bruce Castor after almost 2 hours
Donald Trump’s defence team has been talking for almost two hours and there has been no return performance from lawyer Bruce Castor.
Trump was reportedly unhappy with the opening arguments, and with his team expected to wrap up its defence in as little as three hours, it’s just over the halfway mark to come off the bench.
Trump’s team invokes the ‘Rudy being Rudy’ defence
Lawyer Michael Van der Veen dismissed Rudy Giuliani calling for “trial by combat” as “Rudy being Rudy” in defence of political rhetoric to “fight”.
“A boxer fighting with his hand tied behind his back, members of congress fighting, Rudy being Rudy, these are the metaphorical rhetorical uses of the word fight. We all know that, right?” he says.
“Suddenly the word fight is off-limits? Spare us the hypocrisy and false indignation. It’s a term over, and over and over again by politicians on both sides of the aisle.”
Biden aide suspended for threatening to ‘destroy’ reporter over relationship story
Meanwhile, in the White House, a top aide of Joe Biden has been suspended for a week without pay for threatening to “destroy” a reporter writing a story on his relationship.
Deputy press secretary TJ Ducklow lashed out at journalist Tara Palmeri and tried to quash a story that he was dating Axios political reporter Alexi McCammond.
When he found out about the story Mr Ducklo reportedly called Politico’s Ms Palmeri and told her “I will destroy you.” Now he has been suspended by the White House for falling below the standards “of behaviour set out by the President.”
“TJ Ducklo has apologised to the reporter, with whom he had a heated conversation about his personal life,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki in a statement.
Graeme Massie has the report.
Top Biden aide suspended for threatening to ‘destroy’ reporter over relationship story
Deputy press secretary TJ Ducklow was angry Politico asked him about Alexi McCammond
‘Much stronger’ defence, says Lisa Murkowski, one of the few GOP senators who may cross the aisle to vote for impeachment
The Alaska senator said Donald Trump’s legal team has been “very organized in what they've presented and how they've done it.”
Elizabeth Warren fires back with her own video after being painted as violent ‘fight’ advocator in impeachment trial
Elizabeth Warren hit back on Twitter, after Donald Trump’s impeachment trial defence team played videos of prominent Democrats calling on their supporters to “fight”.
The Massachusetts senator posted video from her own rallies to draw a contrast to those of former president Trump, making light of the accusation levelled at her and fellow party members.
“In case anyone is wondering what my rallies look like,” she wrote, posting a compilation video of clips of her speaking with young girls at her 20202 Democrat primary events.
The Independent’s Oliver O’Connell is following the story as it unfolds.
Elizabeth Warren fires back at impeachment trial with her own video
Elizabeth Warren hit back on Twitter, after Donald Trump’s impeachment trial defence team played videos of prominent Democrats calling on their supporters to “fight”.
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