Updated 4:39 p.m.
Donald Trump’s attorneys have wrapped up their impeachment defense. They argued Friday the former president bore no responsibility for the deadly attack on the Capitol while accusing Democrats of “hatred” and “hypocrisy” in a whirlwind defense that wrapped up after just over three hours.
Their presentation to senators on Friday included a blizzard of their own selectively edited comments from Trump and Democrats. In hours of arguments, the Trump legal team characterized the impeachment case as a politically motivated “witch hunt” and sought to reduce the case to Trump’s use of a single word, “fight,” in a speech preceding the Jan. 6 riot.
They also suggested Democrats were hypocrites for impeaching Trump after some had voiced support for racial justice marches over the summer, some of which turned violent.
The trial is speeding toward a conclusion and there could be a vote this weekend. Despite long odds, Democrats say they are holding out hope that Trump will be convicted when the Senate votes on whether he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. They would need a minimum of 17 Republicans to vote with them to convict the former president for incitement of insurrection.
