Lawyers for Donald Trump say charges of insurrection incitement against the former president are a “monstrous lie”.
On Friday, they urged Senators to acquit Trump, claiming the real goal of Democrats was “vengeance” and the “cancelling” of the right-wing populist movement surrounding him.
“No thinking person could seriously believe that the president’s January 6 speech on the Ellipse was in any way an incitement to violence or insurrection. The suggestion is patently absurd on its face,” Michael van der Veen told the hearing.
“The Senate should promptly and decisively vote to reject it.”
The defence team took less than four hours of the 16 allocated to make their case that Trump had not done anything to incite the actions of the supporters who rioted on Capitol Hill on January 6.
After defence submissions, Senators were given four hours to ask questions of both sides, but observers say Republicans are likely to stand by the former president and bring in a verdict of not guilty.
Democratic impeachment managers rested their case Thursday after two days of often emotional presentations anchored by shocking video footage of a January 6 invasion of Congress by Trump’s supporters.