Trump's allies fear the impeachment trial could be a PR nightmare

[orangecrush]

By GABBY ORR and MERIDITH MCGRAW

02/05/2021 04:30 AM EST

Allies of former President Donald Trump are imploring his impeachment team to avoid one specific topic when they defend the ex-president at his Senate trial next week: the deadly riot that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol.

Despite Trump’s likely acquittal on charges that he incited an insurrection, some of his most ardent supporters fear the trial could further damage his reputation if his attorneys wade into the events of Jan. 6, when five people were killed — including a Capitol police officer — after pro-Trump demonstrators stormed the halls of Congress.


The former president, whom House Democrats have accused of inciting the rioters at a rally earlier the same day, is already hemorrhaging support within the GOP. Recent public polls have shown a sharp decline in support among Republican voters for a potential Trump comeback bid in 2024. And a widely televised trial that reminds voters and lawmakers of the disturbing moments when MAGA devotees assaulted law enforcement officials and broke into the Capitol building could harm his future political aspirations even more.

“The Democrats have a very emotional and compelling case,” said former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. “They’re going to try to convict him in the eyes of the American people and smear him forever.”

Trump’s legal team appears to have similar trepidations that next week’s proceedings will turn into a high-profile retelling of the riots and his role in them. To prevent that from happening, his lawyers have centered their case on whether it is constitutional to impeach a president after he’s left office. They also plan to argue that he did not engage in insurrection, saying his fiery speech on the ellipse of the White House was protected by the First Amendment, without indulging a lengthy discussion about what happened on Jan. 6.





https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/05/trump-allies-impeachment-trial-nightmare-466095

[Xipe Totec]

1. Ya think? nt

[uponit7771]

2. 33% of Texas kGOP supporter he 1/6 terrorist attack on the capital

[lagomorph777]

44. That means 2/3 of TX QOP don't support the terrorist attack.

Bad news for the QOP.

[uponit7771]

49. 👍

[Xipe Totec]

3. Ask the lawyers if the president has actually left office, or is he still president

Watch them argue that he's still president but you can't impeach him because he's not.

[orangecrush]

8. .....

[Dave Starsky]

18. OMG, I love it. The classic Captain Kirk tactic.

Blowing up robot heads for three centuries.

[central scrutinizer]

54. Set the controls for deep space

Energize, Scotty!

[lagomorph777]

45. Ouch!

[msfiddlestix]

50. Right? nailed it. n/t

[mgardener]

4. Trump fomented violence and then aimed that mob

Towards the Capitol.
People died.
Trump should be held accountable.
You start and then play with fire, you should accept the inevitable consequence, you Will get burned.

People died. And Republicans don't think there should be consequences?
What moral cowards they are.

[gordianot]

5. If someone says they want to hit you in the mouth and does hit you in the mouth.

They are not exercising free speech. There are other venues worth pursuing for justice.

[malaise]

6. Cop killing led by ReTHUGs is now a PR matter

Threatening to kill the Speaker and other Dems is now a PR matter.

OK ReTHUGs - lie int he bed you've made

[theneworiginal]

38. my thoughts exactly. Cop missing an eye, 3 fingers amputated, broken back, multiple concussions

One killed, 2 committed suicide. Dead rioters. Lives changed forever. Yeah, it's all a bad look. It's reality. It IS bad.

[malaise]

46. And don't forget the brain injuries

and the fear among staff at all levels as well as elected representatives.

I'm sick of these people

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

7. Put the popcorn away...

Get beer instead. It goes better with the pretzel logic we’re going to get.

[Walleye]

10. 👏🤪🍺🍻😎

[FailureToCommunicate]

31. "Beer...

and pretzel logic"!

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

35. with some Steely Dan on the stereo

[The King of Prussia]

9. "smear him forever"

Someone should tell Mr Bannon that if it's true it's not a smear.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

48. Exactly. As Harry Truman said about the Republicans of his day,

"I don't give them hell. I just tell the truth about them, and they think it's hell."

[Vinca]

11. I hope they call witnesses to describe how Trump was glued to the tube and enjoying the "show"

and waited hours and hours before even barely trying to stop it and even then told the terrorists he loved them. I hope they expose why the National Guard was delayed and if the order came directly from Trump. They should also run a clip of the numerous arrestees professing their reason for participating: Trump told them to.

[DonaldsRump]

33. And he told the mob "we love you" WHILE he watched the carnage nt

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

36. absolutely!

[machoneman]

39. Yes! Call 2-3 WH aides willing to testify he was gleeful and couldn't understand why more....

staffers weren't estatic at all, even mournful, at the televised events unfolding just block away. They knew it was wrong, horrifying and would forever further stain his already very shitty presidency for all time.

[SheltieLover]

12. They should've thought of this many years ago

[Ford_Prefect]

13. Oh My! Let's not be too exact in our examination of his motives, his actions, and what his crew did.

They were only following his explicit directions and those of so many others who spoke on his behalf. Not to mention those ever so helpful aides and associates who were so efficient in arranging and coordinating the many participants from so many various locations and groups. How could that have turned into such an ugly sideshow?

Normally it would be the result of rather careful and thorough planning over a significant period of time. One must prepare the ground as they say...

[irisblue]

14. ..." further damage his reputation"....

🤷

[orangecrush]

52. Because it's all about the narcissist

[dsc]

15. there should be a running loop of the cop being crushed in the doors

during every second of the testimony and for a visual, the coffin of Sicknick should be rolled upon its pall into the Senate chamber.

[Maxheader]

16. Let's just cut to the chase..

Defendant refuses to testify is an admission of guilt..case closed.

The law is out there.

Attorneys for the plaintiff, go find it....

[Tommy_Carcetti]

20. Actually the case law in criminal law technically is the very opposite

Where juries are to be expressly instructed that a defendant not testifying is not to be considered as a sign of guilt.

Of course, that doesn’t prohibit the subliminal inference otherwise.

Also since impeachment trials aren’t criminal cases I guess there’s nothing prohibiting that from being said.

[Maxheader]

22. So...who would tell the jury to not put trump on the stand, and

Have the authority to enforce?...

[Tommy_Carcetti]

26. Impeachment trial procedure is vague and unformed.

I suppose the Senate could try issuing a subpoena, but Trump could and would likely fight it in court, thus delaying matters months.

Even if he does get subpoenaed, he could still take the 5th for protections against potential criminal implications. Which actually would look pretty bad on his part strictly image wise.

[ancianita]

41. Isn't it just Senate rules that the Senate establishes, but managers themselves can still subpoena?

If they were subject to Senate rules, they might not have any power to present anything or anyone, then, right?

[NoMoreRepugs]

17. Stopped reading the article when I saw shitbird Bannon's

quote. Need a shower whenever I see his pic or read his name.

[OldBaldy1701E]

19. Oh please

They also plan to argue that he did not engage in insurrection, saying his fiery speech on the ellipse of the White House was protected by the First Amendment, without indulging a lengthy discussion about what happened on Jan. 6.

The speech may be 'protected', but the intentions and the results are there regardless of the words. And, whether or not his words are protected, it was his intention to rile his sheep up to get them to do it. Standing there pointing and telling people to do it (which he did regardless of the legal dancing his lawyers are attempting) is inciting, regardless of the specifics. And, they need to go through an excruciating, very detailed play by play of Jan. 6th., including referencing those who did things like pass information on movements, held private tours in the days leading up to the 6th., etc. I want it all on official record so that anyone in the US can go get the transcript and see those names and actions over and over. Nailing that orange child is not going to really change anything as far as getting through the next year or so, but putting a spoiled rich f**k in his place in front of all the other spoiled rich f**ks is vitally necessary for the cultural and mental healing that so desperately needs to happen to this nation. But, I don't want to stop with him. They all need to be burned for being money grubbing snake oil salespeople who turned their backs on their fellow Americans in the name of their wallets. Every. Single. One.

[bucolic_frolic]

21. Yes, hiding the insurrection during the Impeachment over the insurrection should be so easy!

I expect to hear "patriotic protesters" or "pro-Trump fans".

They listened to these moronic lawyers and wrote this article with a straight face? Bothsiderism lives!

[Mr. Ected]

23. Yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater is not protected 1st American speech

Yelling "Charge the Capitol" in so many words isn't either.

[ananda]

24. Pretty much a nobrainer since everything associated with Trump..

is a PR nightmare.

[spanone]

25. People died and they're worried about PR. Worse 'president' ever. Hands down.

[TheRickles]

27. They're not trying "to impeach a president after he's left office".

He's already been impeached (indicted) and is now about to be tried on those charges. The correct phrasing would be: they're trying to convict a president after he's left office for crimes he committed while he was still in office.

[ailsagirl]

28. Honestly, he's been a PR nightmare...

since he decided to run.

[Roc2020]

29. Things can get worse for Trump

and probably will.

[machoneman]

40. Oh please and yes, if there is a God, let Her smite down this unrepentant sinner....STAT!

LOL!

[tavernier]

58. Of course there is a God.

Georgia, Georgia, Georgia. The age of miracles hasn’t passed.

[localroger]

30. Please, at my client's murder trial, let's not prejudice the jury...

...with pictures of the crime scene and weapons and all those confusing fingerprints and DNA samples.

[orangecrush]

32. That sums it up.

[spanone]

34. Well, if anyone deserves to be smeared forever, it's dictator don.

[bullwinkle428]

37. Once again, as heard on "The Stephanie Miller Show" - "NOW, A WARNING????"

[scrabblequeen40]

42. Long, slow bleed... make GQP feel every drop

The headline risk will be relentless for those who can't do the right thing. As well it should be.

[lagomorph777]

43. The QOP is on trial, and they will vote to convict themselves.

[lindysalsagal]

47. The Gospel Maya

[orangecrush]

51. They LITERALLY attacked

The symbol of our representative democracy, to try to install a dictator.

I still can't wrap my head around it.

[Lock him up.]

53. HAHAHAHA... 2024 lol

&feature=emb_rel_end

Running from a jail cell...

[BobTheSubgenius]

55. Future political aspirations????

JFC! This is now solidly in the territory of Gonzo.

[orangecrush]

56. I wish

Unfortunately, the orange slime has not been banished yet.

[cstanleytech]

57. "constitutional to impeach a president after he's left office." He was impeached while in office.

We are simply in the trial phase now and the Constitution does not say that an trial before the Senate for someone that has been impeached while they were in office has to end once a person is out office.
If it did then anyone in office like a Senator that was impeached could resign before an impeachment trial was held and then run for office again because they were not convicted.

[jcgoldie]

59. "Avoid one specific topic... the deadly riot..."

Yes I imagine attorneys who defend people accused of murder would prefer to avoid talking about the actual murder during the trial as well! 🙄

[Brother Mythos]

61. This is a "PR nightmare" I would like to have everyday until the next ...

presidential election.

I recommend dragging this impeachment out until the Republicans beg the Democrats to finally end it with a bipartisan conviction.