Why bother? Trump's lawyers don't even offer an impeachment defense because Republicans don't care

[marmar]

Why bother? Trump's lawyers don't even offer an impeachment defense because Republicans don't care
Trump's lawyers know they're not there to persuade — just to give GOP senators cheap rationalizations to acquit

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
FEBRUARY 12, 2021 10:01PM


(Salon) Going into Friday, the fourth day of Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, Trump's legal team announced that their defense would be short. In one sense, that was an understatement.

While the House managers who prosecuted Trump took nearly all of their 16-hour allotment to present evidence and carefully lay out a convincing case for Trump's guilt in inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, Trump's lawyers wrapped their defense in less than half of that time. However, in proof of time's curious relativity, the defense arguments felt many times as long as those offered by the House managers on Wednesday and Thursday. Low on reason or evidence and high on whining, every moment Trump's lawyers spoke felt like an eternity — at least for viewers who don't share the right-wing enthusiasm for Fox News-style self-pity and bad faith.

The contrast between the House managers and Trump's defense team was starkest during Friday's closing arguments.

House managers were there to persuade; laying out the evidence, connecting the facts together in a rational manner, and building their case — which they did quite successfully — that Trump's actions prior to and during the riot proved that he intentionally incited the insurrection.

Trump's legal team, however, was there to rationalize. ............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/02/12/why-bother-trumps-lawyers-dont-even-offer-an-impeachment-defense-because-republicans-dont-care/