WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s lawyers have a simple objective as they open their defense at the former president’s impeachment trial: Don’t lose any Republican votes. Trump’s lawyers plan to argue their client’s innocence on multiple fronts – they’ll say not only is the trial unconstitutional but he also is innocent of the charge that he incited the riot on Jan. 6. They’ll say that the insurrectionists who broke into the Capitol and hunted for lawmakers acted on their own accord and Trump is protected by freedom of speech. Hoping that brevity appeals to their captive Senate audience, the lawyers are expected to keep their arguments short.
What to watch as Trump’s lawyers deliver impeachment defense
