In a brief filed on Monday, Donald Trump’s defense attorneys claimed that the real estate mogul was “horrified” by the violence that broke out at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
As noted by The Washington Post , the brief pushed back on claims that Trump failed to take the necessary actions to quell the violence and argued that he took “immediate steps” to take control of the situation. The lawyers also underlined that Trump called for peace after hearing of the violence at the historic American building.
Elsewhere, The Seattle Times wrote that the filing contradicts other reports of Trump’s actions amid the riot. According to the publication, the claims in the filing are tantamount to “revisionist history” and contradict the real timeline of events on January 6 — as well as the accounts of people who claimed he was initially pleased by the day’s events.
“Some former White House officials have acknowledged that he only belatedly and reluctantly issued calls for peace, after first ignoring public and private entreaties to do so,” the publication wrote.
Vice President Mike Pence was supposedly the one who helped mobilize the National Guard amid the infiltration of the Capitol. Conversely, Trump allegedly watched the television coverage of the riots with enjoyment and only took action when White House counsel Pat A. Cipollone warned that he could face legal action for his purported role in instigating the chaos.
The Senate trial on the article of impeachment against Trump for inciting the riot is currently underway. In the Monday brief, Trump’s defense argued that the former head of state’s speech at the rally before the riot is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In addition, they claim that the Constitution does not allow a former president to be convicted.
According to The Seattle Times , Sen. Lindsey Graham — who is a loyal Trump defender — has made public comments that contradict the claims of Trump’s legal team. Notably, Graham said that it “took a while” for the then-president to grasp the “gravity” of the events unfolding at the Capitol.
“The president saw these people as allies in his journey and sympathetic to the idea that the election was stolen.”
Elsewhere, Republican Sen. Ben Sasse also made public comments that contradict the former U.S. leader’s defense.
“As this was unfolding on television, Donald Trump was walking around the White House confused about why other people on his team weren’t as excited as he was as you had rioters pushing against Capitol Police trying to get into the building,” he said.
