America was not particularly interested in then-President Trump's first impeachment trial in 2020, according to the TV ratings at the time.
"Within the Senate chamber, lawmakers were doing their best to endure the long hours of the Trump impeachment trial's first two days, bringing crossword puzzles, falling asleep, and flaunting ...
As Donald Trump’s impeachment legal team began arguments in the second day of the trial, The Daily Mail reported that Trump lawyer Michael Van der Veen had once called him “a fu**ing crook.”
According to the report, Van der Veen’s comments happened while working on a 2019 case in which a student was accused of hacking IRS databases in order to obtain Donald Trump’s tax records.
The current defense team was assembled in a hurry. David Schoen and former Montgomery County Pennsylvania District Attorney Bruce Castor came on board just last Sunday.
Van der Veen was also brought in last week to assist.
Trump's legal team says Democrats are engaging in "political theater" and argues the impeachment trial is unconstitutional since he's no longer President https://t.co/fB5kHULC9J
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) February 8, 2021
Van der Veen’s former client stated that he was not sure if the ‘crook’ comments were an attempt to make him more comfortable or if they were the genuine beliefs of Van der Veen.
Van der Veen has denied the allegation.
NEW: Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen denies previously calling the president a "f—g crook," a day after a former client recalled him making that statement.
The client tells my colleague @anna_orso today he stands by his recollection.
More here: https://t.co/PnBdwehmgr pic.twitter.com/jnjvXYnzk1
— Jeremy Roebuck (@jeremyrroebuck) February 10, 2021
Even more curious, a Washington Post report states that Van der Veen sued Trump last year over Trump making claims that mail-in voting was “ripe with fraud” despite having “no evidence to support these claims.”
Conservative commentators have often wondered aloud about some of Trump’s hires. This one will no doubt draw many questions.
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In a report from Politico, sources close to Trump say that the former president was not happy with the legal team’s performance.
Widely criticized for his performance was Bruce Castor.
Castor gave a disjointed 45-minute opening statement that confused many as it seemed that Castor often struggled to find a point.
Among the bewildering strategies was Castor stating that Donald Trump lost the election fairly.
This was a departure from reports that neither Castor or Schoen had planned to bring up any mention of a stolen election, but planned on arguing constitutionality of an impeachment trail against a president who is out of office.
Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz also did not have good things to say about the team’s first day, saying they did not do well.
Of Castor, Dershowitz said, “I have no idea what he is doing.”
'There is no argument – I have no idea what he is doing,' @AlanDersh on Trump's defense lawyer Bruce Castor 'talking nice' to U.S. Senators – via Newsmax TV's 'American Agenda.' https://t.co/VlT7z8drtO pic.twitter.com/7P7uVk5X19
— Newsmax (@newsmax) February 9, 2021
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According to multiple outlets, sources close to Trump claim that, as defense attorneys meandered through opening statements, the President appeared to be getting frustrated as they gave timid responses to the prosecution.
The source also said that Trump saw the team’s performance as a missed opportunity, and was also bothered by the public criticism of his attorneys.
This was not an auspicious start for the defense today. The House was more polished and effective. The defense will need to tighten the narrative and focus the points going forward.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) February 9, 2021
The Politico report also stated that Castor had indeed admitted to changing plans based on how well the House Managers arguments were received.
Initially Schoen would present opening statements, the change was last minute.
An aide to former President Trump reportedly stated, “This is about lowering the temperature from the Democrats’ emotionally charged opening argument before dropping the hammer on the unconstitutional nature of this impeachment witch hunt.”
RELATED: Trump ‘Not Happy’ With His Legal Team’s First Appearance In Impeachment Trial
The post Report: Trump’s Own Impeachment Lawyer Called Him A ‘Fu**ing Crook’ appeared first on The Political Insider.
House impeachment managers unveiled new footage of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, including film of Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman pointing Sen. Mitt Romney to safety and former Vice President Mike Pence being evacuated.
The new video, displayed next to a map of the Capitol building, underscores just how close rioters got to lawmakers during the deadly insurrection. Rioters were within 100 feet of Pence and his family and "just feet" from the Senate chamber, Del. Stacey Plaskett said.
The first new video shown, presented by Plaskett of the Virgin Islands, showed one officer trying to fend off rioters breaching the Capitol near the Senate chamber. The officer tried to spray a rioter entering, but a surge of rioters quickly overcame him. Some were wearing body armor and some had riot shields, while one had a baseball bat, Plaskett said. Among them were members of the Proud Boys, she said.
Another new video showed Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman sprinting to respond to the security breach, pointing to Romney and directing for him to leave for safety. Goodman has previously been praised for getting the mob away from the Senate chamber, with some lawmakers calling for him to get the Congressional Gold Medal.
Another new video showed Goodman "provok[ing]" rioters towards fellow officers, all while Pence was still not in a secure location, Plaskett said. More footage showed Pence and his family being evacuated down a set of stairs.
During that time, rioters were flowing throughout the Capitol, looking for Pence, Plaskett said.
“The mob was looking for Vice President Pence because of his patriotism, because the Vice President had refused to do what the president demanded and overturn the election results,” Plaskett said.
During the insurrection, rioters had set up gallows and chanted “Hang Mike Pence.”
More security footage shows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s staff moving to a conference room where they hid. Seven minutes after they barricaded themselves, rioters came into the hallway, Plaskett said.
One rioter broke open an outer door to the conference room, but was unable to get through an inner door. Another tried and failed to break into the inner door later on. “They’re pounding on doors trying to find [Pelosi],” a staffer said in a recording that Plaskett showed.