Trump's Impeachment Defense: A Fact-Check on False Claims

Strategic Insights -

Former President Donald Trump's impeachment defense relied heavily on false and misleading claims, according to a recent CNN fact-check. Trump's lawyer, Michael van der Veen, delivered a closing argument replete with dishonest statements before the Senate acquitted Trump on Saturday. The fact-check highlights several instances where van der Veen and other Trump allies distorted the truth, including their claims about the January 6 insurrection and Trump's rhetoric on violence.

Key Takeaways:

  • Van der Veen claimed that the January 6 insurrection was "preplanned and premeditated by fringe left and right groups." However, evidence shows that right-wing groups were predominantly responsible for the attack, and there is no basis for the suggestion that organized left-wing entities were involved.
  • Trump's lawyer said that the House impeachment managers had not shown "a single example of Mr. Trump urging anyone to engage in violence of any kind." However, multiple alleged insurrectionists or their lawyers have claimed that Trump's words inspired them to action.
  • Van der Veen claimed that Trump did not spend the weeks prior to January 6 inciting violence, but rather pursuing his election challenge through the court system. However, Trump mounted a public campaign to convince his supporters of the lie that they had been cheated out of victory and urged supporters to come to Washington for a January 6 protest he promised would be "wild."
  • Van der Veen echoed false attacks made by Trump, claiming that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris "repeatedly refused to condemn" acts of violence during riots last year. However, both Biden and Harris condemned riots and violence on multiple occasions, expressing support for peaceful protest.
  • Van der Veen claimed that it was Democrats' fault that there were constitutional questions about holding an impeachment trial for a president who is no longer in office. However, Democrats did not solely propose the trial while Trump was still in office; it was Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell who rejected the idea.
  • Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania spoke during closing arguments about Trump's rhetoric before the insurrection, stating that Trump had a pattern and practice of praising and encouraging supporters of violence. However, Trump has issued repeated condemnations of violence on multiple occasions.

Statistics:

  • 200+ criminal cases have been filed in connection with the January 6 insurrection, with only a handful indicating that rioters had shown up with the intention of breaching the Capitol.
  • Multiple alleged insurrectionists or their lawyers have claimed that Trump's words inspired them to action.
  • 9 examples of Trump praising or encouraging supporters of violence have been documented since the fact-check by CNN on Friday.
  • Trump has issued repeated condemnations of violence on multiple occasions, including an anti-Semitic massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, the mailing of bombs in 2018 to Trump's political opponents and CNN, mass shootings in Texas and Ohio in 2019, and an anti-Semitic stabbing attack in New York in 2019.

Sources:

  • CNN: "Fact-checking Trump's impeachment defense: Claims about January 6 insurrection, violence and more"
  • Democratic House impeachment managers: "Impeachment Proceedings"
  • Rep. Madeleine Dean: "Fact-checking Trump's rhetoric before the insurrection"