Donald Trump’s lawyer dispute insurrection incitement charges, demands acquittal

Former President Donald Trump’s lawyer Michael van der Veen has disputed the allegations levelled by the Democrats that he made a provocative speech and incited the mob for the violence on Capitol Hill on January 6.

A trial to impeach Trump is on in the US Senate for his role in the January 6 violence that led to five deaths and large-scale damage of the public property.

The Senate voted in favour of the impeachment proceedings.

Democrats argued their case on Thursday and produced shreds of evidence in support of Trump’s conviction. They produced video evidence to support their claim.

They said that Trump alleged voters’ fraud and asked his supporters to gather at the Capitol building just before the violence erupted.

A day later on Friday, Trump’s lawyer van der Veen disputed Democrats' charges and argued that the violence was pre-planned and didn’t break out due to Trump’s speech on January 6.

He argued that it is a preposterous and monstrous lie to claim that Trump encouraged or wished violence at Capitol Hill.

The lawyer referred to two Twitter messages posted by Trump when the violence broke out at Capitol. These messages read, 'Stay Peaceful' and "No violence because we are the party of law and order”.

He defended Trump for using words like ‘fight like hell’ in the address and said that it was a political speech.

He also defended Trump’s allegations of voter fraud as he said that it is the legal right of the former President to challenge the election result and this was done in the past by other Presidents as well.