Former President Donald Trump’s chief impeachment attorney Bruce Castor said on Friday that he plans to use video footage to call Democrats “fiery rhetoric” during the impeachment trial next week.
Speaking on Fox News’ Ingraham’s angle, Castor said he will use video content to show Democrats “cheering” on protesters during last summer’s racial justice movement, in response to accusations that Trump incited violent riots on the United States Capitol on January 6.
“There are many tapes of burning cities and courts being attacked and federal agents being attacked by rioters on the streets, applauded by Democrats across the country,” he said.
The lawyer went on to say that “many [Democrats] in Washington are actually using the most inflammatory rhetoric possible. And there would certainly be no suggestion that they did anything to incite any of the actions. “
“But here, when you get the President of the United States to give a speech and say that you should peacefully make your thinking known to the people in Congress, he is suddenly a villain. You better be careful what you want.” He continued.
When asked if he would use these videos after Democrats showed clips of Trump supporters breaking into the Capitol, Castor said, “I think you can count on it.”
“If my eyes look a little red to viewers, it’s because I have been watching a lot of videos,” he added.
Trump’s second Senate impeachment trial will begin on Tuesday.
The Democrats who initiated the impeachment accused the former president of “inciting an insurrection” after a violent crowd of his supporters broke into the Capitol building and killed five people.
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Impeachment managers in the House of Representatives argued that Trump’s speech at the “Stop the Steal” rally probably resulted in “riots, specifically pointing to his statement that” if you don’t fight like hell, you won’t have a country anymore. “
“In all of this, President Trump has jeopardized the security of the United States and its institutions of government,” said the impeachment article. “He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power and endangered a coordinated branch of government. In doing so, he betrayed his confidence as president, to the obvious detriment of the people of the United States.”
While a conviction is unlikely, since 45 Republicans have already voted to close the case on the grounds that it is unconstitutional, recent polls have shown that more Americans support Trump’s conviction in this trial than in 2020.
While Castor said he would work to use the Democrats’ own words against them, he added on Friday that his main focus would be to prove that the Senate cannot convict Trump because he is no longer in office.
“By the logic of the House’s impeachment resolution, they can go back and impeach Abraham Lincoln,” said Castor. “They could accuse Donald Trump if he was dead because he is not in office.”
Newsweek contacted Trump representatives, but got no response in time for publication.