If Trump wanted the best legal defence, I reckon he should highlight the pre-planning by extremist groups including the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers. If extremists had planned a violent insurrection before Trump’s rally had occurred, his rhetoric at the rally was irrelevant to their actions.
Of course, the extremists were like special forces who needed the regular army alongside to provide the sheer manpower required to overwhelm Capitol Security. And Trump delivered that to them in spades. But the more important reason not to run this line of defence is that Trump doesn’t want to be seen as lagging in his own most hardline supporters when he doesn’t have to do so given he won’t be convicted. Why risk political blowback from his own base?
Politically, he’d be better off trying to use the trial as a way of spreading the stop the steal lie and complaining about being silenced when the impeachment managers try to shut that down for being irrelevant to the article of impeachment.
Of course, the extremists were like special forces who needed the regular army alongside to provide the sheer manpower required to overwhelm Capitol Security. And Trump delivered that to them in spades. But the more important reason not to run this line of defence is that Trump doesn’t want to be seen as lagging in his own most hardline supporters when he doesn’t have to do so given he won’t be convicted. Why risk political blowback from his own base?
Politically, he’d be better off trying to use the trial as a way of spreading the stop the steal lie and complaining about being silenced when the impeachment managers try to shut that down for being irrelevant to the article of impeachment.