Show an ad over header. AMP

Trump thrilled with lawyers' performance as Senate moves toward acquittal

13 February 2021
Dan Ackermann

Donald Trump directed his own defense via speakerphone on Friday, repeatedly calling his lawyers in the Lyndon Baines Johnson Room on the Senate side of the Capitol to relay his feedback, sources tell Axios.

What we're hearing: In contrast to Tuesday's widely panned start of his defense, the Trump was said to be thrilled with his lawyers' performances on Friday — particularly by Michael van der Veen and David Schoen, both of whom "went full Trump," one person familiar with the situation told Axios.

Driving the news: The Senate reconvenes at 10 a.m. A final vote could come by 3 p.m., three Democratic congressional aides told Axios. Democrats are not expected to have the 17 Republican votes needed for a conviction.

Behind the scenes: Trump has been closely watching the trial from Mar-a-Lago with his former social media director Dan Scavino and other advisers.

  • The defense spent a total of 2 hours and 32 minutes of the 16 hours they were allotted to make their case, The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis tallied.
  • Trump's lawyers embraced his aggressive rhetoric and attacked Democrats for what they argued was a political hit job.
  • This came after a reorganization of the defense's presentation, including giving lawyer Bruce Castor Jr. a smaller speaking role, after Trump made clear he was displeased with the opening arguments.
  • During a break in the defense on Friday, Trump called and said he thought the team was doing "a great job" and told his lawyer to keep it up, a source familiar with the meeting told Axios.
  • The Senate wrapped up the trial's question-and-answer section Friday evening.

What's next: Neither side is expected to call witnesses. If that holds, they'll proceed to closing arguments.

  • The Democratic leadership told its caucus on Friday that a final vote could come around mid-afternoon, sources said.
  • Senators will vote on whether to convict or acquit the 45th U.S. president for "incitement of insurrection" for the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol by supporters of Trump seeking to block Joe Biden from becoming president.

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

Section2

Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.