Impeachment trial nears end

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump on Friday called the second impeachment case against him an “unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance.” They dismissed the prosecution’s arguments that Trump’s claims of election fraud and calls for his supporters to take action amounted to incitement of the insurrection that occurred Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol. To underscore their point, they played edited videos of celebrities, media personalities, and Democratic members of Congress making statements about uprisings, violence, and fighting without facing consequences for such rhetoric.

What happens next? Senators, who serve as the jury for the trial, began four hours of scheduled questions of the House impeachment managers and Trump’s lawyers on Friday. After that, each side will present closing arguments. The Senate could hold a final vote on impeachment over the weekend.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD’s full coverage of both of Trump’s impeachment trials.