David Schoen, one of the impeachment lawyers ex-President Donald Trump hired at the last minute, on Monday night protested against Democrats’ plan to show videos of the pro-Trump mob’s deadly storming of the Capitol at the Senate impeachment trial next week.
“Does this country really need to see videotapes?” Schoen asked during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. “We know now apparently that [Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA)] and the other managers intend to show videotapes of the riots, people calling in, people being hurt, police officers talking…Why does the country need that now?”
The lawyer then claimed that the violent insurrection on January 6 “has nothing to do with” Trump, despite the former president riling up his supporters that day (and months beforehand) with lies claiming the election was “stolen” from him, telling them to walk to the Capitol and “show strength,” then refusing to condemn the attack as it was erupting.
“The country doesn’t need to just watch videos of riots and unrest. We need to heal now. We need to move forward,” Schoen said on Monday, invoking Republicans’ go-to deflection when confronted with Trump’s incitement of the siege.
He is one of two lawyers Trump managed to corral at the 11th hour after his first legal team ditched him over the ex-president’s insistence that they peddle his false claims about election fraud as their defense strategy at the trial, according to CNN. The attorneys also jumped ship over Trump’s refusal to agree to their price tag, Axios reports.
Schoen served as infamous Trump ally Roger Stone’s attorney when Stone was convicted for obstruction and lying to Congress before Trump pardoned him on his way out of the White House.
The attorney was also slated to represent accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein before the disgraced billionaire’s alleged suicide.
Watch Schoen below:
Trump attorney says impeachment trial shouldn’t include videos of the Capitol attack ex-POTUS incited. pic.twitter.com/epIOlWDzMs
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) February 2, 2021
