Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders on Friday sued one of former President Donald Trump’s attorneys for indictment after asking him if President Biden would win the 2020 election.
Sanders asks in a written note submitted during the question period of Trump’s trial: “Are the prosecutors right if they claim that Trump told a ‘big lie’ or do you think Trump won the election?”
Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen unbelievably asked: ‘My judgment? Who asked for it? ”
“I have!” shouts Sanders, who lost the 2020 Democratic primary to Biden.
‘My judgment is irrelevant in this process. That is absolute, ‘Van der Veen said when Sanders watched an answer on the Senate floor.
According to reporters in the chamber, Sanders shouted back at van der Veen: “No, it is not!” and, “You represent the President of the United States!”
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Who presided over the trial, interrupted the screaming match.
“The Senate will be in order. “Senators cannot, according to the rules, dispute the content of the answer,” Leahy said.
Van der Veen did not address the validity of the election results in his answer.
‘In my opinion, it is irrelevant to the question to this body. What is relevant in this indictment was’ Were the words of mr. Trump inciting to the point of violence and riot? ‘ Said Van der Veen.
Trump’s defense team spent much of Friday thinking about arguing that the Democrats are basing a thin case on unfounded reports about Trump’s actions, including after the initial January 6 break-in.
Van der Veen also said that Democrats regularly object to the certification of the election results. “When Mr. Trump was elected president, we were told it had been hijacked,” he said.
Democratic indictments have claimed that the violence that killed four rioters and Brian Sicknick, a U.S. Capitol police officer, culminated in a month-long campaign by Trump to undermine election results and organize a crowd that could intimidate Congress. to declare Biden a winner.
A vote in the trial is expected on Saturday. Democrats must win 17 Republicans for convicting Trump and banning him from taking office again. They are expected to fall far beyond the threshold after winning just six GOP votes on Tuesday over whether the trial is constitutional because Trump no longer holds office.