Trump lawyers say Democrat impeachers just want vengeance

Michael van der Veen, an attorney for former President Donald Trump. Picture: Senate Television via AP

Lawyers for Donald Trump have defended him against impeachment by accusing Democrats of waging a campaign of “hatred” against the former president and manipulating his words in the lead up to the deadly siege of the US Capitol.

The Trump legal team characterised the impeachment case as a politically motivated “witch hunt” — an outgrowth, they said, of years of efforts to drive him from office — and they sought to reduce the case to Mr Trump’s use of a single word, “fight”, in a speech preceding the January 6 riot.