Several of former US President Donald Trump’s lawyers have given up on defending him days before his impeachment trial, CNN and other US media reported on Saturday.
Five lawyers, including two believed to be leading the New York billionaire’s team of lawyers, have given up on defending him after disagreements over how to proceed, the TV station said citing anonymous sources.
Trump wanted his lawyers to continue arguing the thesis of massive presidential fraud, which led to the victory of Democrat Joe Biden, rather than focusing on the legality of prosecution of a president no longer in office, CNN said, adding that the ex-president was reluctant to discuss it.
Among those resigning lawyers are Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, who were to lead Donald’s defense team, the channel and other media reported.
“We have worked a lot, but we have not yet made a final decision on our legal team, we will do it soon,” said on Twitter Jason Miller, adviser to Donald Trump, in response to this press information.
The trial of Donald Trump for “incitement to insurgency”, after the occupation of the Capitol on January 6 by supporters of the former president, is to begin on February 9.
But with just five Republican senators ready to join the 50 Democratic senators in considering the trial to proceed, the two-thirds majority required to go ahead, of 67 senators, is unlikely to be reached.
The vote of a motion of censure, less severe, requires the vote of at least ten Republican senators to have a chance of being adopted, which some consider however possible.
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