The trial is unconstitutional
The first argument from Trump’s legal defense brief says that the Senate does not have the constitutional jurisdiction to conduct an impeachment trial of a former president. Political pundits across the nation have also been weighing in if the trial goes against the Constitution. Senator Rand Paul held an early vote on the Senate floor to address the question, ultimately only ten Republicans voted that the trial falls in line with the Constitution. In the defense brief, the team of lawyers points out the text of the Constitution and how the Senate is only given jurisdiction over the President, not the former president.
The defense memo reads:
“The purpose of impeachment is to remove someone from office, and unequivocally, this impeachment trial is not about removing someone from office, as Mr.Trump left office on January 20, 2021. He is now, both factually and legally, a private citizen.”
