Mockery erupts after Trump’s defense lawyer gives bumbling, incoherent rebuttal
After the Democratic impeachment managers began the second trial of the deposed former president Donald Trump by presenting a cogent and compelling argument for conviction, including an opening video montage that moved some viewers to tears, it was time for the accused’s attorneys to present their opening defense of the man charged with the seditious incitement of the Capitol insurrection.
The man tasked with that uphill battle was attorney Bruce Castor, one of the recently acquired legal team that Trump assembled after his initial group of lawyers all withdrew from representing him over his reported desire to continue to use his claims of massive election fraud as the primary arsenal in his defense.
Castor’s rambling and discursive opening statement met with confusion and disbelief among the political observers on Twitter who were shocked at how little his remarks related to the serious charges his client was facing.
Vox‘s Aaron Rupar, well known for posting video excerpts of current news events accompanied by his biting commentary, had a field day with portions of Castor’s opening remarks that will give you a taste of the style and dubious content in the attorney’s statement.
Did Bruce Castor take a wrong turn and end up at the wrong trial? pic.twitter.com/pX33sBJXQH
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 9, 2021
I challenge you to make sense of what Bruce Castor is trying to say here. This is like the worst college lecture of all time. pic.twitter.com/x7rHNjYByT
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 9, 2021
even Castor's sips of water are problematic pic.twitter.com/eYtns11H29
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 9, 2021
Trump already calling another lawyer to sue this lawyer.
— Bradley (@DarnedFrenchman) February 9, 2021
Obviously, it wasn’t only Mr. Rupar who found Trump’s attorney’s presentation to be less than impressive.
Many of the top blue-checked names on Twitter, as well as ordinary subscribers to the social media platform, were equally savage in their assessment of the legal representation that the allegedly seditious former president was receiving.
I’ve played a way better lawyer than this.
— Michael Kelly (@michaeljkellyjr) February 9, 2021
Bruce Castor is definitely going to give a tight five minutes on "what's the deal with airline food?"
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) February 9, 2021
Trump lawyer Bruce Castor sounds like a guy who knows he’s not getting paid anyway
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) February 9, 2021
On the issue at hand — whether a former official can be tried on impeachment — Castor has not landed a single blow. He has not scored a single point. He has barely even acknowledged the issue.
— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) February 9, 2021
Trump's lawyer:
"..bla..bla…bla…yada…yada… yada….gibberish…..more gibberish…..more bla…bla…. it's unconstitutional….trump is innocent. the end."Here is my legal bill.
— Lisa (@LisaCla79552465) February 9, 2021
If Hitler hadn’t killed himself, and went on trial, he would have had a defense attorney like Bruce Castor.
— Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) February 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/HalSparks/status/1359237953218699264?s=20
#ImpeachmentTrial Bruce Castor may be the first attorney to use a trial to plead insanity himself.
— Buddy Winston (@BuddyWinston) February 9, 2021
Bruce Castor arriving at his defense point says: "This trial is about trading liberty for the security from the mob? Honestly, no. It can't be. We can't be thinking about that. We can't possibly be suggesting that we punish people for political speech in this country."
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) February 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/SouthernCoca/status/1359238061222211586?s=20
https://twitter.com/swimmerbr78/status/1359237944339550209?s=20
FACT: Lionel Hutz would give Trump a better legal defense than Bruce Castor. #Resist #ConvictAndDisqualify #TrumpImpeachmentTrial #KnowYourDeplorables pic.twitter.com/X8TxuFDRk7
— KNOW YOUR DEPLORABLES! (@KnowDeplorables) February 9, 2021
I wish I could stick some collar stays in Castor’s shirt, just to help him out. He’s got much bigger problems here, though. Like no coherent argument.
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) February 9, 2021
Castor's opening statement has the vibe of Greg Focker's dinner table blessing in Meet the Parents pic.twitter.com/C3DVFWL7NX
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) February 9, 2021
Bruce Castor is the kid giving the presentation to the class on the book he forgot to read.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) February 9, 2021
Jamie Raskin talked about burying his son & worrying his family would die in a coup while Bruce Castor is impersonating My Cousin Vinny
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) February 9, 2021
Castor is like the old Ohio Senator of whom it was said that his brain was a giant empty cavity in which there were a few wandering cliches.
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) February 9, 2021
I do like the hopeful look that gleams in Castor's eyes when every 10 minutes or so he remembers something he intended to say.
— David Frum (@davidfrum) February 9, 2021
I'm Bruce Castor & I'm being very well paid to do this to my reputation.
(I mean, I hope he pays me.)#ImpeachmentTrial
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) February 9, 2021
Outrageous. Castor is telling the Republican senators, who took an oath to render impartial justice, to ignore the facts, ignore the oath, and vote their party affiliation. A level of jury nullification that would get you sanctioned in a real court room!
— George Croner (@GeorgeCroner) February 9, 2021
Meaning… our BS is no good now so we gotta go back to the drawing board. pic.twitter.com/zJMM5xxVOi
— We have a Madam Vice President (@PJunkie2020) February 9, 2021
No one ever imagined that any defense of Donald Trump’s actions leading up to and including the day of January 6th would be easy, but, judging from the opening night reviews, this production is never going to fly in its out of town opening, much less ever make it to Broadway or succeed on the Senate floor.
If it wasn’t for the fact that his audience consists of a large proportion of what is essentially the equivalent of the family and friends of the accused — those Republican senators who have already made known their opinion that Trump should not be held accountable for his actions while acting as president — Castor’s performance would likely engender a call for an immediate recasting.
As it is, Castor’s appearance in the impeachment trial today could best be compared to an amateur production staged at a local high school, but with few other options for representation and such a flood of evidence pointing towards Trump’s guilt, perhaps this is the best that the literally rabble-rousing ex-president can do for now.
