Defense Argues “Fight Like Hell” Speech Did Not Incite Capitol Riot
As the impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump begins, his legal team has issued a defense against accusations that his speech incited the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump’s lawyers argue that his words, particularly his call to “fight like hell,” did not directly encourage violence or an insurrection. They also contend that the trial is unconstitutional, citing that Trump has already left office.
The prosecutors from the House of Representatives, however, presented a strong case, including an 80-page memorandum detailing how Trump’s rhetoric stirred his supporters into a violent mob. They described the Capitol as a “powder keg” waiting to explode, with Trump’s words acting as the spark that set off the chaos. The memo claims that Trump’s followers arrived in Washington prepared to do anything necessary to keep him in power and only needed his encouragement to “fight like hell.”
Trump’s legal team, in contrast, argued that his speech did not explicitly incite the riot and that the trial itself is unconstitutional because he is no longer in office.
