Trump's impeachment defense team rests, arguing his words before ...

SectionsTVFeaturedMore from NBC Follow NBC News The Senate adjourned Friday evening after lawyers for Donald Trump’s defense rested their case in the former president's second impeachment trial.Trump's lawyers used under three hours of their allotted time for arguments to echo their client in calling the impeachment case built by Democratic House managers an act of "political vengeance" and alleged that Trump's speech preceding the Capitol riot was merely "ordinary political rhetoric."The defense lawyers said that Trump's words at the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the violent storming of the Capitol was protected free speech and that convicting him for it would amount to "canceling" him and his supporters."This trial is about far more than President Trump. On the contrary, as Democratic House managers said during their arguments, rioters were overwhelmingly tied to right-wing extremist groups like the Proud Boys.Trump's lawyers also repeatedly argued Trump was merely encouraging supporters to make sure their lawmakers were faithfully conducting a proper certification of the Electoral College vote count."Far from promoting insurrection," Van der Veen said, "the president’s remarks...explicitly encouraged those in attendance [at the rally] to exercise their rights peacefully and patriotically."Echoing language that was once frequently used by Trump, he blasted Democrats' impeachment case against as an "unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance" and a "politically motivated witch hunt."The defense played a dizzying and lengthy video montage of various Democrats using the word "fight," arguing that no one had ever construed those words as literal encouragement to physically fight.Some Democrats murmurs, whispered, and laughed as the video wore on.Trump's lawyers also said the impeachment fell short of the high legal standards expected in a criminal case.