WASHINGTON, DC – Awaiting his trial by the U.S. Senate in his second impeachment case, former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday said it is his First Amendment right to question and raise suspicion about the outcome of the 2020 election. That election saw an unprecedented number of vote-by-mail ballots and Trump, now a private citizen said it was not only his right to question the validity and ensure the accuracy of the election, but also his obligation to his oath of office.
In a response to the impeachment trial being run by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, Trump said the Bill of Rights protects Americans from government regulation from “unpopular” speech.
“It is admitted that after the November election, the 45th President exercised his First Amendment right under the Constitution to express his belief that the election results were suspect, since with very few exceptions, under the convenient guise of Covid-19 pandemic “safeguards” states election laws and procedures were changed by local politicians or judges without the necessary approvals from state legislatures,” Trump said.
Trump also said the impeachment against him is based on false and inaccurate accusations and that the Pelosi impeachment claims are based solely on political grievances in an attempt to prevent Trump from running for future office.
“Insufficient evidence exists upon which a reasonable jurist could conclude that the 45th President’s statements were accurate or not, and he, therefore, denies they were false. Like all Americans, the 45th President is protected by the First Amendment. Indeed, he believes and therefore avers, that the United States is unique on Earth in that its governing documents, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, specifically and intentionally protect unpopular speech from government retaliation. If the First Amendment protected only speech the government deemed popular in current American culture, it would be no protection at all.”
The impeachment of President Trump is set to begin on February 8th.