Former President Donald Trump was not present at his own impeachment trial in D.C. on Tuesday, rather choosing to stay in his private Palm Beach golf club, Mar-A-Lago. Those close to the former president say that he schedules meetings throughout the day to distract him from the impeachment trial in D.C. What Trump saw of his lawyers Bruce Castor and David Schoen, however, made him furious.
An anonymous source, who was with Trump Tuesday, told the New York Times that on an anger scale from one to ten, Trump “was an eight,” after seeing Castor’s 45-minute rambling, almost nonsensical speech on the Senate floor.
Trump was more pleased with Schoen’s performance, which many Democrat and GOP senators also felt was stronger.
Those close to Trump say that his difficulty in finding a legal team and the sudden departure of three of his lawyers in days before the trial did not bother him very much, as he was preoccupied with golf and his struggling businesses. When Castor began his defense on Tuesday, however, he complimented the prosecution’s video and presentation of evidence, which “infuriated” Trump.
In order for Trump to be convicted, two-thirds of the Senate must vote in favor of impeachment. Despite the fact Trump’s acquittal is almost certain, the bumbling performance of his legal team surprised even the man who hired them.
