During the Trump legal team’s disastrous appearance on the first day of their client’s impeachment trial, most of the scorn was reserved for Bruce Castor, and for good reason: his opening statement was not only long but rambling, earning comparisons to the bad public defender from My Cousin Vinny. But on Friday, it was time for his colleague David Schoen to get dragged on social media. The attorney spent nearly two hours defending Trump from accusations of inciting an insurrection, the highlight of which was not one but two epic videos of Democrats…saying the word “fight.”
Trump’s argument seems to be that Democrats have said “fight” a lot of times, therefore checkmate libs pic.twitter.com/BzM37Vh3Ob
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 12, 2021
A lot of Schoen’s arguments in defense of Trump — who delivered a fiery speech right before the Capitol riot on January 6 in which he used the word “fight” 20 times — involved false equivalencies. He implied there was little difference between things Democratic lawmakers have said and what Trump said right before the failed MAGA riot. Of course, there’s a big difference: only Trump’s speech was followed by a violent failed coup that resulted in five dead.
But that didn’t stop Schoen, who played a 10-minute montage comprised of simply Democrats saying the word “fight,” each one stripped of context. Was its epic length intended as a form of torture?
what is this never-ending video of Democrats saying “fight” meant to prove? is it supposed to be a form of torture? pic.twitter.com/yCCoRdFQOU
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 12, 2021
Oh, and by the way, there more than one of them.
oh my god we’re back to the fight montage. this is my own personal hell.
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) February 12, 2021
oh fucking hell the “fight” video AGAIN
— Tom Tomorrow needs a new bit for the profile (@tomtomorrow) February 12, 2021
Many pointed out that none of the included cases — including several involving Senator Elizabeth Warren — was immediately followed by an attempted insurrection.
Does anyone else remember constant violence erupting at Elizabeth Warren campaign rallies?
— Brandy Zadrozny (@BrandyZadrozny) February 12, 2021
If Democrats murderously invaded the Capitol within minutes of an Elizabeth Warren speech directing people to fight back, I suspect we’d all think she should face some substantive consequences. #ImpeachmentTrial
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) February 12, 2021
QUESTION: Out of the thousands of times Elizabeth Warren and every other Democratic politician said the word fight, how many insurrections happened as a result?
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) February 12, 2021
Wow can’t believe I missed Elizabeth Warren’s supporters storming the Capitol.
Where were you during the Mint Green Twitter Avatar Background Revolution?
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) February 12, 2021
I don’t remember seeing Elizabeth Warren attacking the US Capitol.
— NoelCaslerComedy (@CaslerNoel) February 12, 2021
Breaking: Elizabeth Warren said the word “fight” a lot and not a single Warren supporter stormed the capitol and beat cops with American flags.
— I Smoked A Polyamoric Tantric Sex Warrior Guru (@BlackKnight10k) February 12, 2021
Remember when Bernie said “Fight!” then his followers left the arena, went to the capitol, tried to kill the Vice President and then Bernie didn’t try to stop it for four hours.
I forgot about that too.
— Titus (@TitusNation) February 12, 2021
Some pointed out that context was, in each and every case, a bit important.
Elizabeth warren was fighting for paid family leave not for armed insurrection
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) February 12, 2021
Some things Elizabeth Warren fights for:
-Universal healthcare
-Universal childcare
-Free college
-Student loan debt forgiveness
-Racial justice
-Environment justice
-EtcThings Trump fights for: Himself. #ImpeachmentTrial
— Ben O’Keefe (he/him) (@benjaminokeefe) February 12, 2021
Telling your basketball team to fight and telling armed people to fight are not the same thing.
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) February 12, 2021
What’s more, there was a big difference between another false equivalency Trump’s defenders have relied on: drawing a BS parallel between the failed MAGA coup and the BLM protests over last summer.
The key distinction is that *the activists don’t take their cues from Democrats.* It’s not like Seattle anarchists were sitting around playing Fortnite and said “wait, Tim Kaine said we should ‘fight in the streets?’ We should literally do that!” https://t.co/WEKAd0GbKg
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) February 12, 2021
To some, the Trump lawyers’ reliance on whataboutism was a sign that they had no real argument.
This “fight” thing is downright silly. They clearly have nothing else.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) February 12, 2021
PSA: Donald Trump was not impeached because he used the word fight.
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) February 12, 2021
Others felt bad for whoever had to painstakingly construct these lengthy monstrosities.
Lol I wanna see the conversation that ensued that led to the poor soul that had to make that “FIGHT” montage ….. #ImpeachmentTrial2
— B.R.O.theR. ?uestion (@questlove) February 12, 2021
Imagine being the editor cutting this montage.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 12, 2021
Some mocked some of the clips that were included.
I can’t believe Chuck Schumer incited violence against Covid like this pic.twitter.com/npT53XnKVz
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 12, 2021
Others pointed out that the word “fight” is often used in other contexts, which don’t lead to attempted coups.
I was a high school cheerleader who frequently used the word “fight” in cheers but no one ever mobbed in my honor and I was cute af this is bullshit
— shauna (@goldengateblond) February 12, 2021
i’d show some cheerleaders at a high school football game leading “fight fight fight” chant
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) February 12, 2021
My Lord, this “fight” video from these lawyers willing to sacrifice their careers for Trump. Brings back high school memories of my fight-team-fight days. Fear me. pic.twitter.com/Iqt6OWa7Tf
— Connie Schultz (@ConnieSchultz) February 12, 2021
There were a fair amount of “Fight Song” jokes.
Waiting for Trump’s lawyers to claim that the weird celebrity rendition of “Fight Song” at the 2016 DNC was a call to arms
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) February 12, 2021
Did I miss the videos of mobs of Democrats storming the Capitol and murdering a police officer because Hillary Clinton played “Fight Song” at a rally?
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) February 12, 2021
Why won’t they play Fight Song 🙁
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 12, 2021
play fight song. play it
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) February 12, 2021
But perhaps the montages weren’t as damning as they may have thought. There were reports that some of the senators included in the videos simply responded by laughing in derision.
Out of the Senate chamber and my goodness that was something to witness. Senators (Dems and GOP) were louder than I have ever heard them — talking and at times openly laughing — during that long video played by David Schoen of Democrats, reporters & commentators saying “fight.”
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) February 12, 2021
During the “fight” montage section featuring @ewarren, @RandPaul was laughing
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) February 12, 2021