Trump unhappy with defense team after rambling performance on day 1 of trial
Bruce Castor (left), defense attorney for former President Donald Trump, departs the Capitol following the first day of the impeachment trial. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump was unhappy with the performance of his defense team on the opening day of his Senate impeachment trial, a source providing informal advice to the team told NPR.
The rambling opening statements of Trump attorney Bruce Castor were openly panned by Republicans. The team is now working to regroup, though no major changes were imminent, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe private conversations on the record.
The informal adviser said Castor, a former district attorney in Montgomery County, Pa., and David Schoen, an Alabama-based lawyer who has previously represented Trump friend Roger Stone, suffered from a lack of experience in Senate trials and a lack of time to prepare.
The source was incredulous that the team had not anticipated nor prepared for the highly charged and emotional appeal that Democrats would make at the opening of the trial.
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