Former Trump impeachment lawyer praises Dems use of riot footage at trial: 'A service to the country'

On The Circus Sunday, Mark McKinnon sat down with Robert Ray, who served on former President Donald Trump’s legal team for his first impeachment trial. Despite believing that Trump did not do anything impeachable, Ray praised the House impeachment managers for their use of previously unseen footage from the deadly insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, which Trump is accused of inciting.

“A presentation to the American people, I will grant you, I think has been a service to the country,” Ray said. “So I will acknowledge that. I do think it has served a useful purpose, yes.”

Trump was acquitted in the senate of inciting the insurrection, falling ten votes short of the necessary 67 votes to convict. Despite praising the use of the video at the trial, Ray said it had no chance of getting a conviction.

“Trial by video is never going to get you to what was Donald Trump’s intent.” Ray said, later adding, “If he had said to them, I want you to go to the Capitol, break windows and break into the Capitol, or bring weapons with you, I think that’s a whole different situation.”

Video Transcript

ROBERT RAY: I mean, I think a lot of people, and including senators, have learned about things that went on that we didn't know. Well, and you can count me in that, too.

KYLIE MAR: Robert Ray, who served on former President Donald Trump's legal team in his first impeachment trial, appeared on The Circus Sunday, where he spoke about house impeachment managers showing new dramatic footage from the Insurrection at the Capitol on January 6 during Trump's second impeachment trial.

ROBERT RAY: A presentation to the American people, I will grant you, I think has been a service to the country, so I will acknowledge that. I do think it has served a useful purpose, yes.

KYLIE MAR: Trump was acquitted in the Senate with only 57 senators voting to convict. And despite praising the use of the video, Ray said it had no chance of actually getting a conviction for inciting the Insurrection.

ROBERT RAY: Trial by video is never going to get you to what was Donald Trump's intent. If he had said to them, I want you to go to the capital, break windows and break into the Capitol, or bring weapons with you, I think that's a whole different situation.