An attorney representing former President Donald Trump on Sunday argued that his pressure to push then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject certified election results was merely an "aspirational" hope and not a direct order.
However, a new report from the New York Times says attorney John Lauro's claim is "at odds with two key moments in the indictment."
In the first instance, Trump told Pence that he would have no choice but to publicly attack him if he continued to correctly insist that he did not have the power to unilaterally throw out certified election results.
Additionally, notes the Times, Trump warned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during his now-infamous phone call that he could face criminal charges unless he met Trump's demands to "recalculate" the final election tally in his favor.
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In addition to calling Trump's pressure campaign "aspirational," Lauro also said that Trump's request of Pence amounted to a "technical violation of the Constitution" that did not violate any criminal statutes on the books.
Special counsel Jack Smith has alleged that Trump knowingly made false claims about fraud in the 2020 election and used them as part of a conspiracy to illegally remain in power.
