Dismissing the appearance of conflict—and again demonstrating that an impeachment trial is unlike any other—President Trump's lawyers met with three of his jurors Thursday afternoon to plan strategy. The meeting was "just very nice," said David Schoen, one of the lawyers, the Washington Post reports. Trump supporters and Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee, and Ted Cruz huddled in a room in the Capitol with the lawyers after the trial adjourned for the day. Calling the senators "friendly guys," Schoen said the group was "talking about procedure." Republicans have been critical of the Trump lawyers' performance so far. Schoen said the senators didn't tell him what questions they'll ask during the trial. The discussion was about "just how this format goes, you know, the question-and-answer period, all that," he said.
On the other hand, Cruz said after the meeting that they were "discussing their legal strategy and sharing our thoughts." Few senators of either party appear to be undecided, but when they're sworn in as jurors, they vow to administer "impartial justice" in the case. The three senators were following the example of their leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell, who had promised Senate Republicans' "total cooperation" with the defense team during Trump's first impeachment trial. Schoen said the meeting Thursday was appropriate, per CNN. "I think it's the best practice here in impeachment," he said, suggesting the bar is low. "There's nothing about this thing that has any semblance of due process whatsoever." Cruz said: "I think the end result of this impeachment trial is crystal clear to everybody. Donald Trump will be acquitted." (More Trump impeachment stories.)
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