President Trump’s attorney Michael van der Veen took the country’s news media to task shortly after Mr. Trump was acquitted in second the impeachment trial brought against him by congressional Democrats on Saturday.
“The media has to start telling the right story in this country. The media is trying to divide this country. You are blood-thirsty for ratings. And as such you’re asking questions that are already set up with a fact-pattern,” van der Veen said.
“I can’t believe you would ask me a question indicating that it’s alright just to doctor a little bit of evidence,” he added.
President Trump was acquitted in the impeachment trial by a final vote of 57-43 in the U.S. Senate. That margin fell short of the 2/3 majority needed to convict. Many believe the trial was fraught with fraudulent accusations and doctored evidence.
CBS News’ Lana Zak asked a question of van der Veen that seemed to downplay that doctoring of evidence. Van der Veen took exception.
“I’m tired of the biased media, on both sides, left and right,” van der Veen said. “What this country wants, what this country needs, is for this country to come together. To take the left and the right and find a middle ground and start responsibly being our public officials, our elected officials.”
“And one of the reasons why they do it is because of the media. Because the media wants to tell their narrative rather than just telling it like it is. And frankly I’m tired of it,” he added.
Friday night – one day before Trump was officially acquitted but after it had become clear Democrats would not be able to convict due to van der Veen’s skill exposure of Democrats’ alleged fraud – the Trump attorney’s home in Pennsylvania was vandalized. The word “Traitor” was spray-painted in red on his driveway.