Donald Trump's insurrection incitement charge is a "monstrous lie", defence lawyers said as they presented evidence in the US Senate. Most Republicans have indicated they will not vote to convict Mr Trump.

Lawyer Michael van der Veen called impeachment proceedings against the former president a "politically motivated witch hunt" by the Democrats, the BBC reported. Trump is accused of causing riots in the Capitol on January 6 which left five persons dead. He denies the charge.

The defence team took less than four of its 16 hours, trying to move the impeachment trial to a speedy end. After this, senators were given four hours to ask questions of the two sides.

On Friday, Mr van der Veen used his opening remarks to dispute the Democrats' case that Mr Trump had incited violence during his speech to supporters on 6 January in Washington DC to try to stop Joe Biden's election victory being certified.

Mr Trump had made allegations of voter fraud and urged his supporters to converge at the Capitol building a short while before the riot broke out.

However, the fact there was evidence among some groups that violence had been pre-planned demonstrated "the ludicrousness of the incitement allegations against the [former] president", Mr van der Veen said, adding: "You can't incite what was already going to happen."

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