Trump’s lies tested limits of the bully pulpit. His right to say them is at core of criminal defense
By SEUNG MIN KIM
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The American presidency is vested with many overt powers, but one of the most important powers of the office is implicit, and that’s the power of rhetoric. Many presidents have been mindful of the urgent power of a president’s words, but Donald Trump seemed to show no such restraint when he was in the White House. Now he’s facing dozens of criminal charges in four indictments, with two of those indictments anchored in his lie that he didn’t lose the 2020 election. Trump’s propensity for falsehoods and his right to utter them are at the core of his legal defense.
