by Mollie Mansfield
The Sun
February 4, 2021
DONALD Trump has returned to social media with a post on his Gab account after his online exile.
The former president appeared to post a statement on the alternate site Gab on Thursday evening.
The page, that has amassed over 1.5 million followers already, posted the first update in weeks.
A statement from Trump's office to Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin was published on the account, that was signed by his lawyers.
The attorneys were responding to Democrats' requests that he testifies under oath in his upcoming impeachment trial.
In the statement, Trump's lawyers said: "Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone: you cannot prove your allegations against the 45th President of the United States, who is now a private citizen."
Trump's apparent return to social media comes as:
Supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene is ousted from House committees
Biden hails ‘chance to do something big’ as Covid budget passed
Trump touts his achievements in brand new documentary
Pelosi says stimulus checks could come this month
Bruce Castor and David Schoen also slammed the request as the blue's "latest public relations stunt."
The post received over 45,000 likes and 11,000 reposts.
Trump was recently banned from several media sites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, after he lost the 2020 election.
His Twitter account is still suspended, with his Facebook page not having been updated since January 6.
The last update came on the day that Trump's supporters stormed the US Capitol building in Washington, DC.
Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died during the riot.
Trump's last Facebook post was asking his supporters to "remain peaceful" and commit "no violence."
Following the Capitol riot, the House impeached Trump on one article – violating his oath of office "by inciting violence against the Government of the United States."
The impeachment brief faults him for his role in the riot and also aims to preemptively rebut defense claims that Trump’s words were protected by the First Amendment or that an impeachment trial is unconstitutional, or even unnecessary, now that Trump has left office.
However, Trump's lawyers have since filed their own brief suggesting that being impeached "requires that a person actually hold office."
Trump's defense team also argued that the Senate has no jurisdiction to prevent him from holding public office in the future.
Ten House Republicans crossed over to join Democrats in voting for the impeachment.
At least 17 Republicans would need to join all 50 Democrats in the evenly divided Senate for Trump to be convicted, a two-thirds threshold that appears unlikely to be reached.
The impeachment trial of Trump, the first US president to face such a trial twice, is expected to begin next week on February 9.