Not just the coup: Trump used the "aspirational" defense in the E. Jean Carroll rape lawsuit ( www.salon.com )

FTA:

“Every single thing that President Trump is being prosecuted for involved aspirational asks - asking state legislatures, asking state governors, asking state electoral officials to do the right thing,” Lauro told Fox News. (The “right thing” is GOP code for “steal the election.”)

“What President Trump didn’t do is direct Vice President Pence to do anything,” Lauro falsely claimed on CNN, calling the repeated badgering of Mike Pence merely “aspirational.” He used the word again to describe Trump’s taped phone call to Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump demanded that the Georgia Secretary of State “find” him enough votes to beat President Joe Biden.

Lauro tied “aspirational” to his claim that Trump’s relentless efforts to strongarm election officials were merely “free speech.” Taken together, one can see the defense forming: Trump’s relentless pressure on people at all levels of government to steal the election for him wasn’t what it looks like. There was no conspiracy to overturn the government. Trump is just a delusional old man babbling at people! And empty chatter ain’t no crime!