Donald Trump's lawyers opened their defense of the former president Friday by telling the Senate that the impeachment charge is "blatantly unconstitutional" vengeance by Democrats and must be rejected. "The article of impeachment now before the Senate is an unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance," counsel Michael van der Veen told the Senate trial at the outset of the defense arguments. "This impeachment is completely divorced from the facts, the evidence, and the interests of the American people," he said, urging the 100 senator-jurors to "promptly and decisively vote to reject it." mlm/ec