“But, You Know…”

“Not a single independent authority who was not allied with or paid by Mr. Trump — no judge, no prosecutor, no election agency, no governor — has ever validated any substantial election fraud that would have come close to reversing the results…” https://t.co/nL2ukVmgN0

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 2, 2023

"…Trump really believed there was fraud anyway, and that excuses any illegal activity he engaged in,” is not the defense his lawyers pretend it is.

And I’m pretty sure they know it.

But Trump can’t really raise the “I prefer my own reality,  thank you,” defense. Mens rea, after all, is just an inference. It doesn’t have to be proven beyond reasonable doubt.