The process for the impeachment trial of former US president Donald Trump is kicking into gear with the prosecution and defence briefs tabled overnight. Democrats say he jeopardised the foundations of American democracy by whipping his supporters into a “frenzy” at a rally in Washington DC on 6 January. Team Trump says all he was doing was exercising his First Amendment right under the Constitution to express his belief that the election results were fraudulent. Despite his claims of a stolen election, a campaign post mortem says he lost because not enough voters in key states found him to be honest or trustworthy. That saw him lose ground with almost every age group, and particularly with white men. The report by Trump’s own chief pollster Tony Fabrizio is circulating amongst senior Republicans, including within the former president’s team.