Michael Van der Veen, the lawyer of former U.S. President Donald Trump, was ridiculed on social media after he was caught 'stealing' coasters during the impeachment trial. Van der Veen shot into limelight following his dramatic statements delivered during the impeachment trials which he dubbed as an "unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance" and a "politically motivated witch hunt."
Trump, who was impeached for inciting the January 6 attacks on the Capitol, was acquitted by the Senate after Republicans overwhelmingly voted against convicting him. The Senate voted 57 to 43 to convict him on Saturday and although seven Republicans went over to the Democrat's side to convict him, it was 10 votes short of the 67 needed for the two-thirds majority needed for conviction.
Van der Veen Caught on Camera Picking Up Coasters
During the high-voltage drama, the Pennsylvania trial attorney while arguing on his client's behalf said had stated that the House impeachment managers had "manufactured and doctored evidence" during the impeachment trial.
It was after the historical trial ended with Trump's acquittal that Van der Veen was seen gathering the round coasters. "When it was over, there were no handshakes or any apparent interaction between the two panels of lawyers. Van der Veen did return to the lectern, where he appeared to pocket Senate coasters," reported The Washington Post.
Twitter user Fifty Shades of Whey uploaded a clip of Van der Veen gathering the coasters and putting them in his pocket. "Trump's impeachment lawyer steals coasters from the Senate chamber," wrote the user while sharing the clip. Stop the Steal was marked across the viral video which has already been viewed over 857,000 times with hours of being uploaded.
Van der Veen Prompts #StopTheSteal on Social Media
The viral video soon started the #StopTheSteal on social media platforms. "Have to admit, it made me chuckle to see Trump's lawyers snagging all the "U.S. Senate" coasters they could as the trial ended on the Senate floor. Souvenir hunting is a human universal," wrote a user.
"Trump's lawyer stole some coasters from the Senate on his way out gotta get him a souvenir, obviously," tweeted another user.
"true - rarely do I get a sense of immediate dislike to an individual as I had with this van der Veen - who in full view on camera - stole coasters from the Senate - I saw him take at least 5 - some in his briefcase others in his coat pocket," read another tweet.
"Trump Impeachment Lawyer van der Veen steals Senate coasters in lieu payment?" opined a user.
"Did anyone else notice that Michael van der Veen took three Senate logo coasters from the table by the lectern when they were leaving the Senate chamber at the end of the proceedings? Do you think they'll help him get more dog bite cases?" mentioned another user.
