The defense team made their arguments Friday during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, and lead defense councilor Bruce Castor mistakenly brought Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into the proceedings.
Castor meant to invoke the name of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger. However, that was not what came out of his mouth.
"Georgia Secretary of State Ben Roethlisberger" pic.twitter.com/8CqLqvkB9a
â Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) February 12, 2021
Castor has had a rough go of things this week.
The attorney was chastised for his rambling during the opening arguments, which were said to have angered Trump, per the Maggie Haberman of the New York Times:
Article Continues BelowMr. Castor, the first to speak, delivered a rambling, almost somnambulant defense of the former president for nearly an hour. Mr. Trump, who often leaves the television on in the background even when he is holding meetings, was furious, people familiar with his reaction said.
On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the angriest, Mr. Trump âwas an eight,â one person familiar with his reaction said.
The defense team then faced some scrutiny for resorting to âwhataboutismâ during Friday's arguments.
It is still considered unlikely the Senate will convict Donald Trump. But Castor does not appear to be doing himself any favors with these recent mishaps.
As for Roethlisberger, the Steelers quarterback has signaled an intent to return in 2021. The Steelers face salary cap issues thanks mostly due to Big Ben's own deal, but the longtime Steelers signal-caller has said he is open to restructuring his contract.
Even if Roethlisberger never plays another down, he will still remember 2021 for his unfortunate inclusion in the impeachment proceedings.