Everyone needs to consider what this defense implies. It proposes that if you are convinced what you speak as lies and related actions you take are believed to be true and justified, your actions reflect free speech and acceptable behavior. Psychologists would describe this behavior as delusional and lawyers might describe the behaviors associated as caused by temporary insanity. Perhaps. Trump is sufficiently egotistical he might not be capable of differentiating his thoughts from reality.
Some Trump supporters dismiss his behaviors as the typical lies of politicians. I would not argue politicians do not stretch the truth or engage in spreading misinformation, but to think in this way to defend Trump is to fall prey to the bias of false equivalency. All lies do not have equal consequences and putting our democracy at risk of an insurrection or suggesting an election decision does not truly represent the will of the people is exceptionally egregious in a country’s leader. Whether you believe Trump acted out of misguided understanding or more maliciously to knowingly in an attempt to circumvent our method of governance, it is simply inappropriate to support him for a leadership position. You are willing to overlook very dangerous behavior.
[From the Times story. Already, Mr. Trump’s lawyers and allies are setting out the early stages of a legal strategy to counter the accusations, saying that Mr. Trump’s First Amendment rights are under attack. They say Mr. Trump had every right to express views about election fraud that they say he believed, and still believes, to be true, and that the actions he took or proposed after the election were based on legal advice.]