Trump Jr claims he understands America better than Congress despite being ‘son of a billionaire’

Donald Trump Jr has insisted that he has a "better pulse of the American people" than Congress despite being the "son of a billionaire from Manhattan", as the first day of his father's second impeachment trial in the Senate came to a close.

Congress heard both sides' opening arguments on Tuesday – including Democrats' video montage of Donald Trump's speech during the Capitol insurrection on 6 January, and a meandering monologue from the 45th president's lawyer Bruce Castor which reportedly had Trump "basically screaming" at the TV.

Senators eventually voted that the trial itself is constitutional – contradicting one of the main pillars of Trump's defence. However, only six Republicans agreed.

Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump Jr attacked Congress as "clueless" and launched a bizarre rant claiming Democrats were trying to cancel "half the country" with the help of the media.

“This is the kind of treatment and behaviour that created the rise of Donald Trump, and I think we’re going to see that pushback in midterms, because as always the Democrats are overplaying their hand," Trump Jr said.

"They don’t get it because they live in their little echo chambers. 

"And I understand the irony of the son of a billionaire from Manhattan having a better pulse of the American people than the people chosen by those people to represent them in Congress, but the Congress is clueless.

"The Democrats in Congress have no idea what's going on because they have their lackeys in the media telling them they're right about all of their nonsensical attacks."

The size of Trump's wealth is somewhat disputed – with a The New York Times investigation suggesting he paid just $750 in federal taxes in 2017.

While Trump Jr has often been less than self-aware about his role as an heir to this fortune, attacking Hunter Biden on the subject of nepotism on multiple occasions, the Liberal Privilege author is increasingly keen to paint himself as the defender of Americans left behind and denigrated by a "woke" establishment.

But some listeners had other ideas.

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