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LAST UPDATE | 11 Feb 2021
HOUSE PROSECUTORS WRAPPED up their impeachment case against Donald Trump, urging the Senate to convict the former president of inciting the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
“We humbly, humbly ask you to convict President Trump for the crime for which he is overwhelmingly guilty,” said Representative Joe Neguse, one of the House impeachment managers.
“Because if you don’t, if we pretend this didn’t happen – or worse, if we let it go unanswered – who’s to say it won’t happen again?”
Trump’s lawyers will begin his defence at 5pm Irish time tomorrow and will have 16 hours to present their case.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead House manager, appealed to the 100 Senators who are sitting as jurors in the case to exercise their “common sense” and convict Trump.
“Exercise your common sense about what just took place in our country,” Raskin said, reminding senators that they swore an oath to administer “impartial justice.”
Earlier today, prosecutors said the Capitol invaders believed they were are acting on “the president’s orders” to storm the building and stop the joint session of Congress that was certifying Joe Biden’s election.
They presented videos of rioters, some posted to social medial by the rioters themselves, talking about how they were doing it all for Trump. Joe Biden said that harrowing video evidence of the January assault on the Capitol may change “some minds” in the trial.
Biden told reporters earlier he “didn’t watch any of the hearing live but that he had seen news coverage of the presentation, which showed the country’s most senior politicians fleeing to safety.
The mayhem left five people dead, including one woman shot after she invaded the Capitol and one policeman killed by the crowd.
So far, a large majority of Republicans have stood by Trump, who is accused of inciting insurrection 6 January when a mob of his supporters ransacked the Capitol and tried to stop certification of Biden’s election victory.
That means a conviction, requiring a two-thirds majority in the Senate, is highly unlikely. Trump’s lawyers will get their chance to speak as early as today or Friday when Democratic impeachment managers wrap up their case.
The Trump team argues that the former president cannot be personally blamed for the riot and that the entire trial is unconstitutional because he has already left office. Trump’s lawyers will launch their defence tomorrow.
‘This was not a hidden crime’
Prosecutors laid out their case by linking Trump’s verbal attacks on the election to the violence that resulted.
Trump did nothing to stem the violence and watched with “glee”, the Democrats said, as the mob ransacked the building.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead impeachment manager, presented evidence of Trump’s encouragement of violence in the past using videos of the former president’s own words.
“This pro-Trump insurrection did not spring out of thin air,” Raskin said. “This was not the first time Donald Trump had inflamed and incited a mob.
Raskin said it was imperative that the Senate convict Trump and bar him from running for the White House again in 2024.
“Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he’s ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way?” Raskin asked. “Would you bet the future of your democracy on that?
“Trump declared his conduct ‘totally appropriate,’” Raskin said. “So if he gets back into office and it happens again we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves.”
Likewise, impeachment manager Ted Lieu said Trump would incite another attack if he is allowed to run for president in 2024.
“I’m not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years. I’m afraid he’s going to run again and lose — because he can do this again.”
House impeachment manager Diana DeGette said Trump was directly responsible for the attempt by his supporters to block congressional certification of Biden’s election victory.
“Their leader, the man who incited them, must be held accountable,” DeGette said. “This was not a hidden crime. The president told them to be there.
“They thought they were following orders from their commander in chief and they would not be punished.”
Harrowing video
Yesterday they walked senators through hours of graphic presentations and video, some of which came from security cameras and police bodycams and was being aired for the first time.
The ensuing mayhem left five people dead, including one woman shot after she invaded the Capitol and one policeman killed by the crowd.
The episode occurred after Trump told a rally near the White House that his failure to win reelection was due to vote rigging.
Video played on the Senate floor yesterday showed then vice president Mike Pence – who was in the Capitol to preside over certification of Joe Biden’s defeat of Trump – being hurried down back stairs to safety by security officers, along with his family.
Top Democratic senator Chuck Schumer is seen narrowly dodging a rampaging throng of pro-Trump rioters.
And Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican who often opposed Trump and was turned into a hate figure by the president, is seen being steered away by Eugene Goodman – the officer previously feted for luring the mob away from the Senate chambers – at the last moment as an angry crowd approaches.
In another segment, the mob can be seen smashing into the offices of Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives and another frequent target of Trump’s most violent rhetoric.
“Nancy, where are you Nancy?” protesters call out as they search, not knowing that eight of her staff were barricaded behind a door in the same corridor. Pelosi herself had already been urgently whisked away.
“We know from the rioters themselves that if they had found Speaker Pelosi, they would have killed her,” said impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett, a House delegate from the US Virgin Islands.
The impeachment managers laid out their case over several hours arguing that the links are clear between Trump, his lies about election fraud, the violence, and the then president’s inaction as the riot unfolded.
Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin said Trump “completely abdicated” his duty.
“Donald Trump surrendered his role as commander-in-chief and became the inciter-in-chief of a dangerous insurrection,” Raskin said.
Republicans loyal so far
Holed up in his luxury Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump has been gone from power for three weeks.
But the trial has put the polarizing Republican once more at the centre of the national conversation – and underlined his still-powerful hold over the base of the Republican electorate.
Some Republican senators have expressed disgust with the pro-Trump riot, openly blasted Trump’s refusal to accept defeat to Biden, and acknowledged the compelling case made by the Democrats with the aid of extensive video.
“The evidence that has been presented thus far is pretty damning,” Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said.
“Of course it’s powerful,” Senator Bill Cassidy said of the chilling footage, but “how that influences final decisions remains to be seen.”
It is highly unlikely Trump will be convicted as it requires a two-thirds majority, meaning 17 Republicans would need to go along with the 50 Democrats.
“I believe at the end there will not be 67 votes to find the president guilty,” Republican strategist Karl Rove told Fox News earlier today, but he predicted, “any Republican up for election in 2022 in a tough district or tough state is likely to see this (video) material used against them.”
Forced off Twitter and other social media platforms following his unprecedented attempt to foment a conspiracy theory about his election defeat, Trump has fewer outlets where he can vent.
It is also believed that advisors are pressing him to keep back, fearing his reappearance could turn Republican senators against him.
According to US media reports, Trump was privately furious on the trial’s opening day Tuesday at what he saw as his own lawyers’ lacklustre performance.
Unlike Trump’s first impeachment trial a year ago, which took three weeks, this one is expected to be over within days.
- With reporting from Adam Daly and PA
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He was a vile person before he became president. It was just on show a lot more, after being elected.
@Tommy Berry: whose fault was it that he got elected though? They voted him in it’s their own fault for wanting a reality tv host as a leader.
@Daniel Andrews: Trump won on the Electoral College in 2016. He still got more votes in 2016 and 2020 than he should have. He benefited from cynicism in 2016 and provoked a record turnout to both re-elect him and to defeat him in 2020. In Ireland we keep re-electing councillors and TD’s who are proven to be corrupt. It is time America stopped talking about their representative democracy as “an experiment” and started proving they’ve learned some lessons from the last few hundred years. Most of the rest of the world won’t have any patience with a return to a Trump-like president.
@Daniel Andrews: yes but why did they vote for him, that’s the real q. IMO because people have lost faith with everyday politicians, Dems n Republicans are to busy trying to score points of each other, this impeachment process as a case n point !
@David A. Murray: If Biden doesn’t deliver, it could be as soon as next election. And I predict it will be Cruz to challenge. Things are going well for him despite what it looks like.
@Daniel Andrews: He got an extra 12 million votes after being in for 4 years. Believe it or not some people like the idea of border security, lower tax rates, small business assistance, no wars, peace deals in the Middle East, NAFTA changed…etc etc, If it wasn’t for the bias and lies from social media and MSM and Governors changing the rules without legislative agreement he’d be back in now.
@Crispy Brown: It doesn’t bother you that he’s a crook?
@Crispy Brown: no if it wasn’t for racial inequality, coronavirus and of course the problems with his own personality he would be back in now.
@Crispy Brown: problem is he never delivered on those things you mentioned, he only claimed to have delivered them and that was enough for his cult followers to spread the lie of his success.
@Vonvonic: What makes you believe he’s a crook?
Joe Biden is far more crooked,
@Al Fresco: Did I miss a war or something in the last 4 years??? Just because it doesn’t say it on CNN it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen
@NotMyIreland: Have you not heard of the First Step Act?? Have a look. Done more for the black community in this act alone than Obama done in 8 years
@Crispy Brown: Wow, you’re still supporting him. You must be on a bonus. Some people like a leader who doesnt blatantly lie, constantly exaggerate his achievements and who doesn’t sack half their cabinet. Not to mention the highest national debt since WWII, downplaying the virus and 400,000+ deaths, not denouncing White supremacy or ‘Proud Boys’. He thought he could bully his way through negotiations and bluff like he did through his business dealings. He has been totally inept at being a leader or being presidential.
@Crispy Brown: 450,000 people died while trump played golf and tweeted,
He didn’t need wars.
@Crispy Brown: no I’m just going from the three main issues in the exit polls, taxation, racial inequality and Coronavirus
@Crispy Brown: He picked low-hanging fruit: Drain the swamp/Build the wall. Which involved blaming other people, usually migrants, for issues, rather than acknowledging it is the responsibility of everyone to make our communities/countries better.
@Daniel Andrews: look at our own fame hungry politicans. Still bluffing their way and getting away with it. Keep voting them in.
@Crispy Brown: So he won it really What you are saying. The only rule changing and gerrymandering favoured him.
The media Fox and the rest of them were lying daily for him.
peace in the middle east, ask them that in Yemen or Syria.
Lower tax not for the average American there was not and the attacks on Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act forced million into health problems.
@Crispy Brown: Oh dear you really are delusional
Trump won’t be impeached. Waste of time and money.
@James Lough: He already has been impeached. Twice.
@Steve O’Farrell: yes, my bad – he won’t be charged and removed from office. The impeachment, unfortunately, won’t be successful.
@James Lough: he’s not in office though? This is to set a standard that you can’t get away with insurrection.
@James Lough: 4 impeachments in American history, Trump has 2 of them, right now!
@Al Fresco: he’s a winner…..at long last
@Paul Furey: lost Georgia more times than anybody else too! A big winner!
@James Lough: Even if he is not convicted, the prosecution case against him will be part of his historical legacy for eternity. In generations to come he will be villified in history books as the first and only US President to ever incite an insurrection against an equal branch of government.
How on gods earth is this not an open and shut case of inciting violence, regardless of wether or not he’s in office.
@Vid Co: it’s a political trial not a criminal trial..: politics is never about truth it’s about politics, no matter how guilty Trump is, the politics will ensure he will be acquitted, says more about the GOP and American society. Trump’s criminal trials will follow, NY District Attorney has a big case lined up and when finished the IRS will follow. He also owes a fortune and cannot be making much at the moment due to COVID. Trump is in deep trouble, if he survives, his heart may not survive
@Vid Co: No it isn’t an open and shut case at all.
No where in his speech did Trump incite violence – no where!
He was also speaking still when the rioters started their rampage. Most of them were actually Antifa dressed as Trump supporters. The whole thing had been pre organised.
Nancy Pelosi’s blind hatred for Trump is what this is about. She was trying to get the man impeached before he took office in 2016!!
@Ally Collyer: To turn young ,slim gorgeous antifa lads into the obese waddling toothless orcs we saw waddling round the place would have required a special effects budget similar to Lord of the rings.
@Ally Collyer: that is wrong as the details of those charged come out it’s more and more apparent they are not antifa and you probably know this .
Fascinating to see the logic lite lemmings focusing on political or financial aspects of the impeachment proceedings as if the offender in chief hadn’t tweeted his love and support for his mob even as some of them beat a police officer to death. I wonder how many more of the mob are withholding information that might convict the murderers?
And what happened to “stop the steal” Republicans in Congress? Their total silence on the subject now proves they knew all along it was a lie. If they really believed the election was stolen they would be outraged at the impeachment and marching in the streets instead of merely hiding behind false procedural qualms.
I watched a bit of CNN today, my god no wonder people are clueless, its like something out of the hunger games, pure manipulation of the truth, liberal propaganda machine.
@Joe ryan: are you saying all those videos taken by the mob are fake? Selfie Evidence that will be used to convict themselves . How is it propaganda?
@Joe ryan: look at this knuckledraggers tweets.
@Paul Furey: Hes gone quiet.
Big victory march for Trump and the Repiblicans will never have to answer questions about it again. Pelosi is really not very good at this.
@Vonvonic: I’d expect legal cases to be taken against Trump and the 12 other speakers on his podium on January 6th by The Capitol police (for life changing injuries and PTSD, etc). There may be other cases against Trump and possibly against Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley.
@David A. Murray: I hope you’re right. I still think the most clear cut case against him is the one Georgia state will take about the phone call. That investigation started yesterday. I think it’s the most clear cut and it’s relatively serious.
@Vonvonic: when he’s not convicted all it’ll prove os that you can’t find 17 honest Republicans in the senate
@Dave O’Keeffe: To you and me maybe, but anyone who wants to believe Trump did nothing wrong will take this and run. You’ll see from next week the republican will be saying “the matter is closed” to anyone who will listen.
@Vonvonic: They cant win but they can stop the Democrats from winning, keep up will you
The Dems are wasting their time again, in the midst of a pandemic impeaching somebody who already left office to make sure he can’t run again. It won’t work, it’s just galvanizing his support.
Biden “won” the election only by a combined 40,000 ballots spread over three swing states( fraudulent mailed-in ballots). His support was, and still is way bigger than China Joe’s.
@Ulick Magee
: So it’s all right for Trump to get away with it while his so called supporters will have plenty of time while in prison to reflect on how they were used to feed his ego.
@Ulick Magee: Rubbish. There was no fraud unless you count the gerrymandering and vote suppression by Trump and the Republicans before the election.
@Aine O Connor: get away with what? Trump is not guilty of anything. Did you see his speech on Jan 6th, probably not.
I think he won election because no one wanted hillary and same story last year they have chosen biden other than unwanted trump
It seems like america vote lately for who they don’t wanna for a president…
@Marcin Goralski: I bet Hillary is going through some amount of popcorn and wine while following all this. Good luck to her.
@Marcin Goralski: the same as we do.
Why are we allowed to comment on the impeachment of the poor Donald but not on the transgender article ?
@Itsonlyme: laws of defamation different in USA
@Itsonlyme: because you’re not allowed to have an opinion on transgender, be woke it shut up.
@Ulick Magee: ..or shut up.
@Ulick Magee: Easy now.
All the footage or most of the footage being used in the trial came from this lady
How the trial was able to build a timeline of events is incredible, I just think it is fascinating the technical aspect of it.
She must have take 1000s upon 1000s of terrabytes from parler
@Ally Mc Culladgh: Here ‘s an interview with the FBI agent responsible for setting up Parler, the app they used to incriminate themselves: https://youtu.be/3R7WrlIIV3o
@David Jordan: its just wonderful they created all this evidence for their own prosecution. The poor deluded sods all thought that trump had their back. Imagine trusting trump……
America was looking for enemies around the world and all the time they were at home
I’m in 2 minds about this one, the dems have been for impeachment since the min trump became the us president 4 years ago. 2nd while trump holds all responsibility for what happened jan 6, he did not EXPLICITLY say go and rainsack the us capital and take hostages or attempt to take hostages. Should have have Anticipated the mobs actions? Of course. I have watched the all the available videos of the riot and trumps speech Prior to the riot. According to the FBI and other national security officials this riot had been planned weeks in advance by the far right group proud boys and and the oath keepers, it unfortunately was a situation that got out of hand 6 people tragically lost their lives.
It may be a waste of time but its showing up the Republicans (at least a large proportion of them) as being a shower of gutless vote-seekers not prepared to stand up for common decency.
I suppose yes that’s what politicians do, but if this isn’t the time to stand up to the Trump lunatics I dunno what is. “Sad”!
@Hotirish: I disagree I think it is showing ALL top level US politicians…
@Hotirish: well they haven’t proved that he did anything so….hopefully the law unpstands.
I do not understand why he has to be impeached which seems a very partisan process. Why not refer him to the Federal authorities, let them ingather evidence and bring a criminal prosecution if there is sufficient evidence? That way, he is accorded due process, is allowed to state a defence and the trial takes place with an independent judge and 12 jurors .
@James Kelly: It’s because Pelosi is trying to get Trump barred from ever holding public office again.
It’s as simple as that.
@James Kelly: Georgia and New York are already after him. The tax man is after him as he overvalued and undervalued assets depending on what he wanted and then theirs Dominion. I predict they will hit him for $3.5bn plus. I hope there’s enough popcorn.
One can only assume the reasons, but no doubt it is part of a web of intricate political process for US politicians to get what they want.
@Ally Collyer: Waste of time even if she does impeach him (unlikely). He can just run a member of his family in a future election. His voters will know the deal.
It is just pure vindictiveness and theatre.
If they can’t impeach him they will score a self-created own goal.
@Sense of Doubt: Anyone who thinks Trump is worthy of the Office of the President of the United States has truly been brainwashed but apparently does not recognise that they have been manipulated.
Trump 2024.
Trump is laughing at them all.
Should be imposing a political background and actual knowledge not a jumped up tv celebrity that was corrupt, racist, only interested in his own interest and spent 4 years destroying the country .
Humpty Trumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Trumpty had a great fall from the”Wall”, all the GOP horses and all the GOP donkeys could not put Trump ” together” ( as if he was ever!) again
have your say