The Democratic case towards Donald Trump throughout his second impeachment trial on Wednesday aimed toward establishing one central thesis: that
The Democratic case towards Donald Trump throughout his second impeachment trial on Wednesday aimed toward establishing one central thesis: that the January 6 Capitol revolt wasn’t some random outburst of violence — it was an effort to overthrow democracy the then-president spent months cultivating.
Republican defenders of Trump have tried to distance him from the revolt by arguing he had nothing to do with its planning, and delivered a speech simply earlier than it that was mainly a traditional political speech. Home Democrats tried to convict Trump on an incitement cost by debunking each of these claims on Wednesday.
Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) detailed how Trump laid the groundwork for making an attempt to overthrow the election even earlier than November Three by making a “no lose” state of affairs wherein he repeatedly insisted he might solely lose if the election was stolen from him. On the identical time, Trump glorified the harassment of his opponents — together with, in an October 31 tweet that acquired consideration on Wednesday from Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), by lauding followers of his in Texas who tried to run a Biden-Harris bus off the street.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) detailed how, because it turned clear within the days following November Three that Biden had gained, Trump inspired unruly “Cease the Steal” protests that presaged the January 6 revolt.
A video clip throughout Castro’s presentation illustrates how a number of the November “cease the steal” protests in Michigan, Arizona, and elsewhere presaged the January 6 revolt pic.twitter.com/JVd03QwGGN
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 10, 2021
As a substitute of making an attempt to tamp down tensions, the Trump marketing campaign as a substitute spent tens of millions on “Cease the Steal” adverts that ran till January 5, recounted Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
On the identical time, Trump repeatedly urged his supporters to end up in DC on January 6 for a “wild” protest. As Plaskett defined, his crew even obtained straight concerned within the allowing course of for the January 6 occasion, serving to organizers get permission to march to the Capitol.
“The reality is President Trump spent months calling his supporters to a march on a selected day, in a selected time, in a selected place, to cease the certification,” Plaskett stated. “That’s the reason he should be convicted and disqualified.”
As soon as his followers had been gathered in DC, Trump delivered a speech to them wherein he talked about “preventing” greater than 20 occasions, solely as soon as in passing urging them to stay peaceable. Movies that impeachment managers performed to senators on Wednesday confirmed how Trump followers reacted to Trump’s speech by chanting issues like “Take the Capitol!” and “Storm the Capitol!”
Summarizing the impeachment managers’ case, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) described Trump’s actions as “a lot worse than somebody who falsely shouts fireplace in a crowded theater. It’s extra like a case the place the city fireplace chief … sends a mob to not yell ‘fireplace’ in a crowded theater, however to really set the theater on fireplace.”
Raskin: “This case is way worse than somebody who falsely shouts fireplace in a crowded theater. It is extra like like a case the place the city fireplace chief, who’s paid to place out fires, sends a mob to not yell fireplace in a crowded theater, however to really set the theater on fireplace.” pic.twitter.com/wj61BjDMaX
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 10, 2021
Alluding to Republican arguments making an attempt to absolve Trump, Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) stated, “The reality is, this assault by no means would have occurred however for Donald Trump. And they also got here, draped in Trump’s flag, and used our flag, the American flag, to batter and bludgeon.”