DONALD Trump must be held accountable for his incitement of his supporters to insurrection.
That was the main theme of the prosecutors on the third day of the former president’s second impeachment trial. Democrat members of the House of Representatives told the Senate that Trump needed to be held to account for his actions and speeches before and after the insurrectionist riot at the Capitol on January 6.
For the first time, President Joe Biden has commented on the proceedings. While he is not watching the trial live, he saw the footage of the riot on news channels.
Knowing that at least 17 Republican senators need to join the 50 Democrats to convict Trump, with only six saying they would, President Biden said: “My guess is some minds may have been changed, but I don’t know.”
Yesterday, the impeachment managers continued with their evidence on how Trump’s many months of claiming the election would be and was fraudulent, and that his victory had been stolen from him, had led to the insurrection.
They used fresh security footage and a plethora of quotes from Trump supporters saying they had been obeying his instructions.
Lead impeachment manager Representative (Rep) Jamie Raskin said that if he became president again, Trump might incite violence again. “Would you bet the lives of more police officers on that? Would you bet the safety of your family on that? Would you bet the future of your democracy on that?” he asked.
The president’s lack of remorse for the riots was highlighted. Republican Ted Lieu said: “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.”
Impeachment manager Rep Diana DeGette said that, unless Trump is convicted, he will have a platform to continue stirring up hatred and inciting violence among his supporters.
She added: “This must be our wake-up call. We must condemn it because the threat is not over. We are not here to punish Donald Trump. We are here to prevent the seeds of hatred that he planted from bearing any more fruit.”
Republican David Cicilline briefly mentioned the insurrectionists that died: “These people were led here by the words and actions of an individual who told them they were patriots.”
He said Trump’s tactics were “cold calculated and conspiratorial” and were aimed at making Trump “king”. He added: “His crimes will not and cannot stand.”
Trump’s defence team do not intend to use the full 16 hours allotted to them. The trial could finish later today with a vote tomorrow or Sunday.
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