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WASHINGTON – After a day of watching violent and jarring footage that showed how close Capitol Hill rioters were to lawmakers on January 6, several Republicans described the attack as enraged, inexcusable and criminal – but it still isn’t not Donald Trump’s fault.
“Just looking at this stuff made my anger reignite.” Lots of anger, ”Senator Dan Sullivan said after senators watched an unreleased video, including of themselves quickly evacuating Capitol after rioters already broke in.
“I’m angry. I’m upset. I’m sad,” Senator Lisa Murkowski said. “We went through this once, and it was horrible. And now we are living this with a more comprehensive timeline.”
Sullivan and Murkowski did not say how they relied on the impeachment, but many other Republicans said Trump was not responsible or not accountable, despite their visceral reactions to Wednesday’s evidence, which also included shocking footage of police being attacked by Trump supporters. as they broke into the Capitol.
House impeachment officials spent hours establishing a timeline that began in early 2020, with the former president repeatedly claiming the only way to lose would be through massive voter fraud, followed by clips of his supporters saying they would never accept a win. by President Joe Biden as legitimate.
Officials then showed numerous snippets of Trump, post-election, gushing out false and denied claims that the victory was stolen from him and urging his supporters to “stop the theft.” The clips ran to the former president’s speech just before the Capitol riots. There he said to a crowd of supporters, “If you don’t fight like hell you won’t have a country,” and directed them to Congress, where the Electoral College votes were about to be cast. ‘be counted to certify that Biden victory. “We are going to the Capitol,” he said. “Let’s walk down Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Officials showed several clips of rioters on Capitol Hill saying they were there to fight for Trump, or at Trump’s invitation, and were trying to stop the Electoral College count. Several of those arrested have since argued in court that they broke into the Capitol because Trump asked them to do so. In numerous clips released Wednesday, many expressed anger or wished for violence against “traitors” such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Vice President Mike Pence, whom Trump repeatedly called out that day. for rallying to the electoral college’s count.
“He gathered the crowd. He called the crowd. And he incited the crowd, ”said Rep. Joe Neguse, an impeachment official. “They were following the president. He alone had the power to stop it and he didn’t.
Almost all of the senators interviewed by reporters on Wednesday described having a powerful emotional reaction to watching the violence clips – but many Republicans said the guilt lay solely on the rioters.
“[Trump’s] had 100 rallies, and we’ve never seen that before. So it’s the most difficult to be able to make connections, ”said Senator James Lankford.
Senator Rick Scott argued that Trump never specifically called on anyone to attack the Capitol. “You know, I watched what he said. He never said someone had to break in. He actually said people should do it peacefully, ”Scott said. “Look, this is a total waste of time.”
Senator Kevin Cramer has said impeachment officials may show dramatic imagery in an attempt to influence senators or their constituents. “But senators are, you know, pretty analytical, as a mere profession, so it doesn’t affect me in terms of how I feel about the president’s guilt,” he said.
Senator Mike Braun said if Trump has “pushed the boundaries” and events have “come crashing down,” only those who broke into Capitol Hill should be held accountable.
Wednesday was the first of two indictment days in Trump’s historic second impeachment trial. His defense team will then have two days to make their case. It takes a two-thirds majority vote to remove Trump. So far, this seems highly unlikely. Republicans control half of the seats in the chamber and a significant majority appear ready to acquit.
Of 50 Republicans, 44 voted Tuesday that the lawsuit itself is unconstitutional because Trump is now a private citizen rather than the sitting president, despite the opinion of legal scholars on both sides of the aisle. They lost that vote and the trial went ahead. Still, some cite constitutionality as a reason Trump cannot be impeached.
“There was no doubt that there was a crowd, that the crowd had insurgent plans in mind,” said Senator Mike Rounds. “But for many of us, and for me personally, we still don’t have the constitutional capacity to impeach someone who is not a current officer.”
Senator Rob Portman called Trump’s actions “inexcusable,” but hinted that he will always vote for acquittal. “I think it’s a bad precedent to condemn former presidents, private citizens,” he said.
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