Key moments from day two of Trump’s impeachment trial

by



[ad_1]

“He told them to ‘fight like hell’, and they brought hell to us that day,” said Representative Jamie Raskin, the main impeachment official, as he began the presentation of the Chamber.

“The evidence will show you that ex-President Trump was not an innocent bystander. The evidence will show that he clearly instigated the January 6 insurgency. It will show that Donald Trump has abandoned his role as commander-in-chief. and became the instigator – the leader of a dangerous insurgency. “

A security video released by House impeachment officials showed Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman running as crowds begin to enter the Capitol. Goodman passes Romney and redirects him from the rioters path before continuing to the first floor to respond to the breach and distract the crowd of lawmakers.

Romney told reporters after the video aired that it was “obviously very disturbing” and that he had no idea he had gotten close to the rioters.

“It rips your – your heart and brings tears to your eyes. It was extremely painful and moving, ”he said.

Romney added that he was eager to thank Goodman, and later Wednesday night he was seen speaking with him in the Senate chamber.

Goodman, now the Senate Acting Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms, had previously been hailed as a hero after the previous video emerged of him guiding the violent crowd away from the Senate Chamber, where the then Vice President , Mike Pence, led the ceremonial counting of the 2020 electoral votes.

Pelosi was fully evacuated from the Capitol complex

House impeachment officials first revealed on Wednesday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been fully evacuated from the U.S. Capitol complex during the insurgency to a secure off-site location.

“We know from the rioters themselves that if they had found President Pelosi they would have killed her,” Del said. Stacey Plaskett, one of the arraigners.

Democrats showed what rioters called Pelosi as they moved through the halls of the Capitol, before showing new security footage of Pelosi staff barricading themselves in a conference room shortly before rioters entered in his office suite, trying to force open the door. where the helpers were hiding.

Plaskett showed photos in which one of the insurgents who ransacked Pelosi’s office can be seen with a stun gun.

Schumer and his security service had to flee the rioters

Some of the new security footage Democrats presented on Wednesday showed how much Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and security officials came to meet the rioters.

Footage shows Schumer walking up a ramp with his safety when the group is forced to quickly change direction and return to the direction they came. Capitol Police officers can be seen closing the door behind Schumer and leaning against her to keep it shut.

“They came a few yards from the rioters,” said Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California who is one of the House impeachment officials.

Mob came dangerously close to Pence

Wednesday’s security footage also showed for the first time how the then-vice president was evacuated during the episode as rioters entered the Capitol looking for him.

The footage shows Pence and his family hurrying down a flight of stairs. Pence turns around briefly in the video. During the same period, rioters spread throughout the building, Plaskett said.

“As the rioters reached the top of the stairs, they were within 30 meters of where the Vice President was sheltering with his family, and they were only a few meters from one of the doors to this room, ”she explained. In one video, the crowd can be heard chanting “hang Mike Pence” as they stood in the open doorway of the Capitol building.

One photo showed a gallows that had been erected outside on the lawn.

“After President Trump groomed his supporters for months and ignited supporters of the rally that morning, it’s no wonder the Vice President of the United States was the butt of their wrath, after Pence refused to overturn the election results, “Plaskett continued. .

“They were talking about assassinating the Vice President of the United States.”

Some Republican senators praise haunting presentation

Some GOP members welcomed the presentation on Wednesday, with Senate Republican No.2 John Thune of South Dakota saying House impeachment officials had done an “effective job” and “were connecting the dots “Trump’s words to the insurgency.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaskan who is likely to vote to convict, told CNN: “The evidence presented so far is quite damning.”

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana has said he finds much of the case of those responsible for the House impeachment against Trump of contention, adding that the rioters’ attempts to thwart a peaceful transfer of power should alarm anyone who loves America.

“There are so many. There is not one thing. There is a lot of stuff,” Cassidy said when asked today if he found anything in the Democrats’ case. for impeachment, particularly shocking. “There is so much to be said that should be taken away. How can you reduce this?

Yet there is no indication that Senate Republicans will consider condemning Trump, however convincing the Democrats’ presentation may be. Forty-four of the Senate’s 50 Republicans voted Tuesday that the lawsuit was unconstitutional, a defense most, if not all of those senators are likely to cite if they vote to acquit Trump.

Representative Madeleine Dean recounts a frightening experience

The personal nature of the trial, for both House administrators and senators alike, weighed on the proceedings throughout the day.

Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, a Democratic House impeachment official, choked on closing her remarks by describing the loud bang that was heard when she was in the room which had been surrounded by rioters .

“So they came, draped in the Trump flag, and used our flag, the American flag, to beat and club,” Dean said. “And at 2:30 p.m. I heard that terrifying slam on those House doors. For the first time in over 200 years, our seat of government has been ransacked under our watch.”

Trump’s defense team pushes back

One of Trump’s defense attorneys, Bruce Castor, argued House officials failed in their presentation to link rioters’ actions to Trump.
“I didn’t learn anything that I didn’t already know. We do know that a crowd has reached the Capitol and wreaked havoc on the building. I’m waiting for them to link that to President Trump and so far, that didn’t happen., “he said.

When asked if he was concerned that the video would have an emotional impact on the jury, he said: “It would have an emotional impact on any jury. But there are two sides of the coin and we don’t. haven’t played ours. “

Castor and Trump’s other attorney, David Schoen, will have up to 4 p.m. over two days to present a more detailed case against the impeachment charge starting Friday, although they are not expected to use all that time. .

CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Manu Raju and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.

[ad_2]

Source link