House prosecutors wrapped up theirimpeachment case against Donald Trump on Thursday with an impassioned appealto the Senate to convict the former president of inciting the deadly January6 attack on the US Capitol and bar him from ever holding office again, reports AFP.
“We humbly, humbly ask you to convict President Trump for the crime (of)which he is overwhelmingly guilty,” said Democratic Representative Joe Neguse, one of the nine impeachment managers from the House of Representatives.
“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.”
The House impeachment managers rested their case after two days ofarguments that included Trump’s own words and hours of graphic video from theassault on the Capitol by Trump supporters who were seeking to haltcertification of Democrat Joe Biden’s November 3 election victory.
Trump’s lawyers will begin their defense on Friday, arguing that the formerpresident cannot be held personally responsible for the storming of Congress.
They have also argued that the trial itself is unconstitutional because Trump is now out of office, although the Senate rejected that argumentearlier this week.
Jamie Raskin, the lead House manager, reminded the 100 senators who aresitting as jurors of their oath to render “impartial justice.”
“Exercise your common sense about what just took place in our country,”Raskin said, noting that Trump stood by doing nothing for two hours as his supporters rampaged through Congress.
“Why did president Trump not tell his supporters to stop the attack on theCapitol as soon as he learned about it” Raskin asked. “As our constitutional commander in chief, why did he do nothing to send help.”
Earlier, President Joe Biden said the video evidence against his 74-year-old predecessor presented at the Senate trial may change “some minds.”
But despite what even some Republicans have said was a strong prosecutioncase, Trump retains an unshakeable grip on the party, making conviction highly unlikely.
It would take a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate, meaning 17Republicans would need to join the chamber’s 50 Democrats.
The mayhem on January 6 erupted after Trump held a large rally near theWhite House, insisting falsely, as he had done since losing to Biden in Novemberthathe was cheated.
Instructed by Trump to march on Congress, where lawmakers were at thatmoment certifying Biden’s election, the crowd smashed through police lines,then went on a rampage.
The chaos left five people dead, including one woman shot after she invadedthe Capitol and one policeman killed by the crowd.
Video footage played by impeachment managers showed the mob hunting downopponents of Trump and senior figures, including then vice president MikePence, having to flee to safety.
The defense will stress that Trump did not expressly tell his supporters tocommit violence, but Raskin pointed out that the Republican president hadbeen stoking anger and encouraging extremism since Election Day — and evenbefore.
“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 the Senate convict Trump and bar him fromrunning for the White House again in 2024.
“Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he’s everallowed 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 thatRaskin also dismissed claims by Trump’s lawyers that the president did notincite the riot but was just exercising his free speech rights under theFirst Amendment of the Constitution.
Calling this a “smokescreen,” Raskin said that “nobody can incite a riot.
“First Amendment doesn’t protect it,” he said. “Nobody in America would beprotected by the First Amendment if they did all the things that Donald Trump did.”
Biden said he did not watch any of the trial live but had seen newscoverage of Wednesday’s wrenching video footage.
“My guess is some minds may be changed,” Biden told reporters in the WhiteHouse.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden, who has been trying to stop the trialfrom overshadowing his push for a huge economic stimulus package and the fight against Covid-19, was not intending to predict the outcome.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said video footage shown byHouse managers on Wednesday was “powerful,” but “how that influences finaldecisions remains to be seen.”
Other Republican senators have clearly already made up their minds and donot intend to break with Trump, who has threatened to derail their careers.
“The ‘Not Guilty’ vote is growing after today,” tweeted Republican SenatorLindsey Graham of South Carolina. “I think most Republicans found the presentation by the House Managers offensive and absurd.”
Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri echoed the argument of Trump’sdefense lawyers that it is unconstitutional to try a former president.
“You’re not going to get anything but condemnation from me for whathappened with those criminals at the Capitol on January 6,” Hawley told Fox News. “But that doesn’t make the trial any more legitimate than it is, which is totally illegitimate — no basis in the Constitution.”
