Image source, Reuters

A survey by the American Enterprise Institute has found that nearly 30% of Americans - including 39% of Republicans - support the idea of politically motivated violence.

That was the share of respondents who agreed that "If elected leaders will not protect America, the people must do it themselves, even if it requires violent actions."

The result was "a really dramatic finding," the organisation's director Daniel Cox told NPR.

"I think any time you have a significant number of the public saying use of force can be justified in our political system, that's pretty scary," he said.

The survey also found divisions remain stark, external between Republicans and Democrats on the 2020 presidential election despite Donald Trump agreeing to an orderly transfer of power to Joe Biden.

Two out of three Republicans say Biden was not legitimately elected, while 98% of Democrats and 73% of independents say he was, the survey found.

Image source, Getty Images

It's unlikely that the prosecution will sway enough Republican Senators to convict Donald Trump.

But there are still Republicans who may cross party lines in the vote anyway.

Senator Mitt Romney from Utah is one of them. Yesterday, we saw new footage of Romney unknowingly run toward a mob of Trump supporters inside the Capitol on 6 January. He is quickly guided away by Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman.

The footage was new to Romney, too. Reporters in the chamber said Romney "blinked rapidly" while the footage played, watching intently.

"It tears at your heart and brings tears to your eyes," he later said of the video. "That was overwhelmingly distressing and emotional."

Senator Romney has a history of going against his own party. He was the sole Republican to vote to convict Trump at his first impeachment, and joined Democrats this week in a vote to move the proceedings forward.

Image source, Getty Images

However, while some Republicans seemed distracted (see previous post), others were reportedly transfixed by proceedings.

Senator Susan Collins from Maine was spotted taking careful notes, later telling reporters that the Democrats' presentation was "riveting".

"You could have heard a pin drop" in the chamber, she said.

Collins is among a handful of Republicans who might be swayed to vote with Democrats to convict Donald Trump.

But so far, Collins has not signaled which way she will vote.

Image source, Getty Images

Day two of Trump's second impeachment trial featured wrenching footage of the 6 January riots. We saw desperate police officers, violent crowds, and countless close calls between the rioters and those hiding inside.

But some Senate Republicans did not exactly seem gripped by the footage.

Senator Josh Hawley was spotted by reporters watching arguments from the Senate's visitor gallery - above the Senate floor. Hawley, who led the charge to dispute the certification of Biden's victory, had his feet up, while he rifled through paperwork.

Hawley has since defended himself, saying he had a better view from the gallery.

Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was spotted doodling on a legal pad, while Senator Tim Scott appeared to read a magazine.

And according to The Hill, Senator Cindy-Hyde Smith of Mississippi was seen gazing at a 2021 calendar, while Senator Rick Scott of Florida was seen studying a map of Southeast Asia.

Image source, Getty Images

President Biden has so far kept tight-lipped about the impeachment process of his predecessor, saying it is the job of Congress to decide the outcome.

However, referring to the video footage released during Wednesday's session, he said: "My guess is some minds may be changed."

Mr Biden told reporters that he hadn't watched the proceedings live but caught up with the news coverage later in the day.

"I'm focused on my job... to deal with the promises I made. And we all know we have to move on," he said.

On Wednesday, Mr Biden made his first call to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, discussing trade and US-China relations, which soured under Trump.

The White House said President Biden also raised the issue of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, the clampdown in Hong Kong and the ongoing tensions with Taiwan.

After the call Mr Biden tweeted, external that he had told Mr Xi: "I will work with China when it benefits the American people."

Here are some images of day two of the trial of former President Donald Trump.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

The impeachment trial comes down to one question: Did Donald Trump incite the insurrection of the Capitol on 6 January?

No matter what the Senate decides, the repercussions of that day tell us a frightening truth about the divided American public.

BBC Newsnight's Gabriel Gatehouse takes a closer look at the movements of far-right extremists on the day of the riot - and how the Proud Boys were already heading to the Capitol before President Trump had even spoken at his rally.

But the vast majority of those arrested for their actions on 6 January did not have affiliations to such groups before the siege.

Experts say that many more Americans have become radicalised since the election and warn that the risk of political violence could grow.

A month-long search for offenders has resulted in charges against a reported 221 people, which you can read about here.

Image source, Reuters

Snow has been falling on the US Capitol building - scene of the 6 January riot by Trump supporters and now the venue for Trump's impeachment for allegedly inciting the violence.

The third day of the trial is due to get under way in just under an hour-and-a-half.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

Image source, Reuters

'There was method to that madness'

Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin used Trump's own words on the day of the Capitol insurrection to tie him to the unrest. Trump was no "innocent bystander", he was the "inciter-in-chief", he said.

A full-bore attack on Trump's election claims

The Democrats want the senators to pass judgement on whether a president can call into question American electoral processes the way Trump did. This could put Trump's legal team in a delicate situation.

Will it change any Republican minds?

Senator Josh Hawley certainly didn't want to give the impression of feeling uncomfortable - he sat with his feet on a chair in the chamber's second-floor gallery. Meanwhile, Rand Paul of Kentucky was seen doodling on a notepad.

Trial by tweet

A series of impeachment managers spent large chunks of their presentations reading out Trump's tweets - prosecuting him with his own words.

A near miss

Previously unreleased audio from police radios and video from Capitol security cameras was used to recount the violence as it unfolded, with the rioters’ progress illustrated on a map of the US Capitol.

You can read more from Anthony on this here.

Why is Donald Trump being impeached? Here's a run-down of the case against him:

• He's accused of “incitement of insurrection against the Republic he swore to protect” - namely the storming of Congress by a mob of his supporters on 6 January
• Democrats in the House of Representatives say his repeated refusal to concede the election to Joe Biden encouraged the riot
• They say he should be disqualified from ever running for office again.

And his defence?

• Mr Trump's lawyers say that because he is now a private citizen the trial is unconstitutional. They also say the proceedings are in violation of his right to free speech
• They will also argue that Mr Trump's supporters stormed Congress of their own accord, and that his pre-riot remarks did not amount to incitement.

Read more on the case for the prosecution and defence here.

The material shown on Wednesday by impeachment managers also included previously unheard police radio communications of the moment they lost control of the Capitol building as well as bodycam footage of officers under attack from rioters trying to gain entry.

You can hear it here:

As we mentioned in our opening post, some of the most powerful moments of Wednesday's hearing came when Democrat impeachment managers showed new video footage of the 6 January riots.

It shows just how close rioters came to members of Congress.

The footage shows:

• Senator Mitt Romney being urged by Eugene Goodman – one of the officers praised for luring rioters away from the Senate floor – to turn and run the other way as he walks down a Capitol hallway
• Vice-President Mike Pence and his family quickly ushered by the Secret Service from their hiding place near the Senate floor

• Aides to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi barricading themselves in a conference room moments before a group of rioters enter the hallway and start pounding on doors
• One rioter wandering the Capitol, calling in an eerie sing-song voice: “We’re looking for you, Nancy.”

Image source, Getty Images

The third day of the trial in the Senate gets under way at noon (17:00GMT).

Democrat prosecutors, who on Wednesday set out their case that Mr Trump incited the 6 January riots, are expected to turn their focus on the aftermath. One House aide said they plan to illustrate the "terrible toll" of the riot and the former president's "role in assembling, inciting and inflaming the insurrectionists," Reuters reports.

Donald Trump’s lawyers are expected to begin their defence on Friday.

Under the rules:

• Both sides have 16 hours each to present their case
• Neither side can exceed eight hours of presentation in any one day and they cannot take more than two days to present overall
• After that, the Senate will have a total of four hours to question both sides.
• If the prosecutors choose to call witnesses or request more documents, each side can then have four hours to make their case
• The two parties will then have a total of four hours to make their closing arguments.

Both Republicans and Democrats are said to be keen on a speedy trial, so we could see a vote on conviction as early as this weekend if there are no witnesses to hear from.

Image source, Reuters

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of day three of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the US Senate.

Wednesday’s session saw dramatic and previously unseen video footage as prosecuting Democrats set out their case as to why the former president was “inciter-in-chief” of the 6 January riots at the US Capitol.

Here’s a quick recap of Wednesday's events:

• One video clip shows Senator Mitt Romney running as police warn him of an advancing mob
• Another clip shows how close Vice-President Mike Pence came to the rioters
• The prosecuting impeachment managers laid out their case using Mr Trump’s own tweets and videos from his own supporters storming the Capitol
• The majority of Republican Senators opposed impeachment and initial reaction suggests Wednesday’s dramatic testimony has not changed many minds
• Trump's lawyers - who we'll hear from in the coming days - are arguing that he has freedom of speech to declare the election as fraudulent

Throughout the day, we'll be bringing you all the latest updates as they happen, as well as background and context to help keep you fully across the story.