Trump impeachment: Democrats wrap up case at Senate trial
- Published
The violent riot at the US Capitol on 6 January saw five people lose their lives
Democrats have finished their arguments that Donald Trump incited the attack on the US Congress, warning "he can do this again" if he is not convicted.
Impeachment prosecutors used rioters' own words to link Mr Trump to the violence while arguing last month's riot had caused long-term harm as well.
Democrats also presented accounts from police, staff, intelligence officials and foreign media to pursue their case.
The former president's defence team will present their arguments on Friday.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives impeached Mr Trump last month, accusing him of inciting the riot on the Capitol building on 6 January. Lawmakers from the House have been presenting their case to senators at his trial this week.
Mr Trump's lawyers have argued he was using his right to freedom of speech when declaring last November's presidential election fraudulent.
Impeachment: The basics
What is impeachment? Impeachment is when a sitting president is charged with crimes. In this case, former President Trump is accused of having incited insurrection
What has already happened? The House of Representatives voted to impeach Mr Trump for a second time on 13 January, a week before the end of his term. The Senate is now holding a trial
So what does it mean? As he is no longer president senators can vote to bar him from holding public office again - but only if he is convicted
A two-thirds majority is required to convict Mr Trump in the evenly split 100-seat Senate, but an acquittal looks likely as the vast majority of Republican senators have remained loyal to him so far.
If Mr Trump is convicted, however, the Senate could also vote to bar him from holding elected office again.
The violent riot at the Capitol, which saw five people lose their lives, was an attempt by Trump supporters to stop the election result being certified.
The prosecution's closing argument: "We humbly ask you to convict President Trump"
What did Democrats say?
On Wednesday the trial was shown new footage of the violence Mr Trump is accused of inciting. Democrats sought to detail how Mr Trump sparked the attack on the Capitol and presented evidence that took senators step-by-step through the events of the day of the riot.
On Thursday, they embarked on the final point of their prosecution: the harm they say Mr Trump caused to property, people and democracy.
"Because impeachment, conviction and disqualification [from office] is not just about the past. It's about the future," Congressman Ted Lieu told the trial, after arguing Mr Trump had shown no remorse for his actions.
"It's making sure that no future official, no future president does the same exact thing."
House prosecutor Joe Neguse made the case that Mr Trump was "not just some guy" making a controversial speech - he was a president addressing supporters who were "poised for violence [and] he struck a match".
See how close the mob got to Mike Pence, Mitt Romney and other lawmakers
Democrats showed clips of rioters saying they had come to Washington DC because they believed that was what then-President Trump wanted.
Fellow House manager David Cicilline used video and court documents to illustrate the harm done to "Congress and the Democratic process".
He added that some rioters admitted they planned to murder Vice-President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while others spoke of "sealing" lawmakers in the basement where they hid and "turning on the gas".
"Never did any of us imagine that we would face mortal peril by a mob riled up by the president of the United States," Mr Cicilline said.
He also shared accounts from frightened staff who were in the Capitol during the riot.
The Democratic impeachment managers have now concluded their case
Democrats also argued Mr Trump's conduct caused "long-term harm" to both domestic security and the nation's international standing.
Impeachment manager Diana DeGette argued threats from domestic extremist groups "were and are made worse by President Trump's refusal to take accountability and his refusal to forcibly denounce what his own FBI identified as some of the most dangerous elements of our country".
Congressman Joaquin Castro said international allies were shocked by the attack while adversaries mocked the US. "The world is watching and wondering whether we are who we say we are."
Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin concluded by outlining questions for Donald Trump's defence team, as Mr Trump himself has refused to testify:
Why did President Trump not tell his supporters to stop the attack on the Capitol as soon as he learned of it?
Why did President Trump do nothing to stop the attack for at least two hours after the attack began?
Why did he do nothing to send help to overwhelmed and besieged law enforcement officers for at least two hours after the attack begin?
On 6 January, why did President Trump at any point that day do nothing to condemn the violent insurrection and insurrectionists?
Mr Trump's Attorneys Bruce Castor and David Schoen will have up to 16 hours over the next two days to set out their defence.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Schoen accused the Democrats of making "movies" and presenting the case as an "entertainment package" with the video and audio footage they showed the Senate.
A number of Republican senators have said they will vote for Mr Trump as they do not believe the constitution allows for the impeachment of a former president, despite the Senate rejecting that argument in a vote on Tuesday.
Why there could be a speedy end
Donald Trump's defence team will now get its turn. His lawyers will have up to 16 hours over two days to offer a rebuttal, although they are already saying they plan to wrap up by Friday evening.
They feel like they are winning on numbers and, if listening to Republican senators is any indication, they are probably right. Senators will then have up to four hours to present written questions to the legal teams.
That will be followed by a debate and vote over whether to allow witnesses - if either side wants them. If they do not, or if the vote fails, both sides will make brief closing arguments followed by the final vote on Mr Trump's fate.
All told, this could wrap up as early as Saturday night or by Monday at the latest - less than a week from start to finish. That stands in stark contrast to Mr Trump's last trial, which took three weeks, or President Andrew Johnson's proceedings in 1868, which had witnesses and took more than two months.
Most of the Senate seems ready to move on as soon as possible - and it looks like they will get their wish.
- Published13 February 2021
