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Impeachment trial, day 2. I'll try to live tweet as much as I can.
Note: Yesterday there were graphic videos of the violent insurrection and Trump's incitement; there are expected to be more extremely graphic videos today. (Some of which haven't been publicly shown before.) https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1359266566056128519
Note: Yesterday there were graphic videos of the violent insurrection and Trump's incitement; there are expected to be more extremely graphic videos today. (Some of which haven't been publicly shown before.) https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1359266566056128519
I wish I was at the Capitol. I'm finding it hard not to be there in this kind of moment.
They're starting. "The Senate will convene as a court of impeachment."
As usual, the chaplain is starting with a prayer.
As usual, the chaplain is starting with a prayer.
Since I think this matters in the context of prayerful response to racist/antisemitic/misogynistic insurrection against democracy: Both the Senate and House chaplains are Christians. The House chaplain is a white woman; the Senate chaplain is a black man.
The Senate sergeant-at-arms makes the proclamation that everyone must remain silent on pain of imprisonment.
Schumer "for the information of all senators, no motions were received this morning, so we will proceed to the House impeachment managers".
Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin is starting with a hard-hitting summary of what's at stake for our democracy and how important the truth is.
Raskin says that Trump's counsel is treating the Capitol insurrection as a natural disaster rather than a consequence of Trump's actions that clearly incited the insurrection.
Raskin: The Senate decided the Constitutional question; now this is a trial on the facts.
Raskin "The evidence will show you that Trump is no innocent bystander. The evidence will show you that Trump clearly incited the January 6th insurrection."
Raskin: "The evidence will show you that [Trump] saw it coming and that he was not surprised by the violence."
(I wish there were good streaming captions somewhere; I can tell them I'm missing things. But this is an excellent opening speech, and the main point is that Trump did this on purpose and should be held accountable.)
I think that one thing at issue here is whether we are willing as a country to stop using the passive voice when we describe abhorrent actions by powerful white men, and hold them accountable instead. https://twitter.com/Grace_Segers/status/1359550198473764865
Trump did this on purpose. https://twitter.com/BBuchman_CNS/status/1359550550128345090
Raskin: "He told them 'we have to fight like hell', and they brought us hell on that day."
I'd forgotten a lot of these details that demonstrate how intensely intentional Trump's actions inciting this riot were: https://twitter.com/BBuchman_CNS/status/1359550941603770368
Raskin is pointing out that the first time Trump spoke to the nation on Jan 6th, Trump went out of his way to repeat the lie, empathize with the rioters, and withhold all empathy from the victims of the riot he incited.
There are SO MANY details like this. https://twitter.com/emptywheel/status/1359550702264209409
Raskin is, with love and patriotism, contrasting what Trump did with what a President of the United States is supposed to do in the aftermath of violence.
Trump not only incited this, he enjoyed it. https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/1359551946508693507
Raskin points out that Trump has no remorse, that Trump and his lawyers are asserting that his actions were completely appropriate, and that if we let this stand, they will be repeated.
Raskin warns about upcoming graphic videos; asks parents and teachers to exercise discretion in what they allow children to watch from this trial; says that if you allow children to watch these clips "please watch them with them."
This declaration is striking to hear, all the more so because the sergeant-at-arms who made this declaration during the last impeachment has resigned because he failed to prevent the insurrectionist from breaching the Capitol. https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1359552735339835392
Raskin is reminding everyone that Trump does not have a first amendment right to incite violence and avoid impeachment for it.
A lot of what Republicans say about 'cancel culture' makes more sense when you realize that the ability to cancel politicians by voting them out is a core part of democracy. https://twitter.com/Grace_Segers/status/1359553109601771524
It's amazing that "the President of the United States should not be allowed to incite insurrection against the United States" is being treated as controversial by so many Republicans. https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1359553573605015553
Castor doesn't think the opinions of senators who will be voting on this case matter? That explains a lot about his performance. https://twitter.com/cbszak/status/1359541857819242509
Raskin is talking about the extreme racist violence that Black US Capitol Police officers faced on January 6th.
This shouldn't happen to anyone. https://twitter.com/nicholaswu12/status/1359554525275844609
Rep. Neguse is presenting now. (And since it matters in the context of responding to white supremacist insurrection: He's Black.)
I'm having trouble tweeting today. But, this: https://twitter.com/Grace_Segers/status/1359555113849937920
Neguse is outlining the Incitement of Insurrection case, in three parts:
1) The Provocation
2) The Attack
3) The Harm
1) The Provocation
2) The Attack
3) The Harm
Neguse points out that the insurrectionists believed that they were acting on Trump's behalf and that he would protect them — and that for the most part, they were right. "He had the power to stop them — and he didn't."
We can't just let this go https://twitter.com/ThePlumLineGS/status/1359555539466936325
Neguse points out that there are three phrases that you will hear over and over on the 6th and from Trump's statements leading up to it:
1) The Big Lie: The Election Was Stolen
2) Stop the steal
3) Fight Like Hell To Stop the Steal
1) The Big Lie: The Election Was Stolen
2) Stop the steal
3) Fight Like Hell To Stop the Steal
Neguse shows that on Jan 6, Trump said “we will never concede.”
Also points out that Trump knew that the mob was armed.
(I’m tweeting with one thumb right now, so there’s a lot that I’m not capturing.)
This is so clear. https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1359559784576348168
Wow. I hadn’t noticed that. But this is what happened. https://twitter.com/jengrodgers/status/1359558256218288134
Wow. Yes. This is at the heart of it. https://twitter.com/mmcauliff/status/1359560276971057153
Now @JoaquinCastrotx is presenting evidence that Trump incited the riot over many months.
Now: Swalwell.
