Much of the evidence Democrats are expected to use in their case to convict ex-President Trump of inciting an insurrection is relatively well known — seared in our minds for the past month by live footage and violent video and photo evidence of his role in encouraging a mob of his supporters to storm the Capitol.
But those images together, laid out chronologically to juxtapose photos, videos, tweets and statements, made for a compelling, gutting opening exhibit, introduced by House impeachment manager Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
The video montage served as a stark contrast to the Republican “move-on” rhetoric of late, an attempt by Trump’s closest allies to downplay the actual violence of that day, despite many GOPers’ early condemnation of what happened in the immediate aftermath.
“Senators, the President was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on January 13th for doing that,” Raskin said from the Senate floor after the nearly 15 minute video montage finished playing. “You asked what a high crime and misdemeanor is under our Constitution? That’s a high crime and misdemeanor. If that’s not an impeachable offense, then there is no such thing.”
Republicans are expected to focus on the constitutionality of convicting a president after he’s left office, rather than the merit of his role in the insurrection that left five people dead.
Watch the montage below. Warning: there is graphic language and content included.
The magnitude of my contempt for Trump is inversely proportional to the depths to which he descended.
Watching the House present their arguments with the temporally-synched video has filled me with rage.
I will accept nothing other than his conviction by the Senate and being barred from future political office.
Then let the DOJ and the states carve his carcass.
CNN is already priming the pump…
“Democrats, including President Joe Biden, see acquittal as the assured outcome and don’t want the trial to further impede the new President’s agenda.”
While admittedly a bit prejudiced I found this compelling from the first five words. “We will stop the steal!” Trump delegitimizing a national election and saying, with his trademark crude projection, that he will steal it. Well done, managers. Always nice to have a confession in your pocket. Now to watch the rest of it.
ETA OK, this was edited to bring a coherence to the story we didn’t get from the fragments we saw during the chaos of the actual event. Again, well done. The vital message is that Trump laid the groundwork for, instigated, and approved of the attack. It’s by far the worst thing any president has ever done, that we know of, because God only knows what else he’s done.
Wow, if Castor is the best T**** has, he’s toast.
IANAL, and it doesn’t seem like Castor is either.
He has moscow mitch, and tubbytubey, and lord haw-haw, and cruz (R-Backfeifengesicht), and… you get the idea.