House managers: Trump ‘reveled’ in rage he fueled
WASHINGTON – House Democrats wielded former President Donald Trump’s words against him as evidence in the Senate impeachment trial that he provoked the riot Jan. 6 at the Capitol and “reveled in it,” during the prosecution’s opening arguments that conclude
Thursday.
House prosecutors, who are called managers, recited samples Wednesday from hundreds of tweets and speeches that claimed the only way he could lose the Nov. 3 election was through fraud. Trump claimed baselessly that votes by dead people and massive vote dumping resulted in his loss. The Justice Department found no widespread fraud.
House managers argued that Trump was warned the violent protesters were headed to Washington through news reports, law enforcement reports and arrests. On Thursday, the managers said, they will review the death and carnage from the insurrection they contend erupted from Trump’s encouragement.
“He watched it on TV like a reality show,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-MD., citing news reports quoting senior aides to Trump. “He reveled in it.”
Trump is charged with inciting the insurrection in which a mob broke doors and windows to swarm the Capitol, interrupting the tally by Congress of Electoral College votes certifying President Joe Biden’s victory.
Five people died in the melee, including a police officer hit with a fire extinguisher and a woman shot by an officer outside the House chamber. Other officers were beaten by mob and had their eyes gouged. One officer lost three fingers.
Trump’s defense team, led by Bruce Castor and David Schoen, argued that Trump’s speech is protected by the First Amendment and that he can’t be held accountable for the mob.
Several Senate Republicans called the House arguments predictable and redundant.
“This is pretty obvious this is a political exercise,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, Rwis.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-okla., said at midday that he hadn’t heard anything new. “I don’t think there’s anything that’s been said by either side that has changed any votes, that’s what I believe,” Inhofe said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who said he spoke with Trump on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, expects the former president to be acquitted. A twothirds majority of the Senate is required for conviction, which would mean at least 17 Republicans joined 50 Democrats.
“The bottom line is: I reinforced to the president the case is over,” Graham said. “It’s just a matter of getting the final verdict now.”
House managers spent Wednesday arguing how Trump began inciting unrest weeks before the election with baseless claims of widespread fraud. The managers said the complaints culminated in Trump’s speech near the White House on Jan. 6 before the mob attacked the Capitol.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-calif., cited a Nov. 15 tweet from Trump that said, “I concede NOTHING !!!!! ” On Nov. 17, Trump tweeted: “DEAD PEOPLE VOTED” without elaboration. On Nov. 28, Trump tweeted: “We have found many illegal votes. Stay tuned!”
Swalwell played a recording of Trump saying that “dead people were requesting ballots and they were dead for years.” Trump said Biden’s margins of victory in some states were the result of “extraordinarily large midnight vote dumps.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-mich., could be heard laughing in the Senate chamber during the video about dead people voting.
Trump never documented the claims. State election officials certified Biden’s victory. And then-attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department found no widespread election fraud.
“Donald Trump for months and months assembled the tinder, the kindling, threw on fuel to have his supporters believe that the only way their victory would be lost was if it was stolen,” Swalwell said. “Instead of accepting the results, he told his base more lies. He doused the flames with kerosene.”
Trump called his Jan. 6 speech “totally appropriate.” His defense team compared the riot to a bad accident or natural disaster for which society sought someone to blame. But Raskin said Trump was warned by media reports, law enforcement reports and arrests that the supporters he spurred to the Capitol could become violent.
“In short, we will prove that the impeached
president was no innocent bystander whose conduct was ‘totally appropriate,’ ” Raskin said. “He incited this attack and he saw it coming.”
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-texas, argued that Trump’s crusade against voting by mail allowed Biden to dominate mail voting by a 2-to-1 margin nationwide. That resulted in Trump having a lead on Election Day in some states, but losing it when mailed ballots were counted. Trump’s supporters gathered outside of election centers in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and other states as votes were being counted inside.
“They bought into his big lie,” Castro said.
House managers argued that Trump knew the effect his words would have. Rep. Joe Neguse, D-colo., quoted Trump’s former chief of staff, retired four-star Marine Gen. John Kelly, as evidence that Trump knew he could inflame a crowd.
“He knows who he is talking to and knows what he wants them to do,” Kelly said the day after the riot. “No surprise what happened yesterday.”
House managers will complete up to 16 hours of opening arguments Thursday in the historic second trial for Trump. The former president’s defense team will then have up to 16 hours for their arguments starting Friday.