Feb 08, 2021
House Democrats serving as prosecutors kicked off Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday with a 13-minute video intended to bolster their case that the former president incited the deadly January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol aimed at preventing Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the leader of nine House impeachment managers, presented the video--described by author and activist Bill McKibben as "one of the iconic documents of American history"--during his opening statements. It begins with Trump's speech at a rally before his supporters stormed the Capitol.
Watch:
Following presentation of the video, Raskin addressed the Senate chamber.
"You ask what a high crime and misdemeanor is under our Constitution? That's a high crime and misdemeanor," said Raskin. "If that's not an impeachable offense, then there is no such thing."
Writer, photographer, and founder of the Female Farmer Project Audra Mulkern tweeted that the video made her "feel suspended in time--the surreal moment of it actually happening and that it was incited by the [president]."
"It is horrifying and a must viewing for every American," Mulkern said of the video, before turning her focus to the Capitol attack, adding: "May those responsible be held accountable and it never happen again."
Esquire politics editors Jack Holmes similarly wrote after the video's release that it should be shown far and wide as "a vital piece of the historical record" and a permanent scar on Trump's record.
"Show the video to someone you know. And if you run a news program, show it to the someones you know are watching," he wrote. "Even in the unbelievable cases where they remain unconvinced that the president must face consequences for what he's done, you will know you've done your duty as a citizen of this country. If the pursuit of justice does not fuel you, let the rage and horror of this piece of testimony do it."
\u201cEnormous respect for @jamie_raskin whose video presentation today at the impeachment trial is now one of the iconic documents of American history. These scenes, once witnessed, can't be erased from heart and mind.\nhttps://t.co/IRzi5FX6VF\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1612899514
While the video garnered widespread attention online, six progressive groups on Tuesday raised concerns about the Democrats' approach to the trial and called for the inclusion of witness testimony, arguing that "the Senate, and the nation as a whole, need to hear from witnesses who can testify not only about the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, but also about Trump's actions leading up to that attack."
Trump is the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Only 10 Republicans joined with House Democrats on January 13 to pass a single article of impeachment charging Trump with engaging in "high crimes and misdemeanors by inciting violence against the government of the United States."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
House Democrats serving as prosecutors kicked off Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday with a 13-minute video intended to bolster their case that the former president incited the deadly January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol aimed at preventing Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the leader of nine House impeachment managers, presented the video--described by author and activist Bill McKibben as "one of the iconic documents of American history"--during his opening statements. It begins with Trump's speech at a rally before his supporters stormed the Capitol.
Watch:
Following presentation of the video, Raskin addressed the Senate chamber.
"You ask what a high crime and misdemeanor is under our Constitution? That's a high crime and misdemeanor," said Raskin. "If that's not an impeachable offense, then there is no such thing."
Writer, photographer, and founder of the Female Farmer Project Audra Mulkern tweeted that the video made her "feel suspended in time--the surreal moment of it actually happening and that it was incited by the [president]."
"It is horrifying and a must viewing for every American," Mulkern said of the video, before turning her focus to the Capitol attack, adding: "May those responsible be held accountable and it never happen again."
Esquire politics editors Jack Holmes similarly wrote after the video's release that it should be shown far and wide as "a vital piece of the historical record" and a permanent scar on Trump's record.
"Show the video to someone you know. And if you run a news program, show it to the someones you know are watching," he wrote. "Even in the unbelievable cases where they remain unconvinced that the president must face consequences for what he's done, you will know you've done your duty as a citizen of this country. If the pursuit of justice does not fuel you, let the rage and horror of this piece of testimony do it."
\u201cEnormous respect for @jamie_raskin whose video presentation today at the impeachment trial is now one of the iconic documents of American history. These scenes, once witnessed, can't be erased from heart and mind.\nhttps://t.co/IRzi5FX6VF\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1612899514
While the video garnered widespread attention online, six progressive groups on Tuesday raised concerns about the Democrats' approach to the trial and called for the inclusion of witness testimony, arguing that "the Senate, and the nation as a whole, need to hear from witnesses who can testify not only about the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, but also about Trump's actions leading up to that attack."
Trump is the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Only 10 Republicans joined with House Democrats on January 13 to pass a single article of impeachment charging Trump with engaging in "high crimes and misdemeanors by inciting violence against the government of the United States."
House Democrats serving as prosecutors kicked off Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday with a 13-minute video intended to bolster their case that the former president incited the deadly January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol aimed at preventing Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the leader of nine House impeachment managers, presented the video--described by author and activist Bill McKibben as "one of the iconic documents of American history"--during his opening statements. It begins with Trump's speech at a rally before his supporters stormed the Capitol.
Watch:
Following presentation of the video, Raskin addressed the Senate chamber.
"You ask what a high crime and misdemeanor is under our Constitution? That's a high crime and misdemeanor," said Raskin. "If that's not an impeachable offense, then there is no such thing."
Writer, photographer, and founder of the Female Farmer Project Audra Mulkern tweeted that the video made her "feel suspended in time--the surreal moment of it actually happening and that it was incited by the [president]."
"It is horrifying and a must viewing for every American," Mulkern said of the video, before turning her focus to the Capitol attack, adding: "May those responsible be held accountable and it never happen again."
Esquire politics editors Jack Holmes similarly wrote after the video's release that it should be shown far and wide as "a vital piece of the historical record" and a permanent scar on Trump's record.
"Show the video to someone you know. And if you run a news program, show it to the someones you know are watching," he wrote. "Even in the unbelievable cases where they remain unconvinced that the president must face consequences for what he's done, you will know you've done your duty as a citizen of this country. If the pursuit of justice does not fuel you, let the rage and horror of this piece of testimony do it."
\u201cEnormous respect for @jamie_raskin whose video presentation today at the impeachment trial is now one of the iconic documents of American history. These scenes, once witnessed, can't be erased from heart and mind.\nhttps://t.co/IRzi5FX6VF\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1612899514
While the video garnered widespread attention online, six progressive groups on Tuesday raised concerns about the Democrats' approach to the trial and called for the inclusion of witness testimony, arguing that "the Senate, and the nation as a whole, need to hear from witnesses who can testify not only about the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, but also about Trump's actions leading up to that attack."
Trump is the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Only 10 Republicans joined with House Democrats on January 13 to pass a single article of impeachment charging Trump with engaging in "high crimes and misdemeanors by inciting violence against the government of the United States."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.