The Senate has voted 56 to 44 to proceed with the impeachment trial of Donald Trump for inciting the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Six Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting arguments from Trump’s defense team that it is unconstitutional for a former president to face an impeachment trial. Trump is the first president to ever be impeached twice and the first to be tried after leaving office. We air highlights from the first day of Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, including clips from a dramatic video mixing Trump’s words on January 6 with scenes of rioters breaking into the Capitol.
Transcript
AMY GOODMAN: The Senate voted 56 to 44 to proceed with the impeachment trial of Donald Trump for inciting the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol January 6. Six Republicans joined Democrats rejecting arguments from Trump’s defense team that it’s unconstitutional for a former president to face an impeachment trial. Trump is the first president to ever be impeached twice and the first to be tried after leaving office.
The Democratic House impeachment managers opened the day with a dramatic 13-minute video highlighting the words of Donald Trump on January 6 and scenes of rioters attacking police officers and breaking into the Capitol, where lawmakers were preparing to count Electoral College votes. The riot came after Trump spent weeks falsely claiming the November election had been stolen. This is an edited excerpt from the video, which contains graphic violent scenes. We’ve also bleeped the expletives, which were aired in the video shown on the Senate floor and broadcast live across the nation.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We will stop the steal. Today I will lay out just some of the evidence proving that we won this election and we won it by a landslide. This was not a close election. And after this, we’re going to walk down — and I’ll be there with you. We’re going to walk down — we’re going to walk down to the Capitol.
TRUMP SUPPORTER 1: Yeah!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 2: Let’s take the Capitol!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 3: Take the Capitol!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 4: Take it!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 2: Take the Capitol!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 5: We are going to the Capitol, where our problems are! It’s that direction!
TRUMP SUPPORTERS: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: When you catch somebody in a fraud, you’re allowed to go by very different rules. So I hope Mike has the courage to do what he has to do. … We fight. We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.
TRUMP SUPPORTER 6: D.C. Police, [bleep] you!
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And we’re going to the Capitol, and we’re going to try and give our Republicans, the weak ones, because the strong ones don’t need any of our help — we’re going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.
TRUMP SUPPORTER 7: Get the [bleep] out of here, you traitors!
MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL: President Trump claims the election was stolen. The assertions range from specific local allegations to constitutional arguments to sweeping conspiracy theories.
TRUMP SUPPORTERS: U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
AMY GOODMAN: Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman diverts a mob away from senators and the vice president. He’s African American. The mob chases him.
SEN. JAMES LANKFORD: My challenge today is not about the good people of Arizona.
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY: The Senate will stand in recess until the call of the chair.
AIDE: Protesters are in the building.
SEN. JAMES LANKFORD: Thank you.
TRUMP SUPPORTER 8: Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 9: Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 10: You’re outnumbered. There’s a [bleep] million of us out there, and we are listening to Trump — your boss.
TRUMP SUPPORTERS: Treason! Treason! Treason! Treason! Treason! Treason!
AMY GOODMAN: President Trump sends a tweet criticizing Vice President Pence. Insurgents near the Senate chamber where senators remain inside.
TRUMP SUPPORTER 11: Pence is a traitor!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 12: Traitor Pence!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 11: Traitor Pence!
TRUMP SUPPORTERS: Stop the steal! Stop the steal! Stop the steal! Stop the steal!
AMY GOODMAN: Representatives evacuate the floor of the House. Members in the House gallery are not able to get out until minutes later.
TRUMP SUPPORTER 13: They’re leaving! They’re leaving! They’re leaving! They’re leaving!
TRUMP SUPPORTERS: Break it down! Break it down!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 14: There’s got to be something in here we can [bleep] use against these scumbags.
TRUMP SUPPORTERS: No Trump, no peace! No Trump, no peace!
AMY GOODMAN: The mob is crushing a police officer at the door. He’s screaming.
TRUMP SUPPORTERS: Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump!
AMY GOODMAN: Over two hours after insurgents breach the Capitol, President Trump tweets a video.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: There’s never been a time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us — from me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special.
TRUMP SUPPORTER 15: U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
TRUMP SUPPORTER 16: Mobilize in your own cities, your own counties! Storm your own capitol buildings, and take down every one of these corrupt mother [bleep]!
AMY GOODMAN: A video montage showing scenes from the January 6th Capitol insurrection. The 13-minute version was shown on Tuesday by Democratic House impeachment managers on the opening day of the historic Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump. When we come back, we’ll hear a moving address from the lead impeachment manager, Maryland Democratic Congressmember Jamin Raskin. Stay with us.
AMY GOODMAN: The Staple Singers singing “We Shall Overcome.” After we hear the next speech, we’ll be talking to the historians Keisha Blain and Ibram X. Kendi about their new book, Four Hundred Souls.
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