Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., spoke Feb. 13 as House impeachment managers and former President Donald Trump’s defense team offered their final cases in Trump’s second impeachment trial. The Senate will vote on whether to convict Trump on a charge of inciting an insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump was impeached by the House in January, while he was still in office.
Raskin said it is ‘plainly wrong’ to ignore Trump’s conduct during the Capitol attack and that it is central to his incitement of the insurrection, contrary to what Trump’s defense argued. Raskin called Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s, R-Wash., statement about a phone call between Trump and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., “decisive evidence.” In a statement she said Trump told McCarthy “I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are” during a phone call on which McCarthy asked Trump to help stop the attack that was at the time underway.
Raskin debated the suggestion by Trump’s defense and a number of Republicans that the impeachment a result of “cancel culture,” and noted that many GOP lawmakers at Trump’s side attempted to “cancel” Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., for voting to impeach Trump, but the GOP stood up for her by voting to keep her in her position as Republican National Conference chair 145-61. “Who says you can’t stand up to bullies?” he asked, adding that Cheney is a hero for standing up for the truth.
Raskin said the House managers have presented clear evidence that Trump is guilty of inciting the insurrection, and with Beutler’s statement, “It is now clear beyond doubt that Trump supported the actions of the mob.”
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