© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

House Managers Move Through Timeline Of Attack, Sharing New Riot Footage

Former President Donald Trump's attorneys, including Bruce Castor Jr., left, and David Schoen begin their impeachment case defense on Friday.
Sarah Silbiger
/
Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump's attorneys, including Bruce Castor Jr., left, and David Schoen begin their impeachment case defense on Friday.

Updated on Wednesday at 5:58 p.m. ET

The Democratic House managers are presenting their opening arguments on Day 2 of former President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial. The testimony included previously unseen Capitol security camera video, showing just how close rioters came to lawmakers and their staff during the insurrection.

Their timeline of the attack follows earlier arguments that Trump knew his words on Jan. 6 and in the weeks leading up to it would lead to violence, which his defense says he did not intend for.

Watch the proceedings live. Follow updates on the trial here.

Editor's Note: Videos shown during the proceedings may contain profanity and violence. Follow live updates on the trial here and read more about how it will work.


Trump has denied responsibility for stoking the mob on Jan. 6. His lawyers claim he did not encourage unlawful acts and that his comments to supporters that day are protected by the First Amendment. They also argue that he should not be on trial at all, as he is no longer president — though many constitutional experts disagree.

As Congress began counting the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, Trump called for his supporters to walk down to the Capitol in protest of the election results. Trump falsely claimed the election had been "stolen," despite his clear loss to now-President Biden.

"You'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated," he said. "I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard."

Hours later, multiple people were dead, the Capitol building was in a state of chaos, and still, Biden's election victory was certified by Congress.

House impeachment managers will be dissecting those remarks andothers made by Trump in the months prior to argue that his false election claims laid the groundwork for the violence far before that particular rally.

Trump is not expected to participate in the Senate trial. He also didn't participate in his first impeachment trial, which ended in an acquittal a year ago.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Alana Wise
Alana Wise is a politics reporter on the Washington desk at NPR.