The Senate Trial for the second impeachment of Donald Trump is now officially underway.
On Wednesday, U.S. House impeachment managers began arguing their case against the now-former president. They accuse him of inciting an insurrection for repeatedly challenging the election results and calling for supporters to “fight” on the day of the deadly Capitol Hill riots on Jan. 6.
The burden lies on the House managers who are trying to convince at least 17 Republicans to join Democrats in a vote to convict, which may prove to be a tall and unlikely order.
Nonetheless, the House Democrats took to the Senate floor to try and sway some support.
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) tried to make the argument that Trump’s remarks were more than just speech.
“Now some have said that President’s Trump remarks, his speech on January 6th, was just a speech,” Neguse said. “Well let me ask you this: when in our history has a speech led people to storm the Capitol with weapons, scale the walls, break windows, kill a Capitol police officer? This is not just a speech.”
It seems like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is leaving the door open to fellow GOP senators to vote their conscience if they feel swayed by the arguments.
But after listening to the Democrats’ case for three hours, some Republican senators said they remained unconvinced and unlikely to convict the former president.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said the prosecutors’ case was “predictable” and included information that was already public.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, another close ally of Trump, said the trial “is going to be pretty tedious.” He said the two sides would be better served to make their case “in a couple hours, and be done with this.”
Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe said Democrats have “put a real good team together,” but said he didn’t think anything had been said “by either side that has changed any votes.”
It appears unlikely that the House prosecutors will call witnesses, and Trump has declined a request to testify. The trial is expected to continue into the weekend.
Security remained extremely tight Wednesday at the Capitol, fenced off with razor wire and patrolled by National Guard troops.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has avoided weighing in on the trial. Biden stressed to reporters in advance that he would not be watching the proceedings.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that Biden would “not be a commentator” and would instead focus on getting his COVID-19 relief bill through Congress.
Trump is the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office and the first to be twice impeached.
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