The Senate trial of Donald Trump began just after 1 pm eastern on Tuesday with impeachment managers playing a powerful video that used the former president’s own words against him. The 13-minute video (watch above) was a chronology of the rally, the riot and events in Congress in real time.
The scenes of mayhem and violence — punctuated by four-letter shouts rarely heard on the floor of the Senate — highlighted the drama of the trial in gut-punching fashion for the senators sitting as quasi-jurors who themselves lived through the events barely a month ago.
After playing the video lead impeachment manager said, “If that’s not an impeachable offense, then there’s no such thing.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin: "Senators, the president was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 13 for doing that. You ask what a high crime and misdemeanor is under our Constitution? That's a high crime and misdemeanor." pic.twitter.com/ZUaGafHUG8
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 9, 2021