Washington D.C.–House Democrats closed their impeachment case against Donald Trump on Thursday by linking his history of incendiary rhetoric and months-long campaign to undermine the November election to the statements of insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 — and raising the prospect of future violence without a conviction.
The rioters seeking to block the final certification of his defeat swarmed on Trump’s orders, the impeachment managers argued to the Senate, leading to death and destruction, placing hundreds in and around the Capitol in harm’s way, emboldening extremist factions and diminishing America’s standing in the eyes of the world. Convicting Trump and barring him from ever returning to the presidency is the only way to prevent a reprise of the shocking violence, they said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the lead impeachment manager, put the question directly to senators who have spent years wrangling with Trump’s pugilistic rhetoric and flirtations with right-wing extremism.
“Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he is ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office, Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way?” Raskin asked.
“Would you bet the lives of more police officers on that? Would you bet the safety of your family on that? Would you bet the future of your democracy on that? If he gets back into office and it happens again, we have no one to blame but ourselves.”
Trump’s defense will begin at noon Friday. Although his lawyers are entitled to 16 hours of argument over two days, a spokesman said Thursday that they expect to rest their case in one day.
