House Democrats rallied on social media after House impeachment managers kicked off the first day of the Senate impeachment trial with a montage of cherry-picked footage from the January 6 Capitol protest and concluded that former President Trump must be barred from running for office ever again.
“What will the January exception mean to future generations if you grant it? I’ll show you,” lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who objected to the certification of the 2016 election results and outlined his intention to impeach the former president before Trump formally took office, said.
The montage, depicting the events that unfolded on January 6, served as the impeachment managers’ timeline in their case against the former president:
Notably, the montage did not include Trump stating [emphasis added], “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” at the “Save America” rally earlier in the day, nor did it include Trump’s consistent calls for peace on social media throughout the protest:
Nonetheless, the cherry-picked video drew praise from House lawmakers, some of whom concluded that it served as “proof that Trump committed a high crime and misdemeanor”:
“This is what we all lived through. The Senators, impeachment managers, staff, and everyone who works in the Capitol complex were victims and witnesses to this crime,” Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) said as his colleagues joined in, demanding senators to hold Trump accountable:
Raskin ultimately said that it is, in fact, constitutional to proceed with the trial, arguing, in part, that it is valid given that the House impeached him prior to his leaving office. Not holding a trial, he warned, would create a dangerous “January exception” that could allow presidents to commit unlawful acts prior to ending their term.