A majority of senators considered that the trial of Donald Trump was in accordance with the Constitution and could continue, in a vote on Tuesday, February 9, after a first day of hearing. In total, 56 senators versus 44 voted to continue the trial of the former president as part of the impeachment process, even though he has left the White House and is no longer a private citizen.
On the first day of Donald Trump’s trial, Democratic prosecutors made America relive the violence on Capitol Hill, shocking video to back it up, but they drew warnings from the ex-president’s lawyers on the deep divisions of the country.
Now living in Florida, the billionaire will not testify. And there is little doubt that he will, at the end of the day, be acquitted thanks to the still strong support among the Republicans. But the Democratic prosecutors appeared from the outset determined to remember the 100 senators who serve as jurors but also, beyond that, the Americans, the violence of this day of January 6 which ended in deaths and will remain in history.
This lawsuit will “tear up” the United States
Accused “Incitement to insurgency”, Donald Trump is guilty “A frightful constitutional offense”, launched the chief of the democratic attorneys, Jamie Raskin, in the same chamber of the Senate where the pro-Trump demonstrators had rushed on the day of the certification of the results of the presidential election.
This trial, a “Political instrumentalisation”, go “Tear” the United States, retorted a lawyer from the 45e President of the United States, David Schoen. Because “Many Americans see it for what it is: an attempt by a group of politicians to keep Donald Trump out of politics.” Behind this intention, the “Fear” that the Americans will re-elect him in 2024, said his other lawyer, Bruce Castor.
At the opening of their indictment, the Democrats released a long shocking video, putting into perspective the sequences leading to the bloody attack: Donald Trump’s speech calling on his thousands of supporters to demonstrate towards the Capitol, seat of Congress. “You will never take back our country by being weak”, he said to the white-hot crowd. Then the solemn opening of the parliamentary sessions to certify the victory of his rival in the presidential election Joe Biden. And the footage of protesters breaking into Capitol Hill, pacing its halls as elected officials, and Vice President Mike Pence, were evacuated from the Senate or lurked in the galleries of the House of Representatives.
While recalling that two hours later, Donald Trump had tweeted a video again hammering, without proof, that the election was a “Fraud”. If he called on the demonstrators to return home, he added: ” We love you. ” If these facts, “Concrete and solid”, are not “Not subject to impeachment proceedings, so nothing is”, concluded MP Jamie Raskin in a very emotional speech.
Senators, jurors and victims
An unprecedented situation, the senators who serve as jurors were also the victims of the attack. A point that “Prosecutors” Democrats pointed out. “Presidents cannot fuel an insurgency in their final weeks [de mandat] then leave as if nothing had happened ”, insisted another Democrat, Joe Neguse, in response to the main argument of the defense.
According to Donald Trump’s lawyers, it is indeed “Absurd and unconstitutional” to conduct an impeachment trial against a former president, because this “Ordinary citizen” quite simply cannot be removed. An argument repeated by many Republican senators.
The trial will resume Wednesday at noon (6 p.m. in Paris), with the statement of facts, each party having sixteen hours.
