Trump impeachment as it happened: Trial adjourned as former US president probed over inciting Capitol Hill riot
Summary
The US Senate has heard its first full day of arguments in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial.
Senators are being asked to convict the former president of inciting insurrection via his comments and tweets prior to a violent mob of his supporters storming the Capitol on January 6,
The Democrats made extensive use of previously unseen and graphic security footage as evidence.
Trump is expected to be acquitted because conviction requires two-thirds of senators to vote in favour and the Senate is made up of 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans
It’s unclear any Republicans have been persuaded that Trump has committed acts that merit a conviction.
Disturbing. Enlightening. Compelling. The first full day of arguments in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial has concluded.
We will now wind down our rolling coverage of the event for today.
But it will continue tomorrow, with the action in Washington to resume at 4am (AEDT) on Friday.
I’m Chris Zappone. Thanks for following.
Democrats did not over-hype their case
The first day of Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial began with an unforced error from the members of his legal team, who were widely derided for their unfocused and unpersuasive opening presentation, writes North America correspondent Matthew Knott.
Democratic Party staffers talked a big game in the lead-up to the first full day of the trial on Thursday (AEDT) by briefing reporters, “We have the goods, we will be presenting the goods.”
The centrepiece of their presentation, the staffers told reporters, was never-before-seen footage that would provide new insights into “the extent of what Donald Trump unleashed on our Capitol”.
While it’s usually a good rule to under-promise and over-deliver, in this case the Democrats were not over-hyping what was to come.
Anger, from one committed conservative Trump critic.
One long-time US politics observer, says Republicans are “denying reality”.
The prosection and presentation of the Democrats has won plaudits.
A Republican senator, who Trump called on January 6 in an effort to stop the election certification, believes the impeachment is too costly.
Another Republican senator believes the riot should be a criminal case.
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The impeachment trial has been adjourned for today
By Chris Zappone
The impeachment trial has now officially been adjourned until noon on Thursday, Washington, DC- time. That’s 4am AEDT on Friday.
A Republican voices a small objection
House Democrats have agreed to strike some of their impeachment prosecution comments after Republican Senator Mike Lee’s objection.
Senator Mike Lee, a Republican.Credit: Bloomberg
Impeachment prosecutors on Wednesday evening recounted news reports about how Donald Trump mistakenly phoned Lee as the siege was under way at the Capitol and senators were being evacuated.
According to the reports, including an account Lee gave to the Deseret News in Utah, Trump was trying to reach Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville to discuss Tuberville objecting to the certification of Electoral College votes.
Lee objected to Democrats’ representations of the call during their case and disputed it as inaccurate, but it wasn’t clear what he was objecting to.
“I’m the witness,” Lee said. “Those statements are not true and I ask that you strike them.”
Democrats then said they would strike those references from their presentation because it wasn’t critical to their case but might reintroduce them later.
with AP
Trump’s treatment of Mike Pence
By Chris Zappone
Representative Joaquin Castro takes up the issue of Trump’s treatment of former vice-president Mike Pence on the day.
Former vice-president Mike Pence is pictured with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi just before being ushered out of the chamber on January 6.Credit: AP
Trump named Pence 11 times during the day of the riot, complaining that his vice-president would not stop the certification of the votes of the Electoral College, an official role of the vice-president.
Earlier Trump had said that Pence was “going to have to come through for us ... if he doesn’t, that will be a sad day for our country, because you’re sworn to uphold our Constitution”.
Yet Pence upheld his constitutional duties, Castro says.
Pence then found himself in the middle of the chaos gripping the Capitol building. Among the footage shown in the Senate testimony was video of Pence - and his family - being evacuatedduring the event.
Castro mounted a forceful defence of Pence’s behaviour and standards.
Representative Joaquin Castro takes up the issue of Trump’s treatment of vice-president Mike Pence.
“The vice-president and I don’t agree on too much in politics but he’s a man who upholds his oath, his faith, his duty and most of all upholds the Constitution.
“And Mike Pence is not a traitor.
“He’s a patriot.”
He and his family who was with him that day didn’t deserve a president “unleashing a mob on them”, Castro says.
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Attention turns to Trump’s action on the day
By Chris Zappone
Attention now turns away from the rioters to the action - and inaction - of Donald Trump on January 6.
Representative David Cicilline plays a video of Trump speaking to the crowd at the rally held in Washington on the day of the riot, in which the then-president tells his supporters to advance toward the Capitol.
Impeachment manager Representative David Cicilline focuses on Trump’s actions on the day of the riot.
Nearly an hour after rioters breached the Capitol, Cicilline says, Trump tweeted a “propaganda reel” of his words at the rally, including the phrase “stop the steal”.
With the assault on the Capitol well under way, Trump then refused to take action to secure the building, such as calling in troops, Cicilline says.
“It can’t be that the commander-in-chief can incite a lawless, bloody insurrection and then utterly fail in his duty to defend us from that attack and defend our law enforcement officers from that attack - and just get away with it.
“Donald Trump abdicated his duty to us all.”
As we wait for the senators to return...
By Chris Zappone
Hello there...
Chris Zappone here, Digital Foreign Editor, taking over the Trump impeachment trial blog for the next few hours, now that Latika Bourke has signed off.
In Washington, the senators have returned from a dinner break, digesting some of the testimony that was heard.
I’ve just had a banana smoothie and am ready to continue live coverage of this historic trial of former president Donald Trump.
Recapping: ‘Inciter-in-chief’ - the case against Donald Trump
By Latika Bourke
Senators have now adjourned for a dinner break.
I’ll be handing over to Chris Zappone on the world desk who will take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Thank you for joining me.
But before I go, let’s refresh what’s happened so far today.
The footage captured inside the building showing the attack unfolding has been the most captivating.
The Democrats pursuing conviction are clearly appealing to Republican senators to consider how close and dangerous the threat to their own safety and that of their GOP colleagues was during the Capitol riot, which they argue was incited by former president Donald Trump.
The wire-covered fencing that now protects the US Capitol in the wake of the January 6 riot. The impeachment hearing will decide if Donald Trump incited the violence.Credit: AP
It’s unlikely Republicans will vote to convict Trump, but that hasn’t deterred Democrats from mounting a forensic case in the Senate.
The January 6 assault on the Capitol was the predictable result of a relentless, months-long campaign by Trump to cling to power and stir up anger among his supporters, Democrats have argued.