12m ago
16:37
The
impeachment managers also dismissed arguments from Donald Trump’s defense team
that the former president’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud, which
incited the January 6 insurrection, were protected by the First Amendment.
“Accepting
President Trump’s argument would mean that Congress could not impeach a
President who burned an American flag on national television, or who spoke at a
Ku Klux Klan rally in a white hood, or who wore a swastika while leading a
march through a Jewish neighborhood—all of which is expression protected by the
First Amendment but would obviously be grounds for impeachment,” the managers
wrote in their brief.
“The First
Amendment does not immunize President Trump from impeachment or limit the
Senate’s power to protect the Nation from an unfit leader.”
The
managers then go on to note the criminal activity seen during the Capitol
insurrection, which resulted in five deaths. The managers write, “And even
assuming the First Amendment applied, it would certainly not protect President
Trump’s speech on January 6, which incited lawless action.”
19m ago
16:30
In their
new legal brief, the House impeachment managers argued an acquittal for Donald
Trump would set a dangerous precedent for the future of American democracy.
“There can
be no doubt that President Trump is singularly responsible for inciting the
violent insurrection that followed his speech,” the managers said of the
January 6 attack on the Capitol.
“The
Framers of our Constitution designed the impeachment power to protect against a
President who would subvert our democracy to keep himself in power. ...
President Trump’s conduct on January 6 was the paradigm of an impeachable
offense.”
22m ago
16:28
Impeachment managers say 'Trump’s guilt is
obvious'
The House
impeachment managers have filed a reply to the pre-trial brief from Donald
Trump’s legal team, which defended the former president’s actions on January 6
and argued the Senate did not have jurisdiction to hold this impeachment trial.
“President
Trump’s pre-trial brief confirms that he has no good defense of his incitement
of an insurrection against the Nation he swore an oath to protect,” the
managers wrote.
“President
Trump now studiously ignores all that preceded his speech and provided meaning
and context to his statements, asking the Senate to do the same and focus only
on a handful of his remarks in isolation.”
The
managers argued the former president’s defense team is turning to process
complaints about the constitutionality of the trial because his actions on
January 6 are indefensible.
“Because
President Trump’s guilt is obvious, he seeks to evade responsibility for
inciting the January 6 insurrection by arguing that the Senate lacks
jurisdiction to convict officials after they leave office,” the managers wrote.
“President
Trump’s jurisdictional argument is both wrong as a matter of constitutional law
and dangerous as a matter of Senate practice. It would leave the Senate
powerless to hold Presidents accountable for misconduct committed near the end
of their terms.”
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