House Democrats will conclude a final day of arguments in former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial by highlighting his “lack of remorse,” following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by hundreds of his supporters, and the impact of the deadly and destructive incident.
“We’ll spend time through some of our managers talking about the various harms caused, beyond the obvious physical harms,” a senior Democratic aide for the impeachment management team told reporters Thursday. “But we’ll also focus on the president’s lack of remorse, which is an element of the impeachment calculus.”
House Democrats serving as impeachment managers have presented compelling evidence over the past two days of the Senate trial that will determine whether Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection.
Democrats presented new footage Wednesday taken from security cameras inside the Capitol that show throngs of angry protesters inside the building, in some cases only steps from lawmakers as they evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.
The newly released video showed officer body camera footage as they endured attacks from protesters and called for help as the crowds broke through barriers around the Capitol and pushed their way inside.
The presentation included Trump’s tweets during the attack, which appeared to support the attackers. Impeachment managers also claimed Trump continued to push GOP lawmakers to fight the certification of Joe Biden’s victory even as they were under siege inside the Capitol.
The dramatic presentation could sway some Republicans to vote to convict Trump. But there is no indication yet that there are 17 GOP lawmakers willing to convict, the number needed to provide the necessary supermajority.
Several Republicans said Wednesday following the day’s proceeding that the impeachment managers did not prove Trump incited the attack.
“I’m not a lawyer, but I didn’t see a case there that a prosecutor can make in court against the president,” Sen. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, said.
Democratic aides said they’ll provide additional evidence Thursday that will show Trump played a role in the attack.
“At the end of the day today, I think many of the questions raised by the senators who spoke to the press last night will have been answered thoroughly, and their duty to convict will be clear,” a Democratic aide said.
