Senators react to ‘distressing’ riot footage at impeachment trial. Did votes change?
Previously unseen footage of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol left many senators horrified and distressed during the second day of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.
But few senators seemed to indicate the security videos could alter whether they will vote to acquit or convict Trump, the first president to be impeached twice — this time on accusations of inciting an insurrection.
On Wednesday, House impeachment managers played the footage as evidence as they recounted the events that led up to the attack and the riot itself, when a mob in support of Trump stormed the Capitol as lawmakers worked to certify then-President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat and lead impeachment manager, warned that videos shared during the trial show “shocking violence, bloodshed and pain in the nation’s Capitol.”
The new footage showed rioters smashing windows and breaking into the building, lawmakers having close encounters with the mob, an officer being beaten, staffers running into a room to barricade themselves and another making a panicked phone call for help.
Senators from both parties have said the clips were hard to watch. But many Republicans have signaled their votes haven’t changed, meaning Trump’s conviction — which would require a two-thirds majority and therefore 17 Republican and all Democrats to vote in favor — remains unlikely.
Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican, called the House impeachment managers’ presentation “riveting” and just as “hard to take now as it was then” but signaled he would still likely vote to acquit Trump, according to CNN.
“When you think the process is flawed in the first place, I think it’s going to be different to arrive at a conclusion on the facts and the merits itself,” Braun said, per CNN.
Some Republicans and Trump’s legal team have argued trying a former president is unconstitutional, but Democrats have maintained they have precedent to support doing so. The first day of Trump’s trial focused on debate over the constitutionality question, with senators — including six Republicans — eventually voting to move forward.
Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, described the footage as “horrific” and said everyone involved in the attack should “go to jail for a very long time,” NPR reports.
But Cruz said he thought evidence linking the attack to Trump’s rhetoric was “strikingly absent.”
“They spent a great deal of time focusing on the horrific acts of violence that were played out by the criminals, but the language from the president doesn’t come close to meeting the legal standard for incitement,” Cruz said, according to NPR.
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters he couldn’t believe “we could lose the Capitol like that” but said the footage didn’t change how he plans to vote.
“I think there’s more votes for acquittal after today than there was yesterday,” he said, according to CNN.
Sen. Tim Scott, also a South Carolina Republican, told CNN he thinks “you get at best six Republicans — probably five and maybe six” to vote in favor of convicting Trump.
Other Republicans told reporters they haven’t made up their minds about which way they’ll vote.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, one of the six Republicans who voted in favor of moving forward with the trial, called the impeachment managers’ presentation “compelling” and “riveting” but said she hasn’t made a decision on whether she’ll vote to convict, according to The Hill.
“It was reliving that day with some additional detail that just reinforces my belief that it was a terrible day for our country and that there’s no doubt that it was an attempt to disrupt the counting of the electoral votes,” Collins said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, another of the six Republicans who voted the trial was constitutional, called the evidence presented so far “pretty damning” — but also said she hasn’t made a decision on how she’ll vote, The Hill reports.
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the Republican whip, said managers did a “good job of connecting the dots” but didn’t say whether he thinks Trump is responsible for the attack, according to CBS News.
“I think they were very effective. They had a strong, strong presentation put together in a way that I think makes it pretty compelling,” Thune said, per CBS.
One video played during the presentation showed Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah nearly encountering the rioters until Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who lured rioters away from the Senate chamber, redirected him.
Romney told reporters that watching the videos was “overwhelmingly distressing and emotional.”
“Obviously (it was) very troubling to see the great violence that our Capitol Police and others are subjected to,” Romney said, according to CBS. “It tears at your heart and brings tears to your eyes.”
Some Democratic senators said they thought the new videos presented further evidence that Trump was responsible for the attack.
“It was really horrifying what happened. You know, I think the House team really put forth a very strong connecting of the dots,” Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii said, according to NPR. “I don’t see how you can watch any of this and listen to their presentation and not conclude that Trump bears tremendous responsibility for what happened.”
The newly-released videos came after impeachment managers on Tuesday showed graphic footage of the attack that left five people dead and many others injured. The video showed Trump telling his supporters to march on Capitol Hill at a rally shortly before the attack.
Trump’s impeachment trial is set to continue at noon ET Thursday. House impeachment managers — who have 16 hours over two days to present their case of Trump’s role in the siege — are expected to wrap up their arguments. Trump’s legal team will then have the same amount of time to present their side.
The trial comes after the U.S. House of Representatives in January impeached Trump on charges that he incited an insurrection.
If Trump is convicted, the Senate can bar him from holding federal office in the future by a simple majority vote.
This story was originally published February 11, 2021 at 7:43 AM with the headline "Senators react to ‘distressing’ riot footage at impeachment trial. Did votes change?."
