‘Some minds may be changed.’ Biden, White House staff address Trump impeachment trial
President Joe Biden on Thursday spoke out about former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial after he and White House staff had previously stayed silent on the matter.
“I think the Senate has a very important job to complete, and I think my guess is some minds may have been changed but I don’t know,” Biden, who said he only saw news coverage of the trial, told reporters.
On Wednesday, House impeachment managers showed previously unseen footage from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as evidence while 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 were certifying the results of the presidential election.
Senators from both parties said the footage was hard to watch but few seemed to indicate the videos could alter whether they will vote to acquit or convict Trump.
It’s unlikely Trump will be convicted, as it would require a two-thirds majority, and therefore 17 Republicans and all Democrats, to vote in favor.
Cedric Richmond, a senior adviser to Biden, also spoke out about the trial — telling The New York Times that Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy’s vote in favor of moving forward with the trial was a “profile in courage.”
On Tuesday, senators heard arguments on whether it’s constitutional to try a former president and eventually voted to continue with the trial. Cassidy joined five other Republicans and all Democrats in voting in favor.
Previously, the White House had said it was focused on governing and not the trial, with press secretary Jen Psaki repeatedly dodging questions about it, The Associated Press reported.
“Joe Biden is the president. He’s not a pundit,” Psaki said on Tuesday. “He’s not going to opine on back-and-forth arguments, nor is he watching them.”
The impeachment trial continues Thursday, when House impeachment managers — who have 16 hours over two days to present their case — are expected to wrap up their arguments. Trump’s legal team will then have the same amount of time to present its 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 9:23 AM with the headline "‘Some minds may be changed.’ Biden, White House staff address Trump impeachment trial."
