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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Several Republican senators found the graphic videos of the January 6 deadly attack on the US Capitol upsetting, but suggested they would not lead them to condemn former President Donald Trump for inciting the insurrection.
House Democrats who indicted Trump in his second impeachment on Wednesday relied heavily on the threat posed to Republicans, including then-Vice President Mike Pence, hundreds of Trump supporters trying to prevent Congress from certify your electoral defeat.
“Today’s presentation was powerful and emotional, reliving a terrorist attack in our nation’s capital, but little was said about how the president’s specific conduct meets a legal standard,” said Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
Convicting Trump would require the votes of two-thirds of the 100 members of the Senate, which means that at least 17 Republicans would have to join the 48 Democrats and the two independents who join them.
On Tuesday, in a vote of 56 to 44, the Senate rejected an attempt to declare the trial unconstitutional because Trump left office when his term ended on January 20. That margin suggests Democrats face an uphill struggle trying to convict the man who is still popular with Republican voters.
On Wednesday, Oklahoma Senator James Lankford looked excited at his desk after Eric Swalwell, one of the House impeachment managers, finished his presentation. Another senator, Steve Daines, put his hand on Lankford’s arm in what appeared to be a gesture of comfort.
But speaking to reporters later, Lankford struggled to connect the visceral images to any guilt from Trump, who in a fiery speech before the Capitol attack urged his supporters to “fight” for his electoral defeat.
“He’s had 100 rallies and we’ve never seen that before. So that’s the tough one to be able to tie in,” Lankford said.
On the other hand, Florida Sen. Rick Scott said he was “disgusted” by the behavior of the rioters.
But when asked if Trump had responsibility, he said: “You know, I’ve seen what he said. He never said that someone should break in. In fact, he said that people should do this peacefully … Look, this is a complete waste. of time.”
Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran called the videos “heartbreaking.” But when asked if he saw a link between the images and Trump’s words, he said: “I will wait until the conclusion of the trial.”
Indiana Senator Mike Braun called the footage “riveting.”
“But I don’t know if that’s going to make a difference for any senator who just gets it back on track,” he said.
Trump’s attorney, Bruce Castor, agreed that the images of the House impeachment managers were emotional, but he didn’t seem concerned about his client’s chances.
“I think it would have an emotional impact on any jury, but … and we haven’t played ours,” Castor said.
(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Scott Malone)
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