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Donald Trump’s impeachment was muddled after Democrats attempted to present a witness who claimed to have overheard a key phone call with the former president.
Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler said she had contemporaneous notes from a call Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy had with Trump, the content of which, she says, proves the former president did not try to stop the disturbances on Capitol Hill.
This contradicts the defense’s claim that the former president was horrified by the attack and moved to try to stop it immediately.
It is the first time in history that an American president has been indicted twice. Photo: AP
Proceedings were paused for more than an hour while senators worked on the next steps. Finally, his statement was read at trial.
Trump is charged with “inciting insurrection” for the violence last month when the US Capitol was stormed by his supporters as Congress tried to ratify the outcome of the 2020 elections.
Five people died in the chaos and its aftermath.
All this week, Democrats in the Senate have been trying to prove that the January 6 riot was the result of Trump’s incitement, telling them to do so at a rally on the National Mall a few hours earlier.
Five people died in the chaos of the Capitol riot and its aftermath
But Trump’s lawyers launched a strong attack on the Democratic-led audience, describing it as a “Unfair and unconstitutional witch hunt”.
They say Trump was not to blame and that he had told his supporters to protest peacefully.
They argued that his speech at the rally that preceded the Capitol riots last month was “ordinary political rhetoric” and was constitutionally protected free speech.
Prominent Republican Ted Cruz described the move to allow the new witness as the “last salute Maria” from Democrats and said her “anger” against Trump was behind her.
He said House Managers (Democratic “prosecutors”) have the burden of proof in impeachment and “have not proven the case.”
He added: “The reason you are seeing this Hail Mary is that everyone knows the outcome of this process, which is that President Trump will be acquitted.
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‘Everyone knows’ result of impeachment – Cruz
“Those on the far left are angry right now, and today is a reflection of that anger.”
It is the first time in history that an American president has been indicted twice.
The first attempt to convict Trump in January 2020, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, acquitted him by a majority of 52 to 48 votes for one office and 53 to 47 for the second. Only one Republican voted against him on one of the charges.
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If convicted this time, Trump would not be able to run for federal office again.
However, Democrats face a difficult task in securing a conviction.
If every senator votes, then at least 17 Republicans would have to turn against their former president to reach the required threshold of 67 votes (two-thirds) for impeachment to be successful.
