The United States Senate on Tuesday began the second impeachment trial of immediate past President, Donald Trump with the decision on its constitutionality.
At the trial, Jamie Raskin, an impeachment manager and prosecutor sent by the House of Representatives played a video.
It started with Trump’s speech to his supporters wherein he insisted the election was “stolen” and charged them to go “stop the steal”.
The footage showed scenes of violence and a mob raiding the US Capitol and offices.
Congressman Joe Neguse, who is another impeachment manager, called the incident “the framers’ worst nightmare comes to life”.
“Presidents can’t inflame insurrection in their final weeks and then walk away like nothing happened,” he said.
Chuck Schumer, Democratic leader, said the trial was about “the gravest charges ever brought against a president of the United States in American history”.
But Trump’s lawyer, Bruce Castor argued that his comments after the mayhem were protected under the first amendment.
“We can’t possibly be suggesting that we punish people for political speech in this country,” Castor said.
However, after hours of deliberation on the constitutionality of the trial, the Senate ruled that it has authority under the US Constitution to conduct an impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
Recall that the House of Representatives impeached Trump – for the second time – in January 2021, accusing him of “incitement of insurrection” after rioters stormed the US Capitol on January 6.
Trump survived Senate’s first impeachment in February 2020.
