Trump’s 2nd impeachment trial: Day 3
former President for not paying his respects to the late US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, when he lay in honor in the Capitol earlier this month.
House impeachment manager Ted Lieu said former President Trump failed to show remorse or take responsibility in the days following the Capitol riot, CNN reported.
“For days he did not address the nation after this attack. We needed our commander-in-chief to lead, to unite a grieving country, to comfort us. But what did President Trump do? Nothing. Silence,” Lieu said on the Senate floor.
He also slammed the former President for not paying his respects to the late US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, when he lay in honor in the Capitol earlier this month.
“It took President Trump three days before he lowered the flag of the United States of America. Three days. And President Trump, who was commander-in-chief at the time, did not attend and pay respects to the officer who lay in state in the very building that he died defending.”
Lieu also reminded the Senate that Trump did not think he had a role to play in the riot and had told reporters that his speech “was totally appropriate.”
According to BBC report, As he breaks down the argument for Trump’s lack of response, Lieu cites a video Trump posted after the riot, telling his fans: “You are very special, we love you.”
“And to all of my wonderful supporters I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning,” Trump says in the clip.
Trump did not condemn the attack, Lieu says, and when telling the “violent extremists to go home” hours later, he told them he loved them too.
Lieu also notes that the president “not only failed to show remorse – he made clear he is just beginning”.
“We needed our commander-in-chief to lead, to unite a grieving country, to comfort us. But what did President Trump do? Nothing. Silence.”
Lieu emphasises: “This is not a man who shows remorse.”
Raskin concludes: “If [Trump] gets back into office again, we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves.”
Here, he’s referencing the Senate’s power to ban Trump from holding elected office again – but that can only happen if they first agree on convicting him.
Congressman Ted Lieu is now up.
Proceeding against the former President is still going on and live on CNN.
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