Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island said Trump’s conduct related to the Jan. 6 assault harmed not only Congress, but also the democratic process and the 20 people working inside the Capitol complex.
He began by noting that the three people in the presidential line of succession (then-Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley) were at risk, and the riots went on. make clear his intention to hurt Pence. and Hairy.
“This mob was trying to overthrow our government and they came dangerously close to reaching the first three people who held the presidency,” Cicilline said.
Riot police, he continued, were willing to attack any lawmaker they came across, as evidenced by comments made by mafia members on social media posts and then cited in court records.
Cicilline said the “true North Star is not Trump’s American welfare, it’s not the first country like our dear comrade John McCain. No, his directive is Trump first, no matter the cost, no matter the threat to our democracy. “
The Rhode Island Democrat highlighted the widespread trauma not only to lawmakers who were at risk, but also to the training of staff members, custodians and food workers working at the Capitol.
“There are countless people still living with the trauma of what happened that day,” he said.
Cicilline also highlighted the accounts of journalists who were at the Capitol to cover the calculation of election votes, but who were in the middle of the assault, journalists who for years have been labeled “enemies of the people” by Mr. Trump. .
In addition to the emotional trauma caused, Cicilline noted the risk to public health as the attack occurred amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also honored the three U.S. Capitol police officers who lost their lives in the riots: Officers Brian Sicknick, Howard Liebengood and Jeffrey Smith. Sicknick died from his injuries during the assault. Liebengood and Smith committed suicide in the days following the attack.
He said law enforcement wounds that responded to the assault were extensive, as officers suffered concussions, irritated lungs and broken ribs, for example. In all, 81 members of the Capitol police and 65 metropolitan police officers were injured.
“The Trump crowd verbally denigrated his patriotism, questioned his loyalty, and shouted racial insults,” Cicilline said of the emotional pain inflicted. “They called them traitors, Nazis, anti-Americans to protect us.”
The congressman asked senators to consider police officers, House and Senate officials and Capitol employees who were shouted at by rioters who uttered racist insults and were affected by the violence when they finally voted to convict. or absolve.
“Is this America? What’s your answer to that question. Is that okay?” He said. “If not, what are we going to do about it? These people matter. These people risked their lives for us, so I respectfully ask you to consider them, the police officers, the staff of this building when you cast your vote. “.
Cicilline noted the unprecedented nature of the attack – in order to derail a constitutionally binding process – and stressed that an attack on the peaceful transfer of power did not happen even during the Civil War.
But “it only happened because of the cold, calculated, conspiratorial acts of our former president, Donald J. Trump.”