A man breaks a window as a crowd of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump storms the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on January 6, 2021.
Leah Millis | Reuters
Prosecutors at the trial of former President Donald Trump will present new evidence and show that he spent weeks laying the groundwork for the January 6 Capitol riot and that he also “incited it even more” once it began. violence, senior auxiliaries said Tuesday.
“The evidence of Trump’s guilt in this case is overwhelming,” some House impeachment administrators told reporters hours before the Senate impeachment trial began.
Aides said it is possible that after hearing what they called a devastating case, “Republican senators decided to vote to condemn Trump and prevent him from running for president.
“Once they see that this president incited a violent insurgency to hold power, I think it may be that reluctant senators change their minds and vote to condemn,” the aides said.
But these aides would give no details of those new tests against Trump.
“Stay tuned,” they said.
For Trump to be convicted, at least 17 Republican senators will have to join the 48 Democrats and two Senate independents to find Trump guilty.
This seems unlikely, at least for now, because 45 Republicans previously voted in favor of the argument that the law prohibits an indictment against a former president like Trump.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) gets to meet with other prosecution managers in the house before walking through the U.S. Capitol Roundabout to the Senate Chamber on Monday, February 8, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Sarah Silbiger | Getty Images
Some of these senators had said that this did not necessarily mean they would vote to acquit Trump at trial.
Assistants to the dismissal managers said they are confident in the strength of the case.
“The House will establish at trial that President Trump deserves a conviction and disqualification from exercising and enjoying any office of honor, trust, or benefit under the United States,” the aides said.
They also said the presentation by House prosecutors will be like a “violent crime prosecution,” because
Trump is accused of helping provoke the violent invasion of Congress halls shortly after a rally he spoke to near the White House, where he urged supporters to help him in the “fight” to block the confirmation of Joe Biden’s victory as president.
Thousands of Trump supporters revolted at the Capitol complex and complex after that rally, which interrupted a joint session of Congress that formally signed Biden’s victory.
Five people were killed in connection with the chaos, including a Capitol police officer, and a Trump supporter who was shot by a police officer while trying to climb through a window near the House of Commons.
The riot sent senators and members of the House of Representatives fleeing for safety and hiding for hours in safe places.
Aides who spoke to reporters Tuesday morning said “this is personal” for members of the Chamber of the removal team, because they were one of the targets of the riot.
“They don’t take it lightly,” the aides said.