Impeachment trial – live: Trump poured ‘kerosene on the flames’ as Pence family fled for lives, Democrats say
Follow latest developments at the Trump impeachment trial
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Your support makes all the difference.The mob was just "58 steps away" as Congress members fled, hid, or put on gas moments before the mob poured through the hallways of the Senate and House chambers.
Day two of Donald Trump's impeachment heard how close Mike Pence was to being "executed" and Nancy Pelosi came to being "murdered" before they were evacuated from the Capitol building to a safe location.
Never before seen security footage showed Republicans and Democrats alike running for their lives, with Mitt Romney and Chuck Schumer shown on camera fleeing through corridors to find a safe place to hide.
Julian Castro said Trump "left them for dead" as Trump's provocations of a "stolen election" added fuel to the fire of the riots.
House managers began the second day the impeachment trial with Donald Trump's own words as they showed tweet after tweet and played video after video of the ex-president's messaging to supporters that threw "kerosene on the flames".
Democrats Madeline Dean, Ted Lieu, Jamie Raskin, Eric Swalwell and Stacey Plaskett walked Senators through a forensic retelling of the timeline to show how Trump actively "helped plan" the march on the Capitol.
The trial heard the Proud Boys followed Trump's calls to "stand back and stand by" while videos from the Save America Rally showed supporters yelling "invade the Capitol".
Dean broke down in tears as she remembered the moment rioters banged on the House chamber door: "For the first time in more than 200 years, the seat of our government was ransacked on our watch.”
The trial is adjourned until Thursday.
Key stories:
Rand Paul appears to be only Senator not wearing mask
Another dispatch from Indy’s man on the ground, Griffin Connolly
As the trial commenced, 99 senators wore a mask, an ever-constant reminder that we are still in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic. The lone mask-eschewing holdout: Kentucky GOP Senator Rand Paul, who has a medical degree.
11 GOP vote against bipartisan impeachment rules
From The Independent’s Griffin Connolly, who is on the ground in Washington DC:
As the trial commenced, 11 GOP senators voted against the bipartisan-negotiated rules package, including Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, the two most outspoken backers of Donald Trump's "stop the steal" movement.
“If that’s not an impeachable offence, then there is no such thing,” prosecution says
Lead prosecutor Jamie Raskin says Donald Trump’s actions on 6 January constitute high crimes and misdemeanours.
"The president was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives on January 13th for doing that. You ask what a high crime and misdemeanour is under our constitution? That's a high crime and misdemeanour. If that's not an impeachable offence, then there is no such thing," Raskin says.
'Go home. We love you. You’re very special’
Prosecutors show video of Trump calling rioters "very special".
BREAKING: Trump impeachment trial opens with video of him telling supporters to march on Capitol and mob turning violent
Democrats have launched their impeachment case against Donald Trump with a powerful video package - showing his fiery speech to supporters on January 6 and then the violence and chaos that followed as hundreds swept the US Capitol.
The Independent's Andrew Buncombe reports.
Trump impeachment trial opens with damning video of him and Capitol riots
Democrats have launched their impeachment case against Donald Trump with a powerful video package - showing his fiery speech to supporters on January 6 and then the violence and chaos that followed as hundreds swept the US Capitol.
Video of Trump supporters storming Capitol shown at impeachment
Prosecutors are showing video of Donald Trump encouraging supporters to march down to the Capitol, cut with images of the violent riot in the halls of Congress.
‘January exception’ would set precedent
Impeachment manager Jamie Raskin says the case of Trump is based on an “exception” in January that would allow a sitting president to be unimpeachable in the last weeks of his term.
"Their argument is that if you commit an impeachable offence in your last few weeks in office, you do it with constitutional impunity," Raskin says.
‘Cold, hard, facts’: Impeachment manager Jamie Raskin vows no extended lectures
“You will not be hearing extended lectures from me, because our case is based on cold hard facts, it’s all about the facts,” Raskin says.
‘He’s not a pundit’: Don’t expect Joe Biden to armchair quarterback the impeachment
Asked how the White House views Trump’s defence team argument that Democrats like Maxine Waters have used incendiary language, press secretary Jen Psaki said the president won’t be drawn into commentary on the impeachment trial.
“Joe Biden is the president, he’s not a pundit, he’s not going to opine on the back and forth arguments, nor is he watching them, that are taking place in the Senate,” Psaki said.
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