Trump impeachment trial live updates: Biden says charge 'not in dispute' in 1st comments on acquittal

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., focused his arguments on the impact the Jan. 6 attack had on Capitol Hill lawmakers -- including the senators in the chamber who are acting as jurors in Trump's trial.

"I'd like to now turn to the harm that this has caused -- here in these walls as a result of the conduct on Jan. 6," Cicilline said. "Never did any of us imagine that we or our colleagues would face mortal peril by a mob riled up by the president of the United States -- the leader of the free world. But we did. All because Donald Trump could not accept his election defeat."

Cicilline played news reports of lawmakers describing the terror and trauma they suffered in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack -- and also quoted reporters, Capitol Hill staffers and employees who said they feared for their lives.

"Many members wondered if they'd see their family again. As the rioters reached the Capitol, they were outnumbered, trapped inside. They were calling loved ones to say good-bye," he said.

Cicilline also noted how the attack happened in the middle of a global pandemic but said social distancing was "impossible as we were hiding for our lives in cramped quarters for long periods of time."

House impeachment manager Rep. Diana DeGette argued that Trump's supporters still represent a threat, adding that threats of violence during the inauguration were prevented by the increased security posture.

"In fact, after news broke of law enforcement's preparedness for further attacks, leaders of the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters militia, the organizers of the Million MAGA March, they all now told their followers to avoid protests up to or leading up to the inauguration for fear that law enforcement would crush them and arrest rioters who showed up," DeGette said. "Thank God there wasn't an insurrection sequel here on January 20th."

DeGette insisted that this impeachment should not be to "punish" Trump, but to prevent further violence from his supporters.

"Impeachment is not to punish but to prevent. We are not here to punish Donald Trump. We are here to prevent the seeds of hatred that he planted from bearing any more fruit. As my colleague showed, this was not the first time that President Trump inspired violence, but it must be the last time that he's given a platform to do so. This must be our wake-up call. We must condemn it," DeGette said. "Because the threat is not over."

As House impeachment managers are continuing to build their case that Trump’s actions and words led directly to rioters' actions on multiple occasions, some senators seemed to be losing interest in the early parts of Thursday's arguments.

However, their attention returned at a few key moments including when House managers played video of rioters yelling "fight for Trump." Most senators also looked up when video of the Charlottesville, Virginia, "Unite the Right" rally in 2017 played in which protesters chanted, "Jews will not replace us."

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, who learned for the first time during the trial Wednesday how close he came to the mob until Officer Eugene Goodman steered him away, looked especially thoughtful during a clip played of a rioter saying on Jan. 6, "We were invited here."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell remained stoic -- as he has throughout this trial -- with his hands folded in his lap, legs crossed. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sat slumped in his chair as the presentation went on and sat back up as lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., finished speaking.

As Raskin finished and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., began his presentation, several Republicans got up to go into the cloakroom, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz who challenged the election results in Arizona on Jan. 6.

-ABC News' Trish Turner

House impeachment manager Rep. Ted Lieu played video clips of Republican figures denouncing Trump after the Capitol riot and highlighted the "flood of resignations from people inside President Trump's administration."

"His own officials felt so betrayed by his conduct that numerous officials resigned in protest days before the end of President Trump's term," Lieu said.

"They all took this dramatic action of resigning because they saw the clear link between President Trump's conduct and the violent insurrection," he added.