Trump impeachment trial live updates: Biden says charge 'not in dispute' in 1st comments on acquittal
Biden remembered those who were killed and called for unity going forward.
Former President Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial ended with a 57-43 vote to acquit in the Senate. He faced a single charge of incitement of insurrection over his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Top headlines:
- Biden praises police officers, calls charge 'not in dispute' in 1st comments
- Pelosi blasts McConnell, others who voted to acquit as 'cowardly group of Republicans'
- Managers highlight McConnell's agreement that they proved case
- McConnell says Trump solely to blame for attack after voting to acquit
- Schumer speaks on Senate floor
- Senate votes to acquit Trump: 57-43
Trump 'literally' directed rioters to Congress to fight: Neguse
As House managers begin to wrap up their opening arguments, House manager Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., reviewed the evidence they presented throughout their opening argument.
"He directed them here to Congress. He quite literally, at one part of that speech, pointed at us. He told them to fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. And here's the thing, that wasn't metaphorical, it wasn't rhetorical," Neguse said. "He'd already made it perfectly clear that when he said 'fight,' he meant it."
The House managers focused on Trump's remarks at the rally shortly before the attack on the Capitol, again showing videos of what he told the crowd, saying that he 'knew' they would act on violence.
"He was told by law enforcement and all over the news that these people were armed and ready for real violence. He knew it, I mean, he knew it perfectly well that he had created this powder keg at his rally. He knew just how combustible that situation was. He knew (the) people before him who had prepared, who are armed and armored. He knew they would jump to violence at any signal, at any sign, from him that he needed them to fight, that he needed them to stop the steal," Neguse said. "And we all know what happened next."
Neguse also played several recordings of Republicans, both during and after the attack on the Capitol, in which they directly called on Trump to put a stop to the violence or blamed him for it -- in an attempt to illustrate that some Republicans have publicly and directly already tied Trump to the riot.
"We humbly, humbly, ask you to convict President Trump for the crime for which he is overwhelmingly guilty of," Neguse said. "Because if you don't, if we pretend this didn't happen, or worse, if we let it go unanswered, who's to say it won't happen again?"
Pelosi to introduce legislation to award Congressional Gold Medal to Capitol Police
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier Thursday that she is planning to introduce legislation that would award the Capitol Police and law enforcement personnel who protected the Capitol on Jan. 6 with the Congressional Gold Medal.
"The service of the Capitol Police force that day brings honor to our Democracy, and their accepting this Gold Medal will bring luster to this award," she wrote in a letter to her colleagues.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor that the lawmakers can bestow.
"We must never forget the sacrifice of Officer Brian Sicknick, Officer Howard Liebengood, MPD Officer Jeffrey Smith and the more than 140 law enforcement officers who sustained physical injuries, or the courage of heroes such as Officer Eugene Goodman," Pelosi wrote in her letter.
She also asked her fellow members to co-sponsor the legislation.
In response, acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said in a statement that the department is "humbled and appreciative."
"To have our police officers' bravery acknowledged at a time when they're experiencing tremendous emotions and exhaustion is a gift. We have too many heroes to count and we are humbled Congress may recognize them in this way," Pittman said in the statement. "From the cards and letters of support we've received from around this great country to this incredible award, we are deeply humbled and appreciative."
Pittman also acknowledged the Metropolitan Police Department officers who supported Capitol Police on Jan 6.
-ABC News' Mariam Khan
Raskin says Senate will set 'terrible standard' if Trump's acquitted
Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said the defense was close to wrapping its arguments as, he argued, they have already established "with overwhelming evidence" that Trump should be convicted and barred from office for "incitement of insurrection."
"If we have proven to you the conduct that we've alleged in this article, then President Trump has indeed committed a high crime and misdemeanor under the Constitution," Raskin said. "Indeed, it is hard to think of a greater or more dangerous offense against the republic than this one."
Raskin said he hoped senators would agree with him that if a president does incite a violent insurrection against the government, he or she can be impeached for it -- in fact, Raskin argued, it would be a constitutional crime and impeachment is the correct course of action.
"What is impeachable conduct if not this? I challenge you all to think about it," he asked the Senate chamber. "If you don't find this a high crime and misdemeanor today, you have set a new terrible standard for presidential misconduct in the United States of America."
He said Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., would take the chamber through the evidence once more because "we don't want it to be said, 'They never proved this,' or, 'They never proved that."
"Because my magnificent team of managers has stayed up night after night after night through weeks to compile all of the factual evidence, and we have put it before you. And we have put it before all of you in this public trial," Raskin said. "Because we love our country that much."
Lieu pushes back on Trump's lawyers' 'meritless' argument about due process
House manager Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., pushed back on arguments put forward by Trump's legal team that the House acted too quickly and denied Trump due process. Lieu explained that the House had sufficient evidence and good reason to pass the article of impeachment quickly.
"When you see a crime committed in plain view, prosecutors don't have to spend months investigating before they bring charges. I note that in this case, in fact, hundreds of people have been arrested and charged by prosecutors for the violence on January 6th," Lieu said. "There was no reason for the House to wait to impeach the man at the very top that incited the violence."
Lieu also called the defense's argument that Trump was denied due process "meritless," saying that due process was playing out in the Senate chamber during the trial.
"Let me just conclude that you all are going to see and have seen a full presentation of evidence by the House and you're going to hear a full presentation by the president's attorneys. You're going to be able to ask questions. The Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments," Lieu said. "President Trump is receiving any and all process that he is due right here in this chamber.
House manager Raskin begins to lay out closing arguments
After the Senate decided it will not call any witnesses, lead House manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was the first to speak during closing arguments. He reiterated the prosecution's case, calling for the conviction of Trump.
"It was suggested by defense counsel that Donald Trump's conduct during the attack, as described in Congresswoman Beutler's statement, is somehow not part of the Constitutional offense for which former President Trump has been charged," Raskin began. "I want to reject that falsehood and that fallacy immediately. After he knew that violence was underway at the Capitol, President Trump took actions that further incited the insurgents to be more inflamed and to take even more extreme, selective, and focused action against Vice President Mike Pence."
Raskin went on to use his time to describe Trump's months-long campaign to discredit the 2020 election results by spreading misinformation, which he argued laid the groundwork for deadly events of Jan. 6. He went on to claim that the former president assembled the mob, incited it and then sent it off to the Capitol during his speech. At every point, Trump sided with the insurrectionists rather than the Congress, Raskin said.
Once when the violence began, Raskin declared that Trump ignored the violence and further incited it by aiming the attacks on his own vice president.
"There has never been a greater betrayal by the president of the United States of his office, and of his oath to the Constitution."
Raskin then took a moment to suggest the GOP used "cancel culture" against one of its leaders, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who voted to impeach Trump in the House.
"Liz Cheney is a hero for standing up for the truth, and resisting this retaliatory cancel culture that she was subjected to."
Raskin emphasized his gratitude toward the Capitol Police, and finished his argument by saying convicting Trump is a vote for the "security of our democracy."
"They attacked this building, they disrupted the peaceful transfer of power, they injured and killed people, convinced that they were acting on his instructions, and with his approval, and protection," Raskin finished. "And while that happened, he further incited them, while failing to defend us. If that's not ground for conviction, if that's not a high crime and misdemeanor against the republic in the United States of America then nothing is. President Trump must be convicted for the safety and security of our democracy and our people."