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.


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Castro argues mob was 'paying attention' to Trump tweets

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, argued that rioters were reading Trump's tweets in real time as the Capitol was stormed and that many took their cues from the president.

"The mob was paying attention," Castro said. "They were paying attention. And they also followed instructions."

House impeachment managers played a video of one notable protester, Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley, who stormed the Capitol wearing face paint, no shirt and a furry hat with horns. In the video, he told a reporter it was time to go home from the Capitol only once Trump put out a pre-recorded video -- over three-and-a-half hours after the attack began.

"When President Trump had the opportunity to confront them as a leader of us all as the commander-in-chief, what did he tell them? We love you. You are very special," Castro said, after playing the clip. "This was not a condemnation for this is a message of consolation, of support, of praise."

Finally, he said Trump "commemorated" the day with a final tweet at 6:01 p.m., saying, "Remember this day forever!"

"Our commander-in-chief -- who is known for sending 108 tweets in a normal day -- sends five tweets and a prerecorded video. That is the entirety of President Trump's public statements from when the attack began until he went to bed on Jan. 6. That is all he did," Castro said.

"How easy would it have been for the president to give a simple command, a simple instruction, just telling them, stop. Leave?" Castro asked the Senate earlier.


Castro highlights how Trump's advisers 'begged' him to 'stop the attack'

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, continued to present the House impeachment managers' detailed timeline of the events at the Capitol and White House on Jan. 6, and said Trump did nothing to quell the protests even as those close to him asked for him to do so, suggesting Trump was the only one who could stop the siege. Instead, Castro said, Trump continued to incite the mob with tweets as violence was already underway.

"As this was unfolding and the crowd grew more violent, the president, of course, was not alone at the White House. And the people closest to him, his family, his advisers who saw this unfolding in real time, begged him -- implored him to stop the attack," Castro said, showing tweets and playing media appearances of both former and current Trump officials and lawmakers as they called on Trump, during the attack, to ask his supporters to go home.

Castro highlighted how Trump tweeted -- over an hour and a half into the attack at 2:24 p.m., while Pence was still sheltered inside the Senate chamber -- that Pence did not have "courage" to overturn the results as some rioters repeated the tweets on megaphones outside like marching orders. He then recounted how Trump tweeted at 3:13 p.m. to his supporters, still storming the Capitol, to "remain peaceful" and ended his tweet with a "Thank you!"

"Thank you for what? Thank you for shattering the windows and destroying property? Thank you for injuring more than 140 police officers?" Castro said.

The Texas representative also drew a clear distinction between Trump and Pence, despite his personal politics not matching to either.

"Mike Pence is not a traitor to this country. He is a patriot. And he and his family, who was with him that day, didn't deserve this, didn't deserve a president unleashing a mob on them. Especially because he was just doing his job," Castro said.


Cicilline argues Trump did not do enough to stop rioters at Capitol

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., argued that even as the violent protests broke out at the Capitol, Trump was not working to quell the violence or helping to prevent his supporters from rioting despite requests from members of his administration and Congressional leaders.

"This wasn’t partisan politics. These were Americans from all sides trying to force our commander-in-chief to protect and defend our country. He was required to do that. Now, the extent of how many people tried to reach the president, to get him to act, is not known. But what is clear, what we know without any doubt, is that from the very beginning, the people around Donald Trump lobbied him to take command," Cicilline said. "What’s also clear is what Donald Trump our commander-in-chief did in those initial hours to protect us -- nothing, not a thing."

Cicilline also criticized a call Trump made to Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., during the riots asking him to object to more aspects of the election's certification rather than working to quell the ongoing violence.

"This was a breathtaking dereliction of his duty, ... of his oath as our commander-in-chief," Cicilline said. "These attackers stood right where you are. They went on that rostrum. They rifled through your desks and they desecrated this place. And literally, the president sat delighted -- doing nothing to help us, calling one of you to pressure you to stop the certification."


Romney speaks with Officer Goodman after video shows he diverted senator from mob

Minutes before the trial resumed, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah was seen talking to Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman.

Earlier, Romney -- and the public -- for the first time saw security footage presented by House impeachment managers of Goodman directing the senator -- often and publicly criticized by Trump -- away from the mob during the Jan. 6 attack.

Romney told reporters after seeing the video that he planned to thank Goodman.

"Obviously very troubling to see the -- the great violence that our Capitol Police and others are subjected to. It tears you at your heart and brings tears to your eyes. That was overwhelmingly distressing and emotional," Romney said.

As he was exiting the chamber for the dinner break, Romney said that he didn't know it was Goodman who helped him until the recording was played.

Goodman gained public notoriety for directing rioters away from the Senate chamber. He later escorted Vice President Kamala Harris to the inauguration.

Three members of Congress introduced a bill last month to honor Goodman with the Congressional Gold Medal "for his bravery and quick thinking."

-ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Trish Turner


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."