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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Swalwell shares personal text he sent during attack

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., continued presenting chilling security footage as part of House impeachment managers' case charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection" and also shared a personal text he sent while the building was under siege.

"Uncertain what would happen next, I sent a text message to my wife. 'I love you and the babies. Please hug them for me,'" Swalwell said. "I imagine many of you sent a similar message."

Security footage showed those who broke intro the Capitol overwhelmingly wearing Trump flags and merchandise and, separately, showed members of Congress being evacuated from their chambers.

"Throughout this presentation, we've been careful not to show where representatives got out," Swalwell added, "But that issue was under discussion by the insurrectionists themselves."

"One example comes from an FBI affidavit which stated the leader of a militia group known as the Oath Keepers received messages while at the Capitol. The leader was given directions to where representatives were thought to be sheltering and instructions to quote 'turn on gas, reel them in,'" Swalwell said.

Notably, video has surfaced showing Trump's longtime adviser Roger Stone in Washington on the morning of Jan. 6, flanked by members of the Oath Keepers militia group just hours before the deadly insurrection at the Capitol building.


Plaskett says rioters would've killed Pence, Pelosi 'if given the chance'

Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands, described rioters intent on finding and killing former Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the violent protests.

"They were talking about assassinating the vice president of the United States. During the course of the attack, the vice president never left the Capitol, remained locked down with his family -- with his family -- inside the building. Remember that as you think about these images and the sounds of the attack," Plaskett said. "Vice President Pence was threatened with death by the president’s supporters because he rejected President Trump's demand that he overturn the election."

Plaskett showed videos of rioters running through the hall screaming "Nancy, where are you?" The House managers also showed security video showing staffers in Pelosi's office running into a conference room, where Plaskett said they barricaded themselves in an inner chamber. Just seven minutes later, she said, the video shows rioters entered the speaker's office, where they destroyed property and searched for Pelosi.

"The vice president, the speaker of the house, the first and second in line to the presidency, were performing their constitutional duties, presiding over the election certification. And they were put in danger, because President Trump put his own desires -- his own need for power -- over his duty to the Constitution and our democratic process," Plaskett said. "President Trump put a target on their back and his mob broke into the capitol to hunt them down."


House managers play disturbing 'never-seen-before' footage of attack

Congressman Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgins Islands, presented disturbing evidence that had not been made public before of security footage inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 and of audio of 911 calls from law enforcement officers in distress.

"They're throwing metal poles at us," one officer said on a 911 dispatch. "13:49 hours. Declaring it a riot," said another.

"At 12:53 p.m., senators, members of Congress, Vice President Pence were in their respective chambers. Outside rioters, including some linked to the Proud Boys, broke through the outer barricade surrounding the lawn of the Capitol," Plaskett said, laying out the timeline of the attack.

She played "never-seen-before" security footage from inside the Capitol around the time Vice President Mike Pence was whisked out of the Senate chamber which showed rioters ramming through the doors of the Capitol, shattering glass and overcoming Capitol Police.

She said rioters were "within 100 feet" from the vice president and that it wasn't until 2:26 p.m. when he was evacuated.

"While Vice President Pence was being evacuated from the Senate chamber, rioters were, at that time, breaking into the Capitol," Plaskett said. "When I first saw this, that was created for this, I thought back to Sept. 11," she added of the video exhibits.

Plaskett went on to show security footage of Officer Eugene Goodman directing Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah to turn around in order to get to safety to avoid the mob heading straight in his direction.

She said it was clear Pence was a target "for his patriotism" -- for following through with his duty to certify election results -- and had rioters gotten ahold of him, they would have hurt or killed him, she said, citing their own chants of, "Hang Mike Pence."


Raskin warns of violent content to come

Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., warned after an afternoon break that managers would soon present video footage viewers may find disturbing.

"I want to alert everyone there is very graphic violent footage coming, just so people are aware," Raskin said, after warning teachers earlier in the day and members of the public watching from home of the graphic footage to come.

He then handed the floor to Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands to present the material.


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."