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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Rep. Dean chronicles Trump's pressure campaign on officials

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., one of the House impeachment managers, focused her remarks on Trump's specific efforts to try to overturn the 2020 election results.

"To be clear, not a single court, not a single judge agreed that the election results were invalid or should be invalidated," Dean said of the 62 post-election legal challenges she said were brought on behalf of Trump.

Dean noted that Trump's attempts to thwart the election ultimately ended up with him "pressuring the Justice Department" and "bullying his own vice president."

She went on to outline how Trump's pressure campaign on election officials, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, led to death threats against him and his family. She also noted how Trump "doubled down" on the attacks instead of easing up when the deaths threats went public.

"Let that sink in," Dean said. "A Republican public servant doing his job, whose family had just received death threats, and the president of the United States labeled him an 'enemy of the people.'"

Going on to play the recording of Trump asking Raffensperger to find the precise number of the votes he needed to win, Dean highlighted the impact of call.

"This is the president of the United States telling a secretary of state that if he does not find votes he will face criminal penalties," Dean said. "Senators, we must not become numb to this. Trump did this across state after state. So often, so loudly, so publicly."

"Public officials like you and me receive death threats and calls threatening criminal penalties all because Trump wanted to remain in power," she added.


Sen. Lindsey Graham spoke to Trump, who thinks his legal defense will get better

Sen. Lindsey Graham. R-S.C., told reporters he spoke to Trump Tuesday night and again Wednesday and that Trump didn't express anger to him about the performance of his legal team, but Graham said he told Trump that "his team will get better."

Graham reassured Trump that "the case is over. It's just a matter of getting the final verdict now."

"Bottom line is I think his team will do better, can do better. I think (Schoen), did a pretty good job and bottom line is I reinforced to the president, the case is over," Graham said. "It's just a matter of getting the final verdict now."

Graham also offered his estimate of how many Senate Republicans he thinks will vote against conviction.

"I think the vote for 'not guilty' will probably grow beyond 44," Graham said.

-ABC News' Trish Turner


Senate trial resumes

The Senate has returned from a roughly 15-minute break to resume opening arguments from the House impeachment managers.


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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."