In their opening statements on Wednesday, administrators of the House’s impeachment tried to prove that the conduct of former President Donald Trump that led to the January 6 riot was part of a “deliberate and premeditated” attempt to “steal the election. “. (February, 10th)
Video transcription
ERIC SWALWELL: For months, you have seen President Trump lead his supporters to believe that if the election was lost, it could only have been because it was rigged. But it took time. Just like lighting a fire, it doesn’t just start with flames. Donald Trump, for months and months, mounted the bait, the stick, threw it into the logs as fuel to make his supporters believe that the only way his victory would be lost would be if it were stolen. So President Trump was ready, should he lose the election, to light the match.
He built this crowd over many months with repeated messages, until they believed their vote had been stolen and would do anything to prevent certification. He made the – he made them believe that their victory was stolen, and incited them so that he could use them to steal the election for himself. This was a deliberate and premeditated incitement to his base to attack our capital while the count continued.
And it was predictable, especially for President Trump, who warned us that he knew what was coming. This is what the evidence has overwhelmingly shown, and will show, in this judgment. It is also true.