Unseen footage from the Capitol security camera has forced senators to relive the harrowing attack and confront new chilling details about the incredibly serious threat it poses to everyone on Capitol Hill, including lawmakers.
Republican Senator Mike Braun of Indiana called the video “fascinating”, saying, “It’s as difficult to do now as it was before.”
Asked if Wednesday’s presentation will have an impact on how he will vote, Braun replied, “No, because I saw, I think, most of it,” adding, “I think it’s good to review it, but I don’t know if that is going make a difference for any senator, simply by being in a loop again. ”
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, “It’s kind of hard to describe” the videos shown in the Senate House, calling them “a horrendous situation”. But when asked if it would have an effect on his vote, he said, “Listen, you have to weigh all the information together.”
In addition to broadcasting the video, managers spent much of the first day arguing that Trump was involved in a months-long campaign of lying to his supporters that the election was stolen, sparking his fury over the false belief that the results were fraudulent and urged us to violently interrupt the peaceful transfer of power.
“Donald Trump committed a massive crime against our Constitution and our people and the worst violation of the presidential oath of office,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the chief impeachment manager. “He must be condemned by the United States Senate.”
As soon as the managers finish the presentation on Thursday, the legal team of the ex-president will be able to start the refutation.
On Wednesday, Castor downplayed the importance of the video for the trial, saying that House administrators were unable to connect the demonstrators’ acts to the former president.
“I didn’t discover anything that I didn’t already know. We know that a crowd came to the Capitol and caused havoc in the building. I’m waiting for them to connect this to President Trump and so far it hasn’t happened,” he said.
Asked if he is concerned that the video will have an emotional impact on the jury, he said: “It would have an emotional impact on any jury. But there are two sides to the coin and we haven’t played ours.”
Trump’s legal team has so far argued that managers are ignoring Trump’s comments on January 6 that the protests should be peaceful, while claiming that his call for supporters to fight was a figurative political speech protected by the First Amendment.
Upon the completion of the Trump team, the Senate will have up to four hours to ask written questions to the legal teams, and then House managers can request a vote on hearing witnesses. But it is not yet clear whether they plan to do so.
CNN’s Ted Barrett contributed to this report.