‘We have to revive it’: images revive painful memories in the Senate

WASHINGTON – The chief impeachment manager at the trial of former President Donald J. Trump issued a warning when the process began on Wednesday: it is not appropriate for young children.

“We ask parents and teachers to closely examine what young people are watching here,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, before showing the video of what he called “shocking violence, bloodshed and pain” inflicted by violent crowd at the Capitol on January 6.

Mr. Raskin’s message was ostensibly for the parents watching at home. But the subtext was not lost on those in the Senate chamber, where Trump’s second impeachment trial was unfolding: the House managers who were victims of the attack were talking to senators who had survived the violent attack. Around them were his employees, who had huddled behind desks while the crowd spread through the building. Above them, on the porch, scribbling on notepads, were equally traumatized journalists and security officials who were there to repel the attackers.

Capitol rhythms do not easily allow prolonged moments of reflection, much less in the aftermath of an insurrection. But the video evidence obtained by impeachment administrators turned the country’s most powerful lawmakers into a captive audience, forcing them to absorb the enormity of the attack and judge whether Trump deserved the blame for what they witnessed.

“We have to revive it,” said Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, although he predicted that some members of the team would likely avoid watching the video of the deadly attack again. “It’s painful. It brings a very traumatic moment. But it also helps to close, so I think it’s something we have to go through. But it reminds us of how tragic it was one day.”

The senators watched mostly in silence as images of the rioters were displayed, the audio of their provocations and profane threats echoing off the walls. While the footage was playing, some senators seemed to unwittingly trace the path they took out of the chamber, as it was clear how close they were to the crowd.

Included in the presentation was unpublished footage of Officer Eugene Goodman, who was widely praised as a hero, redirecting Utah Senator Mitt Romney away from the crowd; protesters coming in the footsteps of Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader; and others knocking on the door of an office in which members of Speaker Nancy Pelosi had barricaded themselves.

“I was very lucky that Officer Goodman was there to put me in the right direction,” Romney told reporters later.

Pelosi’s team watched the video together and then told how the sounds of the attack remain with them: the shouting at the Rotunda and the strength with which the protesters knocked on the door.

“You were just 58 paces” from the crowd, Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat and one of the impeachment managers, told senators.

The pleas of the overworked policemen filled the marble chamber, the noise almost deafening in a room where a pen click is often heard.

Sitting in the chamber, several senators seemed visibly distressed: there was a sudden breath during the filming of protesters cursing Mrs. Pelosi, pressing their fingers on the armrests and, in Mr. Schumer’s case, a slow nod as he watched escape the crowd. Several senators went out for a dinner break with red eyes, visibly moved and avoiding questions.

Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, called the video evidence “distressing”.

“The historic weight of the insurrection has resonated today for many members,” said Schatz. “Frankly, I think there were some colleagues across the hall who did not understand the threat we were facing, physically, and the real danger to American democracy. If that moves any votes, I have no idea. But you can feel the weight in the air, and you feel the emotion in the room. “

Even the videos that are publicly available were new to several senators. And while it is easy, in the rush of government business, to miss the latest video or scroll through the graphic details, the rules of the trial kept most senators frozen in place.

“We were witnesses of this in some ways, and in many ways not – we weren’t watching it live on TV like other people,” said Sen. Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, after the first day of the process was completed on Tuesday market. “This is probably the longest time I have actually spent watching a video on this subject. It reminded me of what a horrible day it was. “

The effects of the January 6 breach are still emerging. This week, 27 Democratic senators, led by Michael Bennet of Colorado, Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, requested additional resources to support the mental health needs of officials working at the Capitol complex.

Senators wrote in a statement that “demand for existing mental health programs has increased” since the attack, and called for the expansion of emotional and behavioral health services and the resources available to members of parliament, cleaning and food service officials, the press and the Capitol Police.

Mr. Cardin recalled his personal experience on January 6, when he was taken to a safe place and his family was “very concerned” about his safety. He said that no one should know where his hiding place was, but his granddaughter found it using a phone locator app.

“She told my family where I was,” said Cardin.

“It was one of the most difficult days of our life,” he said. “We didn’t realize how much we were at risk. You knew we were at risk, but we didn’t know it was that much. I mean, literally, we could have all been wiped out. “

Nearly 140 police officers from two departments were injured during the violence, including police officers who suffered brain injuries, broken spinal disks and one who is likely to lose his eye. Five people died during the riot.

Senator James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, who planned to question the election results before stepping back after the mob attack, appeared to be thrilled on camera as he watched a video of a police officer being crushed at a door. Then he called the video “painful to see”.

“Who, in the name of God, thinks, ‘I’m going to show that I’m right by hitting the Capitol’?” Lankford asked.

In revisiting the horrors of the day, the senators said they would not be influenced by emotion and would allow facts and logic to dictate their decisions – even while recognizing the visceral impact of the images.

Susan Collins of Maine, one of six Republicans who joined 50 Democrats to advance the trial, said the presentation “reinforces my belief that it was a terrible day for our country and that there is no doubt that it was an attempt to interrupt the counting of electoral votes. “

She added that she was “proud of the fact that we returned that night and fulfilled our constitutional duty – we did not allow protesters to fulfill their objective of interrupting the vote.”

Senator Richard J. Durbin, the second Democrat, said the videos shown in the Senate were “more explicit than anything I’ve seen on television”.

But Durbin said that no video would be as emotionally draining for him as attending the service last week by Brian D. Sicknick, the Capitol police officer who died of injuries sustained during the riot.

Mr. Durbin talked to Officer Sicknick’s parents after the service to tell them how much he appreciated his son’s service.

“I can say that no part of this will be more difficult than the funeral service for this officer,” he said.