House impeachment managers make case that Trump incited Capitol attack

On the second day of former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, Democratic House impeachment managers presented the case that Trump incited the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Video Transcript

JAMIE RASKIN: Incitement to violence is, of course, not protected by the First Amendment. That's why most Americans have dismissed Donald Trump's First Amendment rhetoric simply by referring to Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' handy phrase, "You can't shout 'fire' in a crowded theater." But even that time-honored principle doesn't begin to capture how off-base the argument is.

This case is much worse than someone who falsely shouts "fire" in a crowded theater. It's more like a case where the town fire chief, who's paid to put out fires, sends a mob. Not to yell "fire" in a crowded theater, but to actually set the theater on fire. And who then, when the fire alarms go off, and the calls start flooding into the fire department asking for help, does nothing, but sit back, encourage the mob to continue its rampage, and watch the fire spread on TV with glee and delight.

TED LIEU: I began today by raising the question of how we got here. What you saw was a man so desperate to cling to power that he tried everything he could to keep it. And when he ran out of nonviolent measures, he turned to the violent mob that attacked your Senate chamber on January 6. As you cast your vote after this trial, I hope each of you will think of the bravery of all of these people who said no to President Trump because they knew that this was not right, that this was not America.

STACEY PLASKETT: What you were are to hear has not been made public before.

- Multiple Capitol injuries. Multiple Capitol injuries.

- 1318.

- 12 to 50, we're coming around from the south side.

- Be advised, the speech has ended.

- Intel 1, be advised, you've got a group of about 50 charging up the hill on the west front just north of the stairs. They're approaching the wall now.

- They're starting to dismantle the reviewing stand. They're throwing metal poles at us.

- Cruiser 50, give me DSO up here now! DSO. Multiple law enforcement injuries. DSO, get up here!

- All right. We're 30 seconds out. We need some reinforcements up here now. They're starting to pull the gates down. They're throwing metal poles at us.

- Cruiser 50, DSO, get up here!

- OK, we're here. 12 to 50, we're here.

- We just had an explosion go on up here. I don't know if they're fireworks or what, but they're starting to throw explosives, fireworks materials.

STACEY PLASKETT: Note as the video begins, we are seeing the inside view, as the mob approaches from outside and beats the windows and doors. You can see that the rioter first break the window with the wooden beam that you saw previously, and a lone police officer inside responds and begins to spray the first man who enters, but is quickly overwhelmed.

I want you to pay attention to the first group of assailants as they break into the building. The second man through the window is wearing full tactical body armor and is carrying a baseball bat. Others are carrying riot shields. Among this group are members of the Proud Boys-- some of whom, like Dominic Pezzola, who was recently indicted on federal conspiracy charges, we will discuss later. You can watch where they're coming on our model as well.

In this security footage, you can see Officer Goodman running to respond to the initial breach.

Officer Goodman passes Senator Mitt Romney and directs him to turn around in order to get to safety.

On the first floor, just beneath them, the mob had already started to search for the Senate chamber. Officer Goodman made his way down to the first floor, where he encountered the same insurrectionists we just saw breach the Capitol.

This next security video shows that evacuation. His movements are depicted by the orange dot in our model. The red and blue dots represents the location where the mob and Officer Goodman were, and where Officer Goodman led the mob away from the chamber just moments ago.

You can see Vice President Pence and his family quickly move down the stairs. The vice president turns around briefly as he's headed down.

As Pence was being evacuated, rioters started to spread throughout the Capitol. Watch now how the mob searches for Speaker Pelosi's office, which is marked in red, and the House chamber itself.

- Where are you, Nancy? We're looking for you!

- She's in jail!

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

- Nancy! Oh, Nancy!

- We're in the Capitol.

- Nancy! Where are you, Nancy?