History surely has its eyes on President Trump — but House impeachment managers made sure history was looking at them, too.
House prosecutors and Trump's defense on Monday both invoked powerful rhetoric to stick the trial's landing, using sage advice from a bevy of influential leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Alexander Hamilton, and the fictional but no less important Harry Potter character Albus Dumbledore.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) quoted Angelou after discussing Trump's self-interest, citing Angelou's warning that "when someone shows you who they are, [you should] believe them the first time." Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) first took aim at Trump with this same quote in December.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Crow also made waves when he repurposed wisdom from J.K. Rowling (speaking through the character Dumbledore) and emphasized the importance of individual decision-making.
"It is our choices that show who we truly are far more than our abilities," Crow quoted.
Trump's counsel Ken Starr also used some star power, referencing Martin Luther King Jr.'s views on freedom and justice, which he then attempted to relate to the verdict on Trump.
House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) packed a punch in his final remarks, saying "you can't trust this President to do the right thing, not for one minute, not for one election, not for the sake of our country. You just can't. He will not change. And you know it."
Then, in an apparent dig at Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Schiff said any senators who vote to acquit despite feeling Trump has been proven guilty will have their names tied to Trump's "with a cord of steel" for all of history.
"But if you find the courage to stand up to him ... your place will be among the Davids who took on Goliath," Schiff said.
-
Should you add your child to your credit card?The Explainer You can make them an authorized user on your account in order to help them build credit
-
Cracker Barrel crackup: How the culture wars are upending corporate brandingIn the Spotlight Is it 'woke' to leave nostalgia behind?
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfullySpeed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records requestSpeed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by TrumpSpeed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank planSpeed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutionalSpeed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for riflesSpeed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBISpeed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summitSpeed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
