Impeachment manager invokes Albus Dumbledore in closing argument against Trump


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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 11, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - shark-infested waters, Mother's Day, and more
-
5 fundamentally funny cartoons about the US Constitution
Cartoons Artists take on Sharpie edits, wear and tear, and more
-
In search of paradise in Thailand's western isles
The Week Recommends 'Unspoiled spots' remain, providing a fascinating insight into the past
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment