Trump impeachment trial
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.
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.