House Democrats are adding a new element to their second impeachment case against former President Donald Trump: Republicans.
The House's impeachment managers, all Democrats, released their impeachment trial brief on Tuesday deeming Trump "singularly responsible" for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. And to capitalize on the support of 10 Republicans who voted with every Democrat to charge Trump, the managers included a whole section dedicated to how the article of impeachment was approved "with bipartisan support."
The section of the trial brief emphasizes the speed with which House members took up impeachment after the riot, specifying that "five days after the assault on the Capitol, an article of impeachment for incitement of insurrection was introduced in the House," and that it was approved two days later. "The House acted with urgency because President Trump's rhetoric and conduct before, during, and after the riot made clear that he was a menace to the nation’s security and democratic system," the brief argues.
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To solidify their point, the impeachment managers quoted statements from Republicans who voted to charge Trump. Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), for example, noted in a statement that "it cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection." Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) stated that even after the riot, where five people were killed and many more injured, Trump "has not addressed the nation to ask for calm." And House Republican Caucus Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) simply said that "there has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution."
Trump's trial begins in the Senate next week. It's still unclear if any Senate Republicans will vote for his impeachment, making it unlikely that Democrats will get the 67 votes they need for conviction.
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