After an emotional and dramatic week in the Senate, the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump finally came to an end on Saturday, capping days of often fraught and emotional argument.
Here are five key quotes from the trial which saw a US president impeached for a historic second time, but resulted in Trump’s acquittal on charges he incited the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
Jamie Raskin, lead House impeachment manager
“The evidence will show you that ex-President Trump was no innocent bystander. The evidence will show that he clearly incited the 6 January insurrection. It will show that Donald Trump surrendered his role as commander in chief and became the inciter in chief of a dangerous insurrection.”
Joe Neguse, House impeachment manager
Brad Smith
(@thebradsmith)▶️ @RepJoeNeguse “Standing in the powder keg that Trump created, he struck a match and aimed it straight at this building.”
📺 Second Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump, Day 3 on @Cheddar https://t.co/ScXD319CsY pic.twitter.com/8pNwArhA9f
“Standing in the middle of that explosive situation, in that powder keg that he had created over the course of months, before a crowd filled with people that were poised for violence at his signal, he struck a match and he aimed it straight at this building, at us.”
Michael van der Veen, Donald Trump defense lawyer
“It is constitutional cancel culture. History will record this shameful effort as a deliberate attempt by the Democrat party to smear, censor and cancel, not just President Trump, but the 75 million Americans who voted for him.”
Stacey Plaskett, House impeachment manager
This Week
(@ThisWeekABC)Del. Stacey Plaskett says Vice Pres. Pence, Speaker Pelosi and others “were put in danger” while presiding over election certification.
“President Trump out a target on their backs—and his mob broke into the Capitol to hunt them down.” https://t.co/welJUzOXal pic.twitter.com/9NyC6QngY1
“They [Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi] were put in danger because President Trump put his own desires, his own need for power, over his duty to the constitution and our democratic process. President Trump put a target on their backs, and his mob broke into the Capitol to hunt them down.”
Madeleine Dean, House impeachment manager
USA TODAY
(@USATODAY)Rep. Madeleine Dean emotionally recounts being inside the U.S. Capitol during the attack: “Because the truth is, this attack never would have happened but for Donald Trump.” pic.twitter.com/yY7uqUeopM
“This attack never would have happened but for Donald Trump. And so they came, draped in Trump’s flag, and used our flag, the American flag, to batter and to bludgeon. And at 2.30, I heard that terrifying banging on House chamber doors. For the first time in more than 200 years, the seat of our government was ransacked on our watch.”