Democrats finish opening arguments, say rioters acted on Trump's 'orders'

Editor's note: The videos shown during Trump's impeachment trial may include graphic violence and explicit language. House Democrats prosecuting Donald Trump's impeachment said Thursday the Capitol invaders believed they were are acting on "the president's orders” to stop Joe Biden's election, arguing it was the culmination of the defeated president's pattern of spreading false and violent rhetoric that will continue to vex American politics if left unchecked. The prosecutors described in stark, personal terms the horror faced that day, some of it in the very Senate chamber where Trump's trial is underway. They displayed the many public and explicit instructions Trump gave his supporters — long before the White House rally that unleashed the deadly Capitol attack as Congress was certifying Biden's victory. Five people died in the chaos and its aftermath, a domestic attack unparalleled in U.S. history. Videos of rioters, some posted to social medial by themselves, talked about how they were doing it all for Trump. “What makes you think the nightmare with Donald Trump and his law-breaking and violent mobs is over?” asked Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead prosecutor. He said earlier, “When Donald Trump tells the crowd as he did on Jan. 6, 'Fight like hell, or you won’t have a country anymore,' he meant for them to ‘fight like hell.’" Prosecutors wrapped up an emotional two days of opening arguments, with Trump’s defense to take the floor on Friday. The proceedings could wind up with a vote this weekend. The Democrats, with little hope of conviction by two-thirds of the Senate, are making their most graphic case to the American public, while Trump’s lawyers are focused on legal rather than emotional or historic questions, hoping to get it all behind him as quickly as possible. This second impeachment trial, on the charge of incitement of insurrection, has echoes of last year’s impeachment and acquittal over the Ukraine matter, as prosecutors warn senators that Trump has shown no bounds and will do it again, posing a danger to the civic order unless he is convicted and banned from future office. Even out of the White House, the former president holds influence over large swaths of voters. Full story: https://www.weareiowa.com/article/new... Subscribe to Local 5 on YouTube:    / weareiowalocal5news   Download the We Are Iowa app: https://weareiowa.com/app Get Local 5’s "5 Things to Know" newsletter in your inbox: https://weareiowa.com/email 'Like' Local 5 on Facebook:   / weareiowa   Follow Local 5 on Twitter:   / weareiowa5news   Follow Local 5 on Instagram:   / weareiowa