I WANT TO THANK MEMBERS OF THE
SENATE AND TERRIFIC MEMBERS OF
THE HOUSE IMPEACHMENT MANAGEMENT
TEAM.
TRUMP STORMED OUR HOUSE WITH THE
MOB HE INCITED AND WE DEFENDED
OUR HOUSE.
HE VIOLATED CONSTITUTION AND WE
DEFENDED THE CONSTITUTION AND
THEY TRIED TO TRASH OUR
DEMOCRACY AND WE REVIVED IT AND
WE PROTECTED IT.
THIS WAS THE MOST BIPARTISAN
PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT IN THE
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES AND
WE KNOW THAT IMPEACHMENT FOR
REASONS THAT WE COULD EXPLORE AT
SOME OTHER TIME OFTEN BECOMES
PARTISAN BUT THIS WAS THE MOST
BIPARTISAN PRESIDENTIAL
IMPEACHMENT EVENT IN THE HISTORY
OF THE COUNTRY.
IT WAS ALSO THE LARGEST SENATE
VOTE FOR AP PRESIDENTIAL
IMPEACHMENT, 57 TO 43.
AND OF COURSE THE VOTE TO IM
IMPEACH WAS 232 TO 197 IN THE
HOUSE.
SO WE IS A CLEAR AND CONVINCING
MAJORITY OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
THAT THE PRESIDENT ACTUALLY
INCITED VIOLENT INSURRECTION
AGAINST THE UNION AND AGAINST
THE CONGRESS.
SENATOR MITCH McCONNELL JUST
WENT TO THE FLOOR ESSENTIALLY TO
SAY THAT WE MADE OUR CASE ON THE
FACTS, THAT HE BELIEVED THAT
DONALD TRUMP WAS PRACTICALLY AND
MORALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR INCITING
THE EVENTS OF JANUARY 6th.
HE DESCRIBED IT AS WE DID, AS A
DISGRACEFUL DERELICTION OF DUTY
UNDESERVING OF HIS OFFICE AND HE
MADE A SERIES OF STATEMENTS THAT
WE DIDN’T EVEN MAKE SAYING THAT
THIS WAS NOT OVER YET BUT A LONG
SHOT ESSENTIALLY AND THAT THERE
WAS THE PATH OF CRIMINAL
PROSECUTION FOR THE FORMER
PRESIDENT, THE DISGRACED AND NOW
TWICE IMPEACHED FORMER
PRESIDENT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS BECONVINCEWE
A BIG MAJORITY OF THE SENATE.
I’M VERY PROUD OF THE SENATORS
WHO WORKED THROUGH THE NIGHT,
MANY NIGHTS, OVER SEVERAL WEEKS
TO MAKE THIS CASE TO THE SENATE
AND TO THE UNION.
AS TO -- I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE
WORD ABOUT THE WHOLE THING ABOUT
WITNESSES.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET TREATED AS
LIVE UNDER OATH TESTIMONY THE
STATEMENT OF OUR COLLEAGUE,
CONGRESSWOMAN
CONGRESSWOMAN JAIME HERRERA
BEUTLER, WERE ABLE TO GET A
STIPULATION OF THAT AND GET IT
INTO EVIDENCE TODAY BY ASKING
FOR HER AS A WITNESS.
IF YOU LISTEN TO MITCH McCONNELL
AND THE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE NOW
HURRIED
HURRIEDLY EXPLAINING WHY THEYCON
HINGING IT ON A LEGAL ARGUMENT
THAT COULD NEVER BE OVERCOME BY
ANY NUMBER OF WITNESSES.
WE COULD HAVE HAD 5,000
WITNESSES AND MITCH McCONNELL
WOULD BE MAKING THE SAME SPEECH
BECAUSE WHAT HE’S ASSERTING IS
THAT THE SENATE NEVER HAS
JURISDICTION OVER A FORMER
PRESIDENT.
FOR REASONS I DON’T NEED TO
BELABOR BECAUSE A BIG PART OF
THE TRIAL WAS ABOUT THIS, WE
REJECT THAT COMPLETELY, IT’S
TOTALLY AT ODDS WITH OUR
HISTORY, THE BLUNT KATE, THE
BELKNAP CASE, THE ORIGINAL TEXT
AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE
CONSTITUTION AND SO ON AND SO
ON.
THE POINT IS NO NUMBER OF
WITNESSES DEMONSTRATING THAT
DONALD TRUMP CONTINUED TO INCITE
THE INSURRECTIONISTS EVEN AFTER
THE INVASION OF THE CAPITOL
WOULD CONVINCE THEM.
THEY WOULDN’T BE CONVINCED. THEY WERE HINGING IT ON A MATTER
THEY WERE HINGING IT ON A MATTER
OF LAW, WHICH WE THOUGHT WE HAD
SET $
SETTLED BACK ON TUESDAY.
BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS.
MITCH McCONNELL CLEARLY FEELS
THAT DONALD TRUMP REMAINS A HUGE
PROBLEM FOR THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY, EVEN IF HE HAS BEEN
DISGRACED IN THE EYES OF THE
COUNTRY, AND THAT IS NOT MY
JURISDICTION AND I REALLY DON’T
HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THEY WILL HAVE TO DEAL
WITH THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS
WITHIN THEIR OWN PARTY.
SO WE DID GET -- WE DID GET
DONALD TRUMP AT LEAST TO ADMIT
THAT HE’S A FORMER PRESIDENT
NOW.
SO THAT’S GOOD NEWS.
HE’S NOT ASSERTING THAT SOMEHOW
HE’S STILL PRESIDENT AND
RECOGNIZING AT LEAST IN A DE
FACTO SENSE THE LEGITIMACY OF
THIS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION,
WHICH OF COURSE PRESIDENT BIDEN
WON BY MORE THAN 7 MILLION VOLTS AND
-- VOTES AND BY A MARGIN OF 306
AND 202 IN THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE.
I’M GOING TO SHARE THE PODIUM WITH MY DISTINGUISHED
WITH MY DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES.
>> Reporter: [ INAUDIBLE ].
>> SOMEBODY ELSE WANT TO TAKE A
SHOT AT THAT IN.
>>LY I WILL.
>> WE HEARD FROM THE MINORITY
LEADER
LEADER, MITCH McCONNELL THAT WE
HAVE PROVEN THE CASE.
HE SAID SPECIFICALLY THE HOUSE
MANAGERS HAVE PROVEN THE FACTS
OF THE CASE.
AND BEFORE WE STARTED YESTERDAY,
WE KNEW WHEN WE RESTED, WE
RESTED WITH OVERWHELMING
EVIDENCE AS TO THE FACTS OF THIS
CASE.
THESE ALL JURORS WERE ALSO
WITNESSES TO THE CRIME.
THEY KNEW SPECIFICALLY WHAT WAS
HAPPENING.
AND THEN THERE WERE -- WE FOUND
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT
HERRERA BEUTLER, WHICH ON
YESTERDAY EVENING WE DECIDED
THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO AFTER
AND WE GOT IT.
WE GOT THAT INFORMATION TO
FURTHER AMPLIFY WHAT WE HAD
ALREADY PROVEN THERE IN COURT.
THERE IS NO OTHER ADDITIONAL
WITNESSES THAT WE -- THAT WERE
FRIENDLY TO US THAT WERE NOT
THERE ON THE SCREEN.
THE BODY CAMERAS OF THE CAPITOL
POLICE OFFICERS, HOW MUCH MORE
RESONANCE WOULD THAT HAVE GIVEN
TO THEM THAN THE ACTUAL
RECEIVING THE DAY OF THE
INSURRECTION.
INDIVIDUALS THAT OTHERS OF US
WHO WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE
CALLED LIKE THE PRESIDENT IS IN
FACT A DEFENDANT AND DID NOT
HAVE TO TESTIFY.
OTHER INDIVIDUALS WERE NOT
FRIENDLY WITNESSES TO US AND
WOULD HAVE REQUIRED SUBPOENAS
AND MONTHS OF LITIGATION.
THEY ARE STILL LITIGATEING McGAN
IN IMPEACHMENT ONE A YEAR LATER.
WE BELIEVE WE HAVE SHOWN THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS A DISGRACE TO
OUR COUNTRY.