-The House impeachment managers
have presented a damning and powerful case
against former president Donald Trump this week,
including harrowing new scenes of violence
from the Capitol riot and never- before-seen security footage
of lawmakers being rushed away from the mob.
The evidence makes clear that the attack was much worse
than we knew, that it could have been even worse than it was,
and that it was directed explicitly by Trump,
and yet Republicans have made clear they just don't care.
For more on this, it's time for "A Closer Look."
♪♪
The thing about Donald Trump is that it's always clear
exactly who he has been since day one of his campaign.
There was no confusion.
It's like when the great Michael Shannon
pops up in a movie,
you immediately know he's the bad guy.
Michael Shannon's not there to rescue puppies
or provide sage advice to newlyweds.
He's there to steal his father's inheritance or kill Superman.
Or maybe he's starring in a Ted Cruz biopic.
It's hard to tell.
Anyway, everyone knew what Trump was about
and what his movement was about.
He tapped into something ugly and horrifying
at the heart of the modern Republican Party,
and the threat of political violence
played a central role in that.
He repeatedly encouraged his supporters to physically attack
protesters and promised to pay their legal bills,
which we know now, of course, was a lie.
I mean, he can't even pay his own legal bills.
He stiffed Rudy, the one lawyer who was willing to defend Trump
by flying cross-country and lying about the election,
finding witnesses outside package stores,
and holding press conferences
and also, I'm guessing, sleeping
at landscaping companies.
[ As Giuliani ] Oh, no need for a cot.
I'll just curl up in the mulch!
[ Normal voice ] Plus, forget paying for them --
based on his lawyers,
would you really want Donald Trump picking yours?
I'm starting to think he buys his in bulk
at Bob's Partially Damaged Lawyers Discount Basement.
"This one's good on the Constitution,
but he craps himself every time he hears the word 'objection.'"
"Can I get that one in a suit that fits?"
"No, everything here is as is."
"Can I get that one
with a briefcase instead of a grocery bag?"
"As is!"
And not only has it been clear who Trump was from day one,
but the people who publicly warned us about him
are now his strongest supporters.
-Presidents can't just say whatever they want.
There are consequences to the words of a president.
There are consequences to the words
of a presidential candidate, as well.
You have a candidate in Donald Trump
who clearly has used language that appeals to anger
and in some instances has actually said to the crowd,
"No, let's beat this person up"
and let's do this or let's do that.
So it shouldn't surprise us that you see a growing amount
of violence at some of his events.
There's only one presidential candidate
who has violence at their events.
-Ooh, ooh, wait, wait! Can I guess who it is?
Uh...I don't think it's John Kasich,
unless he was bullying his supporters into
signing up with TD Ameritrade.
Certainly, it couldn't have been Bernie.
I'm guessing the closest Bernie comes to violence
is using a firm tone when somebody mixes up
the Bosc and Bartlett pears at the Burlington food co-op.
[ As Sanders ] You have to keep them separate.
One is crisp and the other is sweet.
If I see you mixing them up again, I'll have no choice
but to gently clap your ears with my adorable mittens.
[ Normal voice ] In fact, this is the most violent thing
I believe Bernie has ever said in his life.
-You know, I eat extra sharp. That's what I eat.
You know, they produce great cheese
and they're internationally known for what they do.
-That's right, Bernie's cheese is extra sharp,
just like his tongue.
Anyway, Marco Rubio predicted this five years ago.
In fact, his vision of what a Trump presidency would be like
was eerily accurate.
-The great thing about our Republic is that
we settle our differences in this country at the ballot box,
not with guns or bayonets or violence.
And you wonder whether we're headed in a different direction
today, where we're no longer able or capable of having
differences of opinion, but in fact,
now protests become a license to take violence,
to take on your opponents physically.
This is what happens when a leading presidential candidate
goes around feeding into a narrative of anger
and bitterness and frustration,
and I think we all need to take a step back and ask ourselves,
are we contributing to this?
-Well, did you ask yourself?
Or are you still taking steps back five years later,
which would put you almost into international waters?
So, that was Rubio all the way back in 2016 --
you know, back when he went by "Little Marco."
He's all grown up now!
But in that clip, Marco is basically laying out
the same argument Democrats are making today.
In fact, he's passionate about it.
And yet despite there being more evidence
that Rubio was right then, he and his gang
have instead actively chosen to collude with evil
and abandon whatever they may have believed about Donald Trump
five years ago in order to advance
their political careers and obtain power.
Which is how -- fast-forward five years -- you get this.
-This impeachment trial, let me ask you,
how many people are gonna get vaccinated because of this
impeachment trial? None.
How many people are gonna find a job
because of this impeachment trial?
None.
How many people are gonna be helped
to put their kids back in school
because of this impeachment trial?
None.
We are going to spend a week focused on something
that is not going to help anyone with the thing that matters
in this country the most right now.
And that's a terrible thing. That's a waste of our time.
-Ask yourself, how many people are gonna get superpowers
from this impeachment trial? None.
How many people are gonna fall in love because of this
impeachment trial? None.
How many people are gonna win the McDonald's Monopoly
million-dollar grand prize by collecting all four railroads
from containers of large or medium-size fries
or McFlurries or apple pies? None.
Because you can't get the railroads from the apple pies,
even though they're one of the most popular menu items.
You have to buy the McNuggets, the Big Mac or the Filet-O-Fish,
even though no one wants the Filet-O-Fish because it tastes
like deep-fried cat food.
And God forbid you leave a Filet-O-Fish
in your car overnight -- that's it for that car.
Nobody will even tow it for you. What I'm saying is,
Impeachment is a waste of time.
But that's not what impeachment is for.
You should be capable of doing two or three
or even, God forbid, four things at once.
If you really want to help people out,
why not sign on to the Democrats' COVID relief bill
or a $15 minimum wage?
If you care so much about the pandemic or poverty
or child hunger, where were you
when the previous president was shoveling trillions
into the pockets of rich people and corporations
and telling everyone COVID would magically disappear
so long as they stick a few Tide to Go pens up their noses?
Why didn't you say anything?
Why did you spend four years
cryptically tweeting Bible quotes
like some kind of serial killer
or a Southern chicken restaurant?
Because you're a boneless fraud who dresses less like a senator
and more like an assistant high school basketball coach
who gets fired for stealing towels from the locker room.
Seriously, dude, did you win that hat
in a local radio station contest by calling in and guessing
the number-one hit in March 1995?
You look like you got your entire outfit
from a T-shirt cannon fired by the Phoenix Suns gorilla.
Also, does your hat match your chair?
Because that's weird. Don't do that.
And then this morning, a grown-up Marco decided
to wear a big-boy suit, go on "Fox & Friends,"
and once again dismiss the trial,
the harrowing scenes of violence
and the never-before-seen security footage
as a waste of time.
-They spent a lot of time yesterday convincing us
of what I already knew and believed, and that is
that the attack on January 6th
was outrageous, criminal, deadly.
It could have been far worse. I knew that, as well.
So I don't think there's any dispute about that.
The question is whether impeachment, which is designed
clearly to remove someone from office, is the appropriate thing
to do when someone is no longer in office.
And my answer to that is no.
-Oh, man, if only current Marco Rubio
could meet 2016 Marco Rubio.
It would be like a sci-fi movie where you have to choose
between two clones, except they both suck
because they in turn are clones
of the third clone who also sucked.
Also, that's not actually what impeachment is designed for.
The framers were clear about this.
The Constitution explicitly gives the Senate the power
to bar someone from ever holding public office again.
In fact, as we speak,
Trump is also under criminal investigation in Georgia
for trying to steal the election.
And if you ask me, inciting a violent, seditious mob
to storm the Capitol where they went after the vice president,
the speaker of the house, and members of Congress,
and where they injured 140 police officers
sounds like pretty good reason to be barred from public office.
I mean, you can get barred from Hooters
for not wearing a shirt and shoes.
Place is named after bare breasts,
and you still have to wear a shirt.
We've all seen the damning video footage this week.
It's haunting.
And yet the Republican Party and its media apparatus
aren't just looking the other way metaphorically --
they're looking away literally.
Rubio, along with a few other GOP senators,
reportedly looked down at some papers
as the harrowing footage played.
There was also previously unseen camera footage
of vice President Mike Pence and Senator Mitt Romney
being rushed away from the mob to safety.
We learned that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to be evacuated
from the entire Capitol complex for her safety.
At least show some concern
for the physical safety of your colleagues.
If someone showed me a hostage video of my friend Fred Armisen
waving to get my attention because he was being
held captive in a room by kidnappers,
I wouldn't just ignore it and move on.
Uh, not now, Fred.
And then there's Missouri Senator Josh Hawley,
the guy who got kicked out of Cobra Kai for being too slimy
and then wrote an op-ed titled
"How I Got Cobra Kaincelled."
Hawley not only ignored the harrowing video footage,
but made himself comfortable while doing it.
-Josh Hawley, who's made his disdain for this process
abundantly clear in public comments,
was doing the same thing in the chamber.
All of the senators have the option to use the gallery,
the upstairs area for seating for social distancing.
Josh Hawley is the only one taking advantage
of that opportunity. He's been sitting
with his legs up on the seat in front of him
essentially reading non-related material.
-Of course he was.
Hawley is the richest kid in high school
who during the memorial assembly for the beloved librarian
loudly comments on the "Playboy" hidden in his science book.
"We will all miss Debra's love of reading."
"Yowza, Joshy like!"
And then there was Fox News, which actually had the gall
to cut away from the trial
in the middle of the harrowing testimony
to get to Jesse Watters and Jeanine Pirro.
-You may have heard one man yelled, "No violence,"
and another responded, "It's too late for that."
♪♪
-Hello, everybody, I'm Jesse Watters,
along with Juan Williams, Dana Perino,
Greg Gutfeld, and Judge Jeanine Pirro.
-That's right, they cut off the impeachment trial.
Usually, these two are the ones getting cut off.
At any time, you could ask Jesse Watters
to blow into a breathalyzer and the result would probably
just say "Natty Light."
And I'm sure Jeanine's been kicked out
of her share of Applebee's.
"Alright, Jeanine, you've had enough."
"How dare you take away my keys!
According to the Constitution, I'm entitled
to as many Long Island iced teas as I want!"
And what was so urgent Fox News felt justified in cutting away
from the historic impeachment trial of a former president
who incited a violent insurrection?
What could possibly have been more important
than the sanctity of our democracy?
-"Special Report" is up next with Bret.
-Jesse, I'm here, I just can't seem to get rid of this filter.
Um, I'm here, though.
I'm -- I'm not a bear. [ Laughter ]
-I have to say, even in that screen shot,
Jesse Watters still has the dumber face.
Leave it to Fox News to ruin a fun meme.
Can't we have fun things?
This is like your dad singing the lyrics to "WAP."
But before they could get to the urgent meme content,
the five spent time exploding at each other in an insane argument
after Juan Williams correctly accused the rest of the panel
of ignoring the impeachment trial.
-This impeachment trial that you guys are all ignoring,
I guess you're afraid of it because it's a reminder --
-Don't mind-read, Juan. Please don't mind-read.
-Juan, we talked about it for 10 minutes!
-Don't mind-read. -Let me finish! Nah, nah, nah!
-Don't mind-read, then! -You guys had all the time --
-Don't read my mind, Juan. -There's no need!
-There's no need, 'cause I listened to all of this!
So, let me tell you what -- -Then how can you be so wrong?
-What I heard was -- -How could you be so wrong?
If you listened, how can you be so wrong?
-This trial to me is about
whether or not Republicans -- -Hey, Juan.
-...want to close their eyes -- -Hey, Juan. Hold on.
-Or they want to face the truth. And right now, let me tell you,
let me tell you, facing the truth
is the way that we solve this,
the way we bring the country together.
Ignoring problems is never the way to solve a problem.
-You shouldn't be impugning our intentions, Juan.
That's the problem. -That's right.
-I hope you didn't say we are standing with these people.
-I don't need to intuit it. I can listen.
I can hear you guys. -And don't tell me who to stand with, either.
-Then it goes into your brain and it comes out wrong.
-Ah, that is some high-Level debate.
I can't see without my glasses. Is that Lincoln and Douglas?
"A house divided against itself cannot stand."
"That's not what I said, Lincoln!"
"Yeah, it is, Douglas."
"No, it's not! The words are going into your brain
and coming out of your mouth wrong."
"Oh, yeah? Well, if the words are coming into my brain,
they're coming out of your ass!"
"Well, then I guess that means
you're eating my ass words, Douglas."
"That's not what I said. Don't read my mind.
I can feel you reading my mind, and I don't want you in there.
Get out of my mind, Lincoln!"
It's been clear from the start who Trump was
and what he stood for.
Republicans knew it then, and they know it now.
They made the same case Democrats are making now.
They saw it, they warned us about it,
and then they capitulated.
And that's because they share Trump's goals.
They're engaged in the same project.
They agree with him.
They saw that supporting him was the path to power
and they jumped on board. And they're willing to look away
from any piece of evidence or tell any lie necessary
to expunge their guilt, with one exception.
There was one instance yesterday on Fox News
where someone bravely stood up and told the truth.
-I'm not a bear.
-Thank you.
This has been "A Closer Look."
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