U.S. House Prosecutors Fear Future of Nation Without Trump Conviction

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – Democratic House prosecutors rested their case in the impeachment trial against former U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Thursday with a warning.

Senators were told to convict the former leader for inciting the January 6 deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol or face a dangerous future.

“If he gets back into office and it happens again, we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves,” lead Democratic impeachment manager Representative Jamie Raskin told the Senate.

Fellow Democratic Representative Ted Lieu said he worries about what would happen if Trump runs in 2024 and loses.

“I’m not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years. I’m afraid he’s going to run again and lose because he can do this again,” Lieu said.

At least five people died in the January 6 assault on the building that houses Congress by rioters claiming to be Trump supporters.

Democratic prosecutors said they provided example after example of Trump’s actions before the rampage.
They claimed video footage about riots and other evidence illustrate what he intended when he told supporters to go to the Capitol and “fight like hell.”

The riots came as Congress convened to certify Joe Biden’s election victory.

The impeachment trial was to resume on Friday when Trump’s defense team begins presenting its case that the president did not incite the deadly attack on the Capitol.

CONVICTION UNLIKELY

The Democrats appeared highly unlikely to secure a conviction and bar Trump from ever again holding public office. Only six Republicans voted with Democrats in the 100-seat chamber to proceed with the trial.

As the trial continued Thursday, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged representatives to legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Capitol Police.

The request came after Impeachment Managers in the House emphasized some officers’ bravery in “fighting off the Trump supporters” who they said attacked on January 6. Three officers died due to or in the aftermath of the attack: Brian Sicknick, Howard Liebengood, Jeffrey Smith, and more than 140 were reportedly injured.

“This week has been a historic one for the Country and the Congress,” Pelosi wrote. “We have been reminded of the extraordinary valor of the United States Capitol Police, the men, and women who risked and gave their lives to save ours, becoming martyrs for our democracy.”

But members of the Capitol police force have also come under fire for their conduct during the riots. Officers were filmed taking selfies with rioters and helping the attackers.

Several officers have been suspended, and more than a dozen are under investigation. Critics stressed that the officers’ treatment of the armed attackers stands in stark contrast to their treatment of other peaceful protestors.

Trump’s defense was due to tell the Senate on Friday that as terrible as the attack was, it clearly was not the president’s doing. The proceedings could finish with a vote this weekend by the senators sitting as impeachment jurors, trial observers said.

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