The United State Senate has begun the impeachment trial of the former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, with impeachment managers making a strong case against Trump accusing him of inciting insurrection.
Prosecutors showed the previously undisclosed videos and chilling security camera footage when a mob stormed the US capitol last month and posed a threat to the lawmakers.
Democratic Congressman James Raskin, along with party colleagues from the House of Representatives, presented their case alleging that Trump incited his supporters for violence on Jan 6 as they stormed the Capitol Hill wherein Congressmen and Senators were performing their constitutional duty of counting and certification of the presidential election results.
Many of the Democrats took to the Senate floor to argue that Trump should be impeached. They showed the video footage from the Jan 6 mayhem in which American lawmakers were seen saving their lives as rioters stormed the building.
In one of the security videos presented on the floor, former Vice-President Mike Pence and his family rushed from the Senate Chamber, while in others Senators were seen hustling through a hallway.
"Trump was no innocent bystander. The evidence will show that he incited the January 6 insurrection. It will show that Trump surrendered his role as the Commander-in-Chief and became the "inciter in chief" of a dangerous insurrection,” James Raskin said.
“He violated his oath of office to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution, the government, and the people of the United States,” he added
House managers have up to 16 hours to present their case. Raskin said that they would continue with their opening argument on Thursday. Lawyers of Trump would make their presentation after that and they would also have 16 hours to respond to the allegations against Trump.
(With inputs from PTI)