After the first day of direct evidence in the impeachment trial, questions are beginning to emerge about the impeachment managers’ strategy of repeated use of disturbing videos of the storming of the Capitol.
For some Republicans, that steady repetition may be dulling their visceral impact. Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott told reporters on Wednesday during a break, “This is a total waste of time.”
Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham suggests momentum may be building toward a more lopsided acquittal, saying, “Their case is collapsing before their eyes, and the not guilty vote is growing. So, it’ll be over by Sunday, I hope for the good of the country.”
That opinion is also based on what Graham calls the hypocrisy of the managers’ argument.
“But I don’t remember any of these house managers saying a damn thing when they were trying to break into my house and going after Susan Collins and spitting on all of us,” said Graham.
Still, the managers’ skillful splicing of images of violence with passages of former President Donald Trump’s aggressive Mall speech did have moments of powerful impact. Security video made public for the first time Wednesday showed frequent Trump critic, Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, walking toward the Senate chamber, a police officer shouting at him, Romney pivoting, and running for safety.
Another showed Trump’s loyal vice president being rushed to safety, just after the president, a few blocks away, had urged him to defy his ceremonial role of certifying the electoral vote.
Trump had said, “I hope Mike Pence is gonna do the right thing. I hope so. I hope so because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election.”
“The mob was looking for Vice President Pence because of his patriotism, because the vice president had refused to do what the president demanded and overturn the election results,” said impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett.
That, in turn, provoked more Republican accusations of Democratic hypocrisy. Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul tweeted, “So, it’s ok for Dem Jamie Raskin to try to ‘overturn’ Trump electors, but it’s incitement to violence when Trump urged Congress to ‘overturn’ Biden electors? Isn’t that called hypocrisy?”
In January 2017, Raskin had objected to Florida’s electoral votes, claiming that some had been cast by uncertified electors.
In a sign of tension, Wednesday’s session ended when an angry Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee demanded that testimony referencing a phone call he received from the president on Jan. 6, be stricken. In fact, the president had been trying to dial GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and dialed Lee accidentally.
Democrats are expected to wrap up testimony today. Defense attorney David Shoen has now changed his mind, agreeing to work through the Jewish Sabbath. That means the defense will present its case Saturday and Sunday.
