House impeachment managers make case that insurrectionists were inspired by Trump
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On the third day of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, Democratic House impeachment manager Rep. Diana DeGette presented the case that participants in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot were inspired by Trump.
Video Transcript
DIANA DeGETTE: You heard them chanting, stop the steal. And, as the crowd chanted at the rally, the crowd at the Capitol made clear who they were doing this for. They also chanted, fight for Trump.
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
- Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump! Fight for Trump!
[END PLAYBACK]
DIANA DeGETTE: And it wasn't just that they were doing this for Mr. Trump-- they were following his instructions. They said he had invited them and, in fact, as we heard, he had invited them.
As one man explained on a livestream he taped from inside the Capitol, quote, "Our president wants us here." "We wait and take orders from our president."
Footage from inside the Capitol shows, when the insurrectionist first got into the building and confronted police, the mob screamed at the officers that they were listening to President Trump.
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
- You're outnumbered. There's a fucking million of us out there, and we are listening to Trump-- your boss.
[END PLAYBACK]
DIANA DeGETTE: The insurrectionists argued with law enforcement that they shouldn't even be fighting them, because they believed that the commander-in-chief was ordering this. This was the person's understanding.
When President-elect Biden went on television that day to demand an end to the siege, one woman asked this--
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
- Does he not realize President Trump called us to siege the place?
