House managers enter statement by Rep. Herrera Beutler into impeachment record

On the fifth day of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, House manager Jamie Raskin read a statement by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler about a phone call House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her about. The conversation was between him and Trump, and occurred during the Jan. 6. Capitol attack.

Video Transcript

JAMIE RASKIN: Thank you, Mr President. The managers are prepared to enter into the agreement. I will now read the statement. This is the statement of Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Butler February 12th, 2021. In my January 12th statement in support of the article of impeachment, I referenced a conversation House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy relayed to me that he'd had with President Trump while the January 6th attack was ongoing. Here are the details.

When McCarthy finally reached the president on January 6th and asked him to publicly and forcefully call off the riot, the president initially repeated the falsehood that it was Antifa that had breached the Capitol. McCarthy refuted that and told the president that these were Trump supporters. That's when, according to McCarthy, the president said well Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.

Since I publicly announced my decision to vote for impeachment, I have shared these details in countless conversations with constituents and colleagues and multiple times to the media and other public forums. I told it to the Daily News of Longview on January 17th.

I've shared it with local county Republican executive board members as well as other constituents who asked me to explain my vote. I shared it with thousands of residents on my telephone Town Hall on February 8th. Mr President, I now move that the Senate admit the statement into evidence.