Lead Trump Impeachment Prosecutor Cries Recounting The Capitol Riots

The prosecutor leading Donald Trump's impeachment trial which began today broke down in tears as he recounted the riots on the US Capitol.

Jamie Raskin - whose son passed away weeks before the events that took place on 6 January - had to take a few breaks when he addressed the Senate as he concluded his remarks.

He explained how he had invited his daughter and son-in-law to the Capitol to witness what he expected would be the peaceful transfer of power between Trump and president-elect Joe Biden.

Addressing the room, he said: "My son-in-law had never even been to the Capitol before. And when they were finally rescued over an hour later by Capitol officers, and we were together I hugged them and I apologised.

"And I told my daughter Tabitha who's 24 and a brilliant algebra teacher in Teach For America... now, I told her how sorry I was and I promised her that it would not be like this again the next time she came back to the Capitol with me."

He went on to add: "And you know what she said? She said 'Dad - I don't want to come back to the Capitol'."

PA

He continued: "Of all the terrible, brutal things I saw and I heard on that day, and since then that one hit me the hardest. That and watching someone use an American flag pole, the flag still on it, to spear and pummel one of our police officers - ruthlessly, mercilessly, tortured by a pole with a flag on it that he was defending with his very life.

"People died that day. Officers ended up with head damage and brain damage, people's eyes were gouged, an officer had a heart attack. An officer lost three fingers that day. Two officers have taken their own lives.

"Senators, this cannot be our future. This cannot be the future of America, we cannot have Presidents inciting and mobilising mob violence against our government and our institutions because they refuse to accept the will of the people under the constitution of the United States."

The former US president has been accused of inciting the insurrection at the Capitol which resulted in five deaths.

Trump's lawyers will be attempting to convince the Senate that he is not guilty of inciting mob violence ahead of the riots which took place on 6 January in a bid to overturn the US election.

Topics: News, Donald Trump, Politics

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

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