It’s Not Only Trump on Trial
The Senate must pass judgment on his methods—and on all who aspire to adopt his methods as their own in the political contests ahead.
On the second day of the impeachment trial, the House managers laid the case that violence was integral from the very start of the political career of Donald Trump. From his first days as a candidate in 2015, Trump incited, invited, glorified, and condoned violence by his supporters. As the coronavirus pandemic weighed upon the country—and his own reelection hopes dwindled—Trump’s turn to violence became more extreme.
Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin identified the attacks upon Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as a crucial turning point. Trump wanted Whitmer to reopen her state faster, in hope of stimulating the Michigan
