Thread by @bradbatt

They say the sequel is never as good as the original, but I have a feeling this one is going to be an exception.

"Materials in Support of H. Res. 24, Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for High Crimes and Misdemeanors"

https://twitter.com/BrendanKeefe/status/1349140705055297549

"The House must invoke this power now to impeach President Trump for inciting an insurrection on January 6, 2021."

"President Trump has engaged in a prolonged effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and maintain his grip on power."

"He has spent months spreading disinformation about the results—falsely claiming that he ‘won by a landslide,‘ that the election was being ‘stolen,‘ and that the reported results are somehow fraudulent."

"He has directly threatened government officials to ‘find‘ lost votes or face criminal penalties, encouraged his own [VP] to unlawfully overturn the election results and, ultimately, incited his supporters to take violent action and prevent the counting of the election results."

"The President delivered an incendiary speech to his supporters. Among other statements, President Trump reiterated false claims that ‘we won this election, and we won it by a landslide.‘ He stated that ‘if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.‘"

"These comments directly incited a violent attack on the Capitol that threatened the safety and lives of the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the President pro tempore of the Senate, the first three individuals in the line of succession to the presidency."

"It is indisputable that the President encouraged—and that his actions foreseeably resulted in—the terrorist attack that occurred."

"There is no place in our government for any officer, much less a President, who incites armed insurrection to overturn the results of our democratic elections."

"Impeachment is not a punishment of prior wrongs, but a protection against future evils."

"It is true that the President’s remaining term is limited—but a President capable of fomenting a violent insurrection in the Capitol is capable of greater dangers still. He must be removed from office as swiftly as the Constitution allows."

"He must also be disqualified to prevent the recurrence of the extraordinary threat he presents. For these reasons, the House must impeach President Donald J. Trump."

"President’s Trump conduct on January 6, 2021 was not an isolated event. It spanned months, escalating after it became clear that he lost his bid for re-election, and culminating in the final rallying cry immediately preceding the insurrection that occurred."

"President Trump continued this course of conduct while the violence was ongoing and has, since that time, shown no remorse."

"Despite the across-the-board failure of the President’s attempted lawsuits, and the lack of any meaningful evidence of fraud uncovered after multiple investigations by both DOJ and the FBI, President Trump still continued…to spread disinformation that he had won the election."

"Throughout this process, President Trump publicly and privately attempted to impede Georgia officials. He disparaged Governor Kemp and Secretary of State Raffensperger for months, at one point calling the latter an ‘enemy of the people‘ for refusing to overturn the election."

"Among other attempts, as reported on December 23, 2020, President Trump called one of Georgia’s lead investigators, urging him to ‘find the fraud‘ and claiming that the official would be a ‘national hero‘ if he did so."

Jan 2, 2021 call from Trump to Raffensperger is included, with these quotes from Trump:

"That’s a criminal, that’s a criminal offense. And you can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer."

"All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes"

"President Trump focused specifically on January 6, 2021. His messaging included a specific call to action: “Come to D.C. January 6th to ‘StopTheSteal.’"

"On December 19th, for example, he tweeted: ‘Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. ... Be there, will be wild!‘"

I'd include screenshots of the actual tweets, but, you know…

More damning quotes from Trump: “If Mike Pence does the right thing we win the election ... we become president and you are the happiest people. ... Mike Pence is going to have to come through for us and if he doesn’t, it’s a sad day for our country.”

"As President Trump ramped up his rhetoric and false claims, his supporters were led to believe that the democratic process posed a threat to the country and required intervention."

Nothing in this report so far is news to me and probably not to you either. Still, it's shocking to see it all collected and laid out in one place. There's no doubt that Trump has worn us down with his rhetoric over the past 4 years. His actions collectively are so damning.

"His speech, in full, added additional such warnings, false claims, and encouragement to his supporters to take action, including the following:"

Trump's call to arms: "if you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country anymore"

"While President Trump was speaking, Vice President Pence issued a public letter in which he made clear that he would follow the Constitution and the law despite President Trump’s urgings to the contrary."

"As soon as President Trump concluded his speech, thousands of attendees marched down Pennsylvania Avenue toward Capitol Hill—just as President Trump had instructed them."

"By around 2:00 PM, the supporters attending the rally had surged toward the Capitol and were attempting to breach its security barriers, requiring the Capitol Police to issue a number of security orders"

"At 2:02 PM, less than an hour after the President concluded his speech, reports confirmed that his supporters were attempting to breach the Capitol itself."

"By 2:07 PM, the mob had breached the steps on the east side of the Capitol and, minutes later, were inside the Capitol itself."

"the mob stormed Member offices, vandalizing and smashing property, overturning furniture, and, in some cases, stealing electronics"

"The full impact of hundreds of violent rioters with smartphones rampaging unsupervised in the Capitol, with direct access to electronics, computers, and networks, is not yet known."

"The insurrectionists had, among their gear and weaponry, bullet-proof vests, zip ties used for handcuffs, metal knuckles, sticks and poles, knives, and firearms; in total, at least six handguns were recovered from subsequent arrests."

"Videos confirmed that these insurrectionists were openly threatening specific Members of Congress. For example, some of the attackers said, ‘Tell Pelosi we’re coming for that [expletive].‘"

"Members of this mob also made clear that they attacked the Capitol because they believed the President had directed them to."

"Outside, the mob erected a gallows, disabled police vehicles, and left threatening messages to Members."

Discovered by police inside an Alabama Trump supporter's pickup truck:

- 11 Mason jars containing an unknown liquid, cloth rags, and lighters…"consistent w/ components for an explosive or incendiary device known as a ‘Molotov Cocktail.’"

- Handgun and M4 carabine assault rifle

"Over 50 police officers were injured while defending the Capitol. In one instance, President Trump’s supporters grabbed a police officer by the helmet and dragged him down the stairs."

"Representative Jason Crow said that he had not been in a similar situation since serving in Afghanistan and described the chaos on the House floor…"

Rep. Crow: “[T]he police weren’t able to get us out so they actually closed and locked the doors and started to take furniture and barricade the doors and the windows with furniture as the mob tried to ram them down and was breaking through the windows.“

"Representative Susan Wild, described hearing gun shots at approximately 3:00 PM and then Capitol Police screaming ‘Get down! Get down!‘, as she crawled on her hands and knees through the gallery, witnessing her colleagues making phone calls to loved ones."

"Rep. Dan Kildee described in real-time what was happening, ‘I am in the House Chambers. We have been instructed to lie down on the floor and put on our gas masks. Chamber security and Capitol Police have their guns drawn as protesters bang on the front door of the chamber.‘"

"Although the insurrection began immediately following the conclusion of his speech, President Trump did not swiftly denounce the violence, or order his supporters to lay down their arms."

Instead, he "watched the violence unfold on television"

"President Trump was reportedly ‘borderline enthusiastic because it meant the certification was being derailed.‘"

"By 2:20 PM, the nation saw on live television that the armed mob had overrun the Capitol, causing both the House and the Senate to recess prematurely and flee their respective chambers in fear of their lives."

At 2:24 PM Trump tweeted, "Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution"

"Around this time, Members of the House and Senate from both parties confirmed that they had privately asked—or were publicly urging—the President to mobilize the National Guard and order his supporters to cease the violence and leave the Capitol."

"Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie elaborated, the ‘[P]resident caused this protest to occur. He’s the only one that can make it stop... [W]hat the president has said is not good enough. The President has to come out and tell his supporters to leave the capitol grounds.‘"

"Representative Mike Gallagher also tweeted during the Capitol occupation, ‘Mr. President. You have got to stop this. You are the only person who can call this off.‘"

"Mick Mulvaney, the President’s former Acting Chief of Staff, tweeted, ‘The President’s tweet is not enough. He can stop this now and needs to do exactly that. Tell these folks to go home.‘"

"Even the President’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was prompted to speak to him after aides said, ‘They are going to kill people.‘"

"Not until 4:17 PM—over two hours after the initial breach and well into the siege—did the President release a scripted, pre-recorded video, which included a call for ‘peace‘ and ‘law and order‘ and finally told his supporters ‘you have to go home now.‘"

"That video, though, continued to reiterate his claims of election fraud, stating that the election was ‘stolen from us.‘"

[Side note: Many @GOP members perpetuated this lie by voting against certifications of votes when they reconvened hours later]

"Despite the President’s belatedly released video, the insurrection continued. In fact, the Capitol building was not secured until 5:34 PM, and Congress did not continue counting electoral votes until 8:00 PM"

"The timeline of events demonstrates that President Trump encouraged and incited the violent and seditious acts that occurred. Moreover, the lawlessness that resulted from President Trump’s conduct was entirely foreseeable by the President."

"Moreover, President Trump had every reason to know that, incited by his statements, the thousands of people pouring into D.C. would engage in actual violence. As early as December 1st, elected officials warned President Trump of the consequences of his rhetoric."

"In another thread on thedonald.win, responding to the President’s tweets, discussion included how to most effectively sneak guns into [D.C.], including one individual writing: ‘Yes, it’s illegal, but this is war and we’re clearly in a post-legal phase of our society.‘"

Side note: I expect we'll see more and more of specific blueprints like this one. Those who incited and coordinated this insurrection need to be prosecuted and jailed alongside those who perpetrated the acts.

"In short, this was no ordinary political event and everyone, including the President and his own administration officials, knew it. The insurrectionists responded directly to specific calls to action by the President, repeated and amplified over weeks and weeks."

"As the President’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly explained on January 7th, ‘You know, the president knows who he’s talking to when he tweets or when he makes statements. He knows who he’s talking to. He knows what he wants them to do.‘"

"Kelly added that, were he a member of the Cabinet, he would invoke the 25th Amendment to make the Vice President Pence the acting president."

"His conduct demonstrates and cautions that, if left in office—or if allowed to hold office in the future—he will be a clear and present danger to the very foundation of our constitutional order and the safety and security of our nation."

The house will not conduct an inquiry before voting, basically because Trump has committed his crimes right in public view…

"A President who incites violence against the Congress and three of the highest-level federal officials—and does so while Congress counts the electoral votes in an election that he lost—imperils the constitutional system."

Trump "set the stage for the Capitol attack in the months leading up to January 6th, and on that date, he exhorted the mob into a frenzy, aimed it like a loaded gun down Pennsylvania Avenue, and pulled the trigger."

“Mr. President . . . Stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. Someone’s going to get hurt, someone’s going to get shot, someone’s going to get killed.” — a prophetic warning from Gabriel Sterling, a Georgia election official, after the November election.

"At the January 6th rally, the President’s private lawyer, Rudy Giuliani took the stage and called for ‘trial by combat.‘

The President’s son, Donald Trump Jr., warned Republican congressmembers who did not support his father that ‘we’re coming for you.‘"

"When President Trump took the stage, his own address was riddled with statements calculated to toss a match into the powder keg he had created. He enflamed the crowd by repeating his election grievances. He directed their ire towards Congress"

"He directed their ire towards Congress, including by calling out specific legislators: ‘And we got to get rid of the weak congresspeople, the ones that aren’t any good, the Liz Cheneys of the world, we got to get rid of them.‘"

"He told them to ‘fight like Hell and if you don’t fight like Hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.‘"

"And finally, after riling up the crowd and giving them their marching orders, he aimed them at the Capitol: ‘After this, we’re going to walk down and I’ll be there with you. We’re going to walk down. We’re going to walk down any one you want, but I think right here.‘"

"As multiple lawmakers have observed, there can be no doubt that [Trump] expressly and impliedly inflamed his supporters, pointed them straight at the Capitol, and encouraged them to take extraordinary, violent measures in response to a supposed evil conspiracy against them"

"As Senator Susan Collins explained: ‘The president does bear responsibility for working up the crowd and inciting this mob.‘"

[Side note: Unsure if she was ‘troubled‘ by this]

"Similarly, Senator Sasse has observed: ‘I think it’s obvious that the president’s conduct wasn’t merely reckless and destructive. It was a flagrant dereliction of his duty to uphold and defend the Constitution.‘"

"The President’s own former Attorney General [Barr] echoed, ‘orchestrating a mob to pressure Congress is inexcusable.‘"

"Supporters of President Trump met across Washington, D.C., joined by his close allies, including General Michael Flynn and Roger Stone, and speakers rallied the crowd with calls of ‘We’re not backing down anymore‘ and ‘It is time for war.‘"

"It was entirely foreseeable in this circumstance that the mob—fired up, some armed and armored, some with public plans for doing so—would engage in violence at the Capitol as an imminent result of President Trump’s encouragement and incitement at the rally."

"It was also widely reported that militia groups and members had posted pictures with weaponry that they planned to bring to the rally, and had posted numerous times about how to storm and occupy the Capitol."

"He actively encouraged the mob to besiege the Capitol in defense of his supposed electoral victory. In context, it was readily foreseeable that this would result in violence and lawless action. And it did, in fact, have that result."

"any reasonable person would understand that inflaming a mob containing armed, angry supporters, and then directing them towards the Capitol with the goal of ‘fighting like Hell‘ and thwarting a supposed massive electoral conspiracy would result in violence and destruction"

"While his supporters undertook a hostile occupation and ransacking of the Capitol—and after reports of gunshots and violence in the Capitol had become public on national television—the President made no effort to quell the violence and destruction."

"There was no denunciation of what had occurred, no urgent plea that his supporters lay down their arms, no national statement."

"President Trump was ‘walking around the White House confused about why other people on his team weren’t as excited as he was as you had rioters pushing against Capitol Police trying to get into the building.‘ He was ‘delighted.‘"

"While the Senators were in lockdown, President Trump called one of them, not to check on his wellbeing or assess security risks, rather to encourage the Senator to object to the Electoral College vote."

"To date, the President has taken no responsibility and shown no personal regret for his role in what occurred. This is clear evidence that the President acted willfully in inciting the mob."

"A man inside the Capitol was captured on video saying: ‘Our president wants us here . . . We wait and take orders from our president.‘"

"Many others, including current and former members of President Trump’s administration, have recognized that the President intended to incite violence aimed at the Capitol."

"As now former-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos told the President, ‘[t]here is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation.‘"

"Senator Lisa Murkowski remarked, the President ‘told his supporters to fight. How are they supposed to take that? It’s an order from the president. And so that’s what they did. They came up and they fought and people were harmed, and injured and died.‘"

"Senator Mitt Romney echoed these sentiments: ‘What happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States.‘"

"Senator Sasse: ‘This violence was the inevitable and ugly outcome of the president’s addiction to constantly stoking division.‘"

"As Representative Liz Cheney noted after President Trump told his mob to ‘get rid of‘ her: ‘There’s no question the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob. He lit the flame.‘"

Trump's impeachable conduct "threatened democratic self-governance by interfering with the peaceful transition of power, imperiled a coequal branch of government, endangered our national security, and betrayed his oath of office and the trust of the American people."

"The insurrection incited by President Trump had a clear goal: attack, menace, obstruct, and ultimately prevent Congress in any way from carrying out its solemn constitutional duty to count the Electoral College vote."

"Under the 12th Amendment and the Electoral Count Act of 1887, the Congress is responsible for counting and the Electoral College votes…The course of conduct President Trump pursued leading up to Jan 6, 2021 directly sought to undermine that very foundation of our Constitution."

"President Trump for weeks promoted not only false allegations of voter fraud, but the fringe constitutional theory that the Vice President is the sole arbiter of the Electoral College vote."

"The President then used the rage he had incited to encourage a physical assault on our the Capitol, in the very moments that the peaceful transfer of power administered by our elected officials was underway."

"In sum, the President’s conduct in inciting an insurrection against our government, designed to subvert and obstruct the results of our free and fair elections, caused serious harm to our nation’s fundamental interest in orderly democratic self-governance."

"By engaging in this course of conduct President Trump willfully incited violence against the United States Congress, a coequal branch of the United States government, and the Vice President of the United States."

"The insurrection incited by the President also threatened the safety of the three most senior officials in the presidential line of succession: Vice President Mike Pence, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and President pro tempore of the Senate Senator Chuck Grassley."

"As described in detail in this report, many Members of Congress and their staff were forced to hide under tables or in offices while they awaited evacuation by law enforcement, while others were trapped on the House and Senate floor."

"Many feared for their lives, as armed attackers banged on the doors, and Capitol Police drew weapons. Indeed, as set forth, at least five deaths occurred as a result of the violent mob’s ambush on our government."

"In short, the insurrectionists incited by President Trump threatened the lives of everyone who works at the U.S. Capitol, including officials in the presidential line of succession, as well as the continued existence of a functioning Legislative Branch."

Rep. Sean Maloney: "For those pretending it’s something less than a violent insurrection, please watch and wake up. This is what [President Trump] and his enablers incited. He must be removed and held accountable."

"Trump’s conduct directly harmed the national security of the United States. In the most immediate sense, the President’s incitement of the mob assault on the Capitol may have exposed sensitive materials and locations to the public creating immediate national security risks."

"In the long term, the insurrection caused lasting damage to the nation’s international reputation as a bastion of democratic order, undermining American ‘soft power‘ and emboldening our adversaries abroad."

“Electronic items, were stolen from senators’ offices. Documents, materials, were stolen, and we have to identify what was done, mitigate that, and it could have potential national security equities … we don’t know the extent of that yet.” ~ Michael Sherwin (US Atty for D.C.)

House and Senate w/ help from federal law enforcement "will have to conduct an arduous top-to-bottom review to determine what devices have been stolen, whether documents have been taken or copied, and even if listening devices have been left behind by rioters."

"In addition to this immediate damage, the insurrection incited by President Trump has likely done incalculable damage to the United States’ reputation abroad as an exemplar of democratic self-governance."

"It will take substantial public diplomacy work by future Presidents to overcome the international damage done to the prestige of the United States."

"As reported in the news, for America’s adversaries, ‘there was no greater proof of the fallibility of Western democracy than the sight of the U.S. Capitol shrouded in smoke and besieged by a mob whipped up by their unwillingly outgoing president.‘"

Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran in a live speech: “You are now seeing the situation in the U.S…This is their democracy and human rights, this is their election scandal, these are their values. These values are being mocked by the whole world. Even their friends are laughing at them.”

"The foreign ministry of the People’s Republic of China made public statements justifying that government’s violent crackdown on Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors through comparisons to the rioters that attacked the U.S. Capitol"

"President Trump’s incitement of the attack on the Capitol served only his interests."

"The President lost the election and—when he could not convince the courts or other elected officials to override—he engaged in disinformation and demagoguery to incite a mob in a last-ditch effort to retain power."

"In other words, President Trump compromised our national security, the foundation of our democratic system, and our nation’s elected leaders, all in pursuit of his own personal and political advantage and self-interest."

"Through this conduct President Trump abdicated his Constitutional oath to faithfully execute our laws and his duty to place our nation’s interest, above his own."

"As President Trump’s former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster characterized it: ‘It was, in every sense of the phrase, a dereliction of duty.‘"

"President Trump, for all the country and all the world to see, has once again demonstrated that he is unfit for office and will use any official means at his disposal— regardless of the harm caused to our nation—to hold onto political power."

"Although President Trump did not literally march to the Capitol with his supporters after his speech on January 6th as he said he would, his instructions and intentions guided the crowd that day as surely as if he were at the head of the mob he orchestrated."

"His supporters thought they were doing…Trump’s bidding by seeking to disrupt the Joint Session of Congress that would declare that…Biden won the election. In fact, they directly said so on social media, in live videos, and when interviewed by the police following arrests."

"As President Trump’s supporters attacked the Capitol, the President did nothing."

"Instead of acting to stop the riot, however, President Trump continued to criticize those officials he viewed as not sufficiently supportive."

"Trump’s focus during and after the attack that day was not on trying to protect the safety or security of the Capitol [but] trying illegitimately to derail the Joint Session that would officially count the Electoral College votes confirming President-elect Biden’s victory."

"The threat of violence has not subsided. Some of President Trump’s supporters have said they will return to Washington, D.C. prior to the Inauguration to foment violence"

One such threat of violence: “Many of Us will return on January 19, 2021, carrying Our weapons, in support of Our nation's resolve, to which [sic] the world will never forget!!!”

"President Trump has demonstrated that he is unfit to lead and is a danger to the Nation."

"President Trump’s statements since the events of January 6th have only fanned the flames."

"That night, after law enforcement had succeeded in clearing many of the attackers, the President excused and even celebrated their criminal actions, declaring them ‘great patriots‘ who had ‘been badly & unfairly treated for so long‘"

"Because this incendiary statement violated Twitter’s standards, the President’s tweet was first flagged and later removed by Twitter, and the President was initially suspended from using his Twitter account for 12 hours"

(Great moments in presidential history)

"On January 7, despite pleas from advisers and allies to address the horrified nation, President Trump remained publicly silent throughout the day—failing to take responsibility for his actions or to take any step to salve the wounds suffered by the nation"

"President expressed no remorse for—and did not even acknowledge—his own central role in inciting the attackers to desecrate the seat of American government and endanger the lives of thousands of men and women, including Capitol Police and other law enforcement"

"On January 8th, the President tweeted: ‘The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!‘"

"In stark contrast to the President, Republican Members of Congress and those in the Administration have widely recognized and expressed horror at the attack on the Capitol and the President’s role in inciting it."

"Immediately upon returning to their respective chambers after the attackers had been forcibly removed, members of the President’s own party in the House and Senate recognized that ‘what happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States.‘"

“Today’s violent assault on our Capitol, an effort to subjugate American democracy by mob rule, was fomented by Mr. Trump.” — Trump's former Secretary of Defense James Mattis

“What happened on Capitol Hill … is a direct result of [President Trump’s] poisoning the minds of people with the lies and the fraud.” — Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly

“The invasion of our Capitol by a mob, incited by lies from some entrusted with power, is a disgrace to all who sacrificed to build our Republic.” — former Speaker of the House John Boehner

"Despite repeated entreaties, it took until January 10th for President Trump to order the flag of the United States to be flown at half-staff to commemorate the January 7th death of the Capitol Police officer who was murdered by the insurrectionists."

"The President’s fellow Republicans recognize what he will not: his words incited a violent attack on the Capitol and the Congress. He ‘incited the mob‘ and ‘lit the flame,‘ in the words of Congresswoman Cheney."

"Because the President has not repudiated the violent and unlawful actions of his followers or guided them to refrain from future antidemocratic attacks, he cannot be trusted to deter future violence or to remain in office."

"President Trump has previously expressed both tacit and explicit support for mob violence perpetrated by his sympathizers."

"During the 2020 Presidential campaign, President Trump was asked in the first Presidential Debate on September 29, 2020 to condemn white supremacists, but he would not."

"President Trump declined to denounce the [Proud Boys] and instead issued a directive to them, stating, ‘Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.‘ On December 12, 2020—less than a month before the attack on the Capitol—a leader of the Proud Boys visited the White House."

"His disregard for lawful process and the orderly operation of government continued in the aftermath of the election, including during President Trump’s January 2, 2021 call with Georgia state officials."

"Under Georgia law, the Secretary of State was required to certify the results of the election on November 20, 2020, and the Governor of the state was then required to promptly certify the appointment of a slate of presidential electors in accordance with the election results."

"President Trump publicly exhorted both men not to [certify election results]. Secretary Raffensperger nevertheless proceeded to certify the results on November 20, 2020, and Georgia Governor Kemp duly certified the appointment of a slate of electors that same day."

"The final tally showed that President Trump lost the State of Georgia by 11,779 votes."

[Side note: Thank you Georgia 💙]

"The Trump campaign and supporters of President Trump filed at least seven lawsuits in Georgia courts seeking to overturn the result in Georgia or otherwise challenge the conduct of the election, all of which were dismissed either by the court or voluntarily by the plaintiff."

"President Trump refused to accept Secretary Raffenberger’s conclusion that he had not won the election."

"He told the Secretary that ‘the ballots are corrupt,‘ that this was ‘totally illegal‘ and in fact ‘more illegal for you than it is for them‘ because ‘you’re not reporting it.‘ ‘That’s a criminal, that’s a criminal offense,‘ he said, and ‘a big risk to you.‘"

"And [President Trump] told the Secretary, ‘So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state.‘"

"President Trump cared only that a state official certify that he won Georgia. He asked the Secretary to belatedly ‘find‘ new votes for him—just enough for him to win the state. He did not care about the actual results."

"In sum, the President pressured the Secretary to conclude that he had won Georgia without regard to whether that was factually so."

"President Trump’s incitement of mob violence against the Capitol is clearly part of a broader pattern of encouraging lawless behavior and official action where it serves to aggrandize his own power."

"The House must impeach President Trump to make clear for all future officeholders that our Constitution rejects President Trump’s behavior."

"Some have argued that given the little remaining time left in President Trump’s term, there is no need to impeach him now. This ignores the precedent this country would set if we refuse to impeach and the remedy of disqualification that the Senate may impose."

"Even wrongly assuming that President Trump poses no ongoing threat, impeachment sends the strongest possible message that, as John Adams said, we are a ‘government of laws, and not of men.‘"

"Impeachment is a necessary measure to make sure that no President ever again attempts to incite his supporters to take unlawful action and overturn the will of the people."

"This impeachment does not seek to undo an election. Rather, it seeks to vindicate the most recent election, protect it from a President who defies it, and protect future elections from presidents who may try to do the same."

"President Trump did not just falsely assert that he won the Presidency. He went much further. He pressured state officials to change the results and ‘find‘ more votes."

"He told his supporters to assemble in Washington, D.C. on January 6th…He promised that it would be ‘wild.‘ President Trump’s goal was to disrupt the Joint Session of Congress that was meeting to formally count the electoral votes in an election that his opponent won."

"President Trump also encouraged his Vice President to violate his own oath and claim unilateral authority to reject the votes of the Electoral College in an unconstitutional effort to declare President Trump the victor. Vice President Pence rightly rejected this view"

Pence (in a Jan 6 letter): “When disputes concerning a presidential election arise, under Federal law, it is the people’s representatives who review the evidence and resolve disputes through a democratic process."

"In the words of Vice President Pence, the ‘Presidency belongs to the American people, and to them alone.‘"

"President Trump has falsely asserted he won the 2020 presidential election and repeatedly sought to overturn the results of the election."

"As his efforts failed again and again, President Trump continued a parallel course of conduct that foreseeably resulted in the imminent lawless actions of his supporters, who attacked the Capitol and the Congress."

"This course of conduct, viewed within the context of his past actions and other attempts to subvert the presidential election, demonstrate that President Trump remains a clear and present danger to the Constitution and our democracy."

"President Trump committed a high Crime and Misdemeanor against the Nation by inciting an insurrection at the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential Election."

"The facts establish that he is unfit to remain in office a single day longer, and warrant the immediate impeachment of President Trump."

/fin …

judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/…