Thread by @kimwehle

Here are some key takeaways from @RepRaskin's formidable argument today: 1/ Trump's defense is that what he did was "totally appropriate" so the parties are proceeding on the joint assumption that it would happen again if he were re-elected in 2024;

/2 Trump's 12/19/20 tweet telling supporters to "be there" and that it will "be wild" on 1/6 expressly singled out the day - 1/6 - *because of" the counting of electoral college votes that day, which goes to knowledge and intent;

/3 Trump urged his supporters on 1/6 to "fight like hell," pointing to the Capitol, and *hell came* to the Capitol. This is a 1+1=2 definition of incitement of insurrection (rhetorically at least);

/4 In Trump's video, after officers were smashed over the head and bludgeoned for hours, Trump was not the consoler in chief, but instead fostered the big lie, which is precisely why rioters were there in the first place;

/5 At 6:01 PM, Trump tweeted to "remember this day forever," after telling people "We love you. You're very special." He was saying remember it as a commemoration and a celebration - not for its horrors. Yikes.

/6 @RepRaskin summed up Trump's role in t3 steps: (1) It's coming, said Trump (2) I told you it would happen and now it's here (3) Remember this special day forever. Without consequences, this call to action means more rounds of "insurrectionary justice" to come;

/7 @RepRaskin made the excellent point that people wrongly perceive this as putting someone in jail for a political opinion. This is a job decision - not jail. And it's not about Trump's ideology, but about whether he should hold office after sitting and watching it unfold on TV.

/8 And my favorite: This isn't just shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre, which is UN-protected speech. It's a fire chief sending people to set the fire and complaining after being fired that all he was doing was exercising his First Amendment rights to be "pro-fire."

/9 Would Senate Republicans be okay with 4 years of a president advocating for the overthrow of American government daily from the bully pulpit? An acquittal is a "yes," says @RepRaskin. Powerful stuff. (end)