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Apparently, some Republicans found him compelling as well.Vox's Dylan Matthews talks with Congressman Jamie Raskin about the tragic loss of his son Tommy, who was twenty-five years old when he died at the end of 2020. Raskin’s speech - part personal narrative, part impassioned plea, and part constitutional lecture - was effective enough to warrant commendation from Bruce Castor Jr., one of Trump’s defense lawyers, in his opening statement. We cannot have presidents inciting and mobilizing 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.” “Senators, this cannot be our future,” Raskin said, his voice cracking. The Congress member went on to say it was heartbreaking to hear his daughter say, after they were reunited, that she never wanted to return to the Capitol. My chief of staff was with Tabitha and Hank, locked and barricaded in that office, with the kids hiding under the desk and placing what they thought were their final texts and whispered phone calls to say their goodbyes. “Then there was a sound I will never forget - the sound of pounding on the door like a battering ram is the most haunting sound I ever heard and will never forget. “Our new chaplain got up and said a prayer for us, and we were told to put our gas masks on,” Raskin continued. Members of Congress - of the House anyway - were removing their congressional pins so they wouldn’t be identified by the mob as they tried to escape the violence.”
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“All around me, people were calling their wives and their husbands, their loved ones to say goodbye. “By the time we learned about what was going on, it was too late and I couldn’t get out there to be with (my family) in the office,” Raskin said. His description of what ensued was, in effect, witness testimony. They thought they were going to die." /oVkxJmttgm- ABC News February 9, 2021 Jamie Raskin says members of his family hid under a desk during the Capitol siege, "placing what they thought were their final texts and whispered phone calls to say their goodbyes. Raskin said he brought his daughter Tabitha and his son-in-law Hank in order to stay close during a difficult time and allow them to see what he assumed would be the peaceful transfer of power when the House certified the 2020 election results.Īs he began to get choked up, Raskin described assuring his family that the Capitol would be safe and starting the day with a sense of “being lifted up from the agony” after both Democrats and Republicans stopped in to his office to offer condolences. He described the pain his family was already experiencing after the recent death of his son Tommy, who they had buried the day before. January 6 was already an emotional day for the Maryland Congress member.
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“I hope this trial reminds America how personal democracy is and how personal is the loss of democracy too.”
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“This trial is personal indeed for every senator, and for every member of the House, for every manager, and all our staff, and the Capitol Police, and the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police, and the National Guard, and maintenance and custodial crews, and the print journalists and TV people who were here, and all of our families and friends,” Raskin said. He closed their opening remarks by sharing his experience of the insurrection, describing the chaos and fear running through the House. Raskin started Tuesday’s debate period with a video displaying the events of January 6 through the point of view of Trump, the rioters, and members of Congress. But those arguments were bookended with evocative appeals. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), delivering part of the House’s opening statements Tuesday, made a striking point: The lawmakers themselves are witnesses.Īs Democrats’ lead impeachment manager and a former constitutional law professor, Raskin previewed the House’s arguments for the constitutionality of the trial Tuesday, and other managers did the same for the former president’s conviction on a single charge of incitement of insurrection. The House impeachment managers have not yet indicated if they will ask the Senate to vote on calling witnesses in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial.
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