E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 117 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021 No. 25 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Thursday, February 11, 2021, at 9 a.m. Senate WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021

The Senate met at 12 noon and was THE JOURNAL petition between political parties. It is called to order by the President pro If there is no objection—I hear neither. It is a moment of truth for tempore (Mr. LEAHY). none—the Journal of proceedings of the America. f trial are approved to date. My late father, Marcus Raskin, once The Sergeant at Arms will make the wrote: PRAYER proclamation. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- The Acting Sergeant at Arms, Jen- Democracy [needs] a ground to stand upon. fered the following prayer: nifer A. Hemingway, made the procla- And that ground is the truth. Let us pray. mation as follows: America needs the truth about ex- All-powerful God, Sovereign of this Hear ye! Hear ye! All persons are com- President Trump’s role in inciting the beloved land, You are our fortress, and manded to keep silence, on pain of imprison- insurrection on January 6 because it You desire justice to be done. As our ment, while the Senate of the United States threatened our government, and it dis- Senate jurors remember their account- is sitting for the trial of the Article of Im- rupted—it easily could have de- ability to You, use them to cause jus- peachment against Donald John Trump, stroyed—the peaceful transfer of power former President of the United States. tice to roll down like waters and right- in the United States for the first time RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER eousness like a mighty stream. in 233 years. Lord, during this impeachment trial, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized. It was suggested yesterday by Presi- give our lawmakers the gift of discern- dent Trump’s counsel that this is real- ORDER OF BUSINESS ment so that they will know truth ly like a very bad accident or a natural Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, for from falsehood. Inspire them to com- disaster, where lots of people get in- the information of all Senators, no mo- mit their thoughts and decisions to jured or killed, and society is just out tions were filed this morning. So we You. looking for someone to blame. And will proceed to the House managers’ Let Your Kingdom come and Your that is a natural and normal human re- presentation. We anticipate two 10- will be done on Earth as it is done in action, according to the President’s minute breaks and a 45-minute dinner Heaven. counsel, but he says it is totally unfair break around 6 p.m. We pray in Your mighty Name. in this case. Amen. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Pur- suant to the provisions of S. Res. 47, President Trump, according to Mr. f the managers for the House of Rep- Castor, is essentially an innocent by- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE resentatives have 16 hours to make a stander who got swept up in this catas- trophe but did nothing wrong. In this The President pro tempore led the presentation of their case. assertion, Mr. Castor unerringly echoes Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: The Senate will now hear you. We recognize Mr. Manager RASKIN to begin his client, ex-President Trump, who de- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the the presentation of the case for the clared after the insurrection that his United States of America, and to the Repub- conduct in the affair was ‘‘totally ap- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, House of Representatives. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. RASKIN. propriate,’’ and, therefore, we can only assume he could do and would do the f MANAGERS’ PRESENTATION Mr. Manager RASKIN. Thank you exact same thing again because he said TRIAL OF DONALD J. TRUMP, very much, Mr. President. his conduct was totally appropriate. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED Members of the Senate, good morn- So now the factual inquiry of the STATES ing, good day. trial is squarely posed for us. The juris- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Sen- Some people think this trial is a con- dictional constitutional issue is gone. ators, will you please be seated. test of lawyers or, even worse, a com- Whether you were persuaded by the

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A10FE6.000 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S616 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 President’s constitutional analysis yes- margin that President Trump had de- folded live on television before a horri- terday or not, the Senate voted to re- clared a landslide in 2016. fied nation. ject it. And so the Senate is now prop- When my colleague Mr. NEGUSE According to those around him at the erly exercising its jurisdiction and sit- speaks after me, he will set forth in de- time, this is how President Trump re- ting as a Court of Impeachment con- tail the exact roadmap of all the evi- portedly responded to the attack that ducting a trial on the facts. We are dence in the case. My fellow House we saw him incite in public: Delight, having a trial on the facts. managers and I will then take you enthusiasm, confusion as to why others The House says ex-President Donald through that evidence step-by-step so around him weren’t as happy as he was. Trump incited a violent insurrection everyone can see exactly how these Trump incited the January 6 attack, against Congress and the Constitution events unfolded. and when his mob overran and occupied and the people. The President’s lawyers But I want to tell you a few key rea- the Senate and attacked the House and and the President say his conduct was sons right now that we know this case assaulted law enforcement, he watched totally appropriate and he is essen- is not about blaming an innocent by- it on TV like a reality show. He reveled tially an innocent victim of cir- stander for the horrific violence and in it, and he did nothing to help us as cumstances, like the other innocent harm that took place on January 6. Commander in Chief. Instead, he served victims that we will see getting caught This is about holding accountable the as the ‘‘inciter in chief,’’ sending up in all of the violence and chaos, over person singularly responsible for incit- tweets that only further incited the the next several days. ing the attack. rampaging mob. He made statements The evidence will be for you to see Let’s start with December 12. You lauding and sympathizing with the in- and hear and digest. The evidence will will see during this trial a man who surrectionists. praised and encouraged and cultivated show you that ex-President Trump was At 4:17 p.m.—over 3 hours after the violence. ‘‘We have just begun to no innocent bystander. The evidence beginning of the siege—for the very fight!’’ he says more than a month will show that he clearly incited the first time, he spoke out loud—not on after the election has taken place, and January 6 insurrection. It will show Twitter. He spoke out loud to the that is before the second Million that Donald Trump surrendered his American people. Here is what he said: role as Commander in Chief and be- MAGA March, a rally that ended in se- (Text of video presentation of 1–6- came the ‘‘inciter in chief’’ of a dan- rious violence and even a burning of a 2021.) gerous insurrection, and this was, as church. And as the President fore- one of our colleagues put it so cogently casted, it was only the beginning. President TRUMP. I know your pain. I on January 6 itself, ‘‘the greatest be- On December 19, 18 days before Janu- know you’re hurt. trayal of the presidential oath in the ary 6, he told his base about where the So you might be saying: All right, history of the United States.’’ battle would be that they would fight the President is going to console us The evidence will show you that he next. January 6 would be ‘‘wild,’’ he now. He is going to reassure America. saw it coming and was not remotely promised. ‘‘Be there, will be wild!’’ said He knows our pain. He knows we are surprised by the violence. And when the President of the United States of hurt. We have just seen these horrific the violence inexorably and inevitably America. And that, too, turned out to images of officers being impaled and came as predicted and overran this be true. smashed over the head. We have just body and the House of Representatives You will see in the days that fol- been under attack for 3 hours. But here with chaos, we will show you that he lowed, Donald Trump continued to ag- is what he actually goes on to say: completely abdicated his duty as Com- gressively promote January 6 to his (Text of video presentation of 1–6- mander in Chief to stop the violence followers. The event was scheduled at 2021.) the precise time that Congress would and protect the government and pro- President TRUMP. I know your pain. I tect our officers and protect our peo- be meeting in joint session to count know you’re hurt. We had an election that ple. the electoral college votes and to final- was stolen from us. It was a landslide elec- He violated his oath of office to pre- ize the 2020 Presidential election. tion, and everyone knows it, especially the serve, protect, and defend the Constitu- In fact, in the days leading up to the other side. tion, the government, and the people of attack, you will learn that there were So you would think he is about to the United States. countless social media posts, news sto- decry the mayhem and violence, the The evidence will show you that he ries, and, most importantly, credible unprecedented spectacle of this mob assembled, inflamed, and incited his reports from the FBI and Capitol Po- attack on the U.S. Capitol, but he is followers to descend upon the Capitol lice that the thousands gathering for still promoting the big lie that was re- to ‘‘Stop the Steal,’’ to block Vice the President’s Save America March sponsible for inflaming and inciting President Pence and Congress from fi- were violent, organized with weapons, the mob in the first place. and were targeting the Capitol. This nalizing his opponent’s election victory If anyone ever had a doubt as to his mob got organized so openly because, over him. focus that day, it was not to defend us; It will show that he had been warned as they would later scream in these it was not to console us. It was to that these followers were prepared for halls and as they posted on forums be- praise and sympathize and commis- a violent attack, targeting us at the fore the attack, they were sent here by erate with the rampaging mob. It was Capitol through media reports, law en- the President. They were invited here to continue to act as ‘‘inciter in chief,’’ forcement reports, and even arrests. by the President of the United States not Commander in Chief, by telling the In short, we will prove that the im- of America. mob that their election had been stolen peached President was no innocent by- And when they showed up, knowing from them. stander whose conduct was totally ap- of these reports that the crowd was propriate and should be a standard for angry and they were armed, here is Even then, after that vicious attack, future Presidents, but that he incited what Donald Trump told them. Presi- he continued to spread the big lie. And this attack, and he saw it coming. dent Trump whipped the crowd into a as everyone here knows, Joe Biden won To us, it may have felt like chaos and frenzy, exhorting followers: by more than 7 million votes and 306 to madness, but there was method in the If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not 232 in the electoral college. But Donald madness that day. This was an orga- going to have a country anymore. Trump refused to accept his loss even nized attack on the counting of the And then he aimed straight at the after this attack, and he celebrated the electoral college votes in joint session Capitol declaring: people who violently interfered with the peaceful transfer of power, for the of the U.S. Congress under the Twelfth You’ll never take back our country with Amendment and under the Electoral weakness. You have to show strength, and first time in American history, and did Count Act to prevent Vice President you have to be strong. that at his urging. Mike Pence and to prevent us from He told them to ‘‘fight like hell,’’ and And when he did, in this video, fi- counting sufficient electoral college they brought us hell on that day. nally tell them to go home in peace, he votes to certify Joe Biden’s victory of Incited by President Trump, his mob added this message: 306 to 232 in the electoral college—a attacked the Capitol. This assault un- We love you. You’re very special.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.001 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S617 Distinguished Members of the Sen- anything other than his responsibility on fire; and who then, when the fire ate, this is a day that will live in dis- for inciting the attack. alarms go off and the calls start flood- grace in American history; that is, un- We heard a lot yesterday about his ing in to the fire department asking for less you ask Donald Trump because claim that this incitement of the insur- help, does nothing but sit back, encour- this is what he tweeted before he went rection was perfectly appropriate be- age the mob to continue its rampage, to bed that night at 6:01 p.m.—not con- cause it is somehow protected by the and watch the fire spread on TV, with soling the Nation, not reassuring ev- First Amendment, and this little diver- glee and delight. eryone that the government was se- sion caught my eye because I have been So then we say this fire chief should cure, not a single word that entire day a professor of constitutional law and never be allowed to hold this public job condemning the violent insurrection. the First Amendment for decades. again and ‘‘you are fired, and you are This is what he says: And as we will demonstrate over the permanently disqualified’’—and he ob- These are the things and events that hap- course of the trial, the factual premise jects. And he says we are violating his pen when a sacred landslide election victory and the legal underpinnings of that free speech rights just because he is is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped claim are all wrong. They present pro-mob or pro-fire or whatever it away from great patriots who have been President Trump as merely like a guy might be. badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go at a rally expressing a political opinion Come on. I mean, you really don’t home with love & in peace. Remember this that we disagree with, and now we are need to go to law school to figure out day forever! trying to put him in jail for it. That what is wrong with that argument. ‘‘These are the things and events has nothing to do with the reality of Here is the key. Undoubtedly, a private that happen when a sacred landslide these charges or his constitutional of- person can run around on the street ex- election victory is so unceremoniously fense. pressing his or her support for the en- & viciously stripped away from great The particular political opinions emies of the United States and advo- patriots. . . . ’’ In other words, this was being expressed are not why we im- cating to overthrow the United States all perfectly natural and foreseeable to peached the President and have noth- Government. Donald Trump. At the beginning of the ing to do with it. It makes no dif- You have got a right to do that under day, he told you it was coming. At the ference what the ideological content of the First Amendment, but if the Presi- end of the day, he basically says: I told the mob was, and if we license and for- dent spent all of his days doing that, you this would happen. And then he give incitement to violent insurrection uttering the exact same words, express- adds: ‘‘Remember this day forever!’’ by militant Trump followers this week, ing support for the enemies of the But not as a day of disgrace, a day of you can be sure there will be a whole United States and for overthrowing the horror and trauma, as the rest of us re- bunch of new ideological flavors com- government, is there anyone here who member it, but as a day of celebration, ing soon. doubts that this would be a violation of a day of commemoration. As we will demonstrate with over- his oath of office to preserve, protect, And if we let it be, it will be a day of whelming evidence, portraying Trump and defend the Constitution of the continuation, a call to action, and a as a guy on the street being punished United States and that he or she could rallying cry for the next rounds of in- for his ideas is a false description of his be impeached for doing that? surrectionary justice because all of actions, his intent, and the role that he Look, if you are President of the this was totally appropriate. played on January 6, when he willfully United States, you have chosen a side Senators, the stakes of this trial incited an insurrectionary mob to riot with your oath of office, and if you could not be more serious. Every Amer- at the Capitol. break it, we can impeach, convict, re- ican—young and old and in between—is Last week, 144 constitutional schol- move, and disqualify you permanently invited to participate with us in this ars, including Floyd Abrams, a fero- from holding any office of honor, trust, essential journey to find the facts and cious defender of free speech; Charles or profit under the United States. share the truth. Trials are public Fried, President Reagan’s Solicitor As Justice Scalia once said, memo- events in a democracy, and no trial is General; Steven Calabresi, the co- rably, ‘‘You can’t ride with the cops more public or significant than an im- founder of the Federalist Society, re- and root for the robbers.’’ And if you peachment trial. leased a statement calling the Presi- become ‘‘inciter in chief’’ to the insur- Because the insurrection brought dent’s First Amendment arguments rection, you can’t expect to be on the shocking violence, bloodshed, and pain ‘‘legally frivolous’’—‘‘legally frivo- payroll as Commander in Chief for the to the Nation’s Capitol, and we will be lous’’—adding: Union. showing relevant clips of the mob’s at- [W]e all agree that the First Amendment Trump was the President of the tack on police officers and other inno- does not prevent the Senate from convicting United States, and he had sworn to pre- cent people, we do urge parents and President Trump and disqualifying him from serve, protect, and defend the Constitu- teachers to exercise close review of holding future office. tion. He had an affirmative, binding what young people are watching here, They went on to say: duty, one that set him apart from ev- and please watch along with them if No reasonable scholar or jurist could con- eryone else in the country, to take care you are allowing them to watch. clude that President Trump had a First that the laws be faithfully executed, The impeachment managers will try Amendment right to incite a violent attack including all the laws against assault- to give warnings before the most on the seat of the legislative branch, or then ing Federal officers, destroying Federal graphic and disturbing violence that to sit back and watch on television as Con- property, violently threatening Mem- took place is shown. gress was terrorized and the Capitol sacked. bers of Congress and the Vice Presi- We believe that the managers’ com- Incitement to violence is, of course, dent, interfering with Federal elec- prehensive and meticulous presen- not protected by the First Amendment. tions, and dozens of other Federal laws tation will lead to one powerful and ir- That is why most Americans have dis- that are well known to all of you. resistible conclusion: Donald Trump missed Donald Trump’s First Amend- When he incited insurrection on Jan- committed a massive crime against our ment rhetoric simply by referring to uary 6, he broke that oath. He violated Constitution and our people and the Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’s handy that duty. And that is why we are here worst violation of the Presidential phrase: You can’t shout ‘‘fire’’ in a today, and that is why he has no cred- oath of office in the history of the crowded theater. ible constitutional defense. United States of America. For this, he But even that time-honored principle I will tell you a final, sad story in was impeached by the House of Rep- doesn’t begin to capture how off-base this kaleidoscope of sadness and terror resentatives, and he must be convicted the argument is. This case is much and violence. One of our Capitol offi- by the United States Senate. worse than someone who falsely shouts cers who defended us that day was a Before I close, I want to address a ‘‘fire’’ in a crowded theater. It is more longtime veteran of our force, a brave constitutional issue still lingering like a case where the town fire chief, and honorable public servant who spent from yesterday’s argument. The Presi- who is paid to put out fires, sends a several hours battling the mob as part dent, obviously, is still exploring ways mob not to yell ‘‘fire’’ in a crowded of one of those blue lines defending the to change the subject and talk about theater but to actually set the theater Capitol and our democracy.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.003 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S618 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 For several hours straight, as the This mob was well orchestrated. Watch this clip. marauders punched and kicked and Their conduct was intentional. They (Text of video presentation.) mauled and spit upon and hit officers did it all in plain sight—proudly, open- President TRUMP. Because we are not with baseball bats and fire extin- ly, and loudly—because they believed, going to let this election be taken away from guishers, cursed the cops and stormed they truly believed that they were us. That’s the only way they are going to our Capitol, he defended us, and he doing this for him; that this was their win this. We are not going to let it happen. (Applause.) lived every minute of his oath of office. patriotic duty. It is the only way we can be—it is the only And afterward, overwhelmed by emo- They even predicted that he would way we can lose, in my opinion, is massive tion, he broke down in the Rotunda and protect them. And for the most part, fraud. he cried for 15 minutes and he shouted they were right. In his unique role as We all know what happened after Commander in Chief of our country and out: that. He lost. He lost the election. But as the one person whom the mob was I got called an n-word 15 times today. remember, he had that no-lose scenario listening to and following orders from, And then he reported: that I referenced earlier. He told his he had the power to stop it, and he base that the election was stolen, as he I sat down with one of my buddies, another didn’t. Black guy, and tears just started streaming Now, some have said that President had forecasted, and then he told them: down my face. [And] I said, ‘‘What the [F], Your election has been stolen, but you man? Is this America?’’ Trump’s remarks, his speech on Janu- ary 6, was just a speech. Well, let me cannot concede. You must stop the That is the question before all of you ask you this: When in our history has steal. in this trial: Is this America? Can our a speech led thousands of people to (Text of video presentation.) country and our democracy ever be the storm our Nation’s Capitol with weap- President TRUMP: You can’t let another person steal that election from you. All over same if we don’t hold accountable the ons, to scale the walls, break windows, person responsible for inciting the vio- the country, people are together in holding kill a Capitol Police officer? up signs: ‘Stop the Steal.’ lent attack against our country, our This was not just a speech. It didn’t Capitol, and our democracy and all of The Democrats are trying to steal the just happen. And as you evaluate the White House. You cannot let them. You just those who serve us so faithfully and facts that we present to you, it will be- can’t let them. honorably? Is this America? come clear exactly where that mob Now, while he is inciting his sup- Mr. NEGUSE will now provide a road- came from, because here is the thing: porters, he is also simultaneously map, a roadmap of our evidentiary President Trump’s words, as you will doing everything he possibly can to case. see, on January 6 in that speech, just Mr. Manager NEGUSE. Mr. Presi- overturn the election. like the mob’s actions, were carefully First, he begins with the courts—a dent, distinguished Senators, counsel, chosen. Those words had a very specific legitimate avenue, legitimate avenue— like several of you, I am a child of im- meaning to that crowd. And how do we to challenge the election, but he ig- migrants. And as a son of immigrants, know this? Because in the weeks prior nores all of their adverse rulings when I believe firmly in my heart that the to, during, and after the election, he all of his claims are thrown out. United States is the greatest Republic used the same words over and over and Then he moves on to try to pressure that this world has ever known. over again. You will hear over and over State election officials to block the A hallmark of our Republic since the three things—you can see them on the election results for his opponent even days of George Washington has been screens—first, what Lead Manager though he had lost in their States. You the peaceful transfer of power. For cen- RASKIN referred to as the ‘‘big lie,’’ will hear my fellow managers discuss turies, we have accepted it as fact. that the ‘‘election was stolen, full of Unfortunately, sadly, we know now that in detail. fraud, rigged.’’ You will hear over and Then he tries to threaten State elec- that we can no longer take that for over him using that lie to urge his sup- tion officials to actually change the granted because, as Lead Manager porters to ‘‘never concede’’ and ‘‘stop votes to make him the winner, even RASKIN explained, on January 6, the the steal.’’ Finally, you will hear the threatening criminal penalties if they peaceful transition of power was vio- call to arms, that it was his supporters’ refused. lently interrupted when a mob stormed patriotic duty to fight like hell. To do He had the Justice Department in- this Capitol and desecrated this Cham- what? To stop the steal. To stop the vestigate his claims, and even they ber. election from being stolen by showing found no support for those claims. So As you will see during the course of up in this very Chamber. To stop you. he tried to persuade some Members of this trial, that mob was summoned, as- To stop us. his party in Congress to block the cer- sembled, and incited by the former I respectfully ask that you remember tification of his vote with attacks in President of the United States, Donald those three phrases as you consider the public forums. Trump, and he did that because he evidence today—‘‘The election was sto- When that failed, he tried to intimi- wanted to stop the transfer of power so len,’’ ‘‘Stop the Steal,’’ and ‘‘Fight like date the Vice President of the United that he could retain power, even hell’’—because they did not just appear States of America to refuse to certify though he had lost the election. And on January 6. Let me show you what I the vote and send it back to the States. when the violence erupted, when they mean. Let’s start with the ‘‘big lie.’’ None of it worked. So what does he were here in our building, with weap- You will see during this trial that do, with his back against the wall, ons, he did nothing to stop it. the President realized, really by last when all else has failed? He turned If we are to protect our Republic and spring, that he could lose, he might back to his supporters. He had already prevent something like this from ever lose the election. So what did he do? He spent months telling them that the happening again, he must be convicted. started planting the seeds to get some election was stolen, and he amplified it Now, I want to be very clear about of his supporters ready by saying that further. He turned it up a notch. He what we will show you during the he could only lose the election if it was told them that they had to be ready course of this trial. As my fellow man- stolen. not just to stop the steal but to fight agers present our case to you today, to- In other words, really what he did like hell. night, and tomorrow, it will be helpful was create a no-lose scenario: either he (Text of video presentation.) to think about President Trump’s in- won the election or he would have President TRUMP. We are going to fight citement of insurrection in three dis- some angry supporters—not all but for the survival of our nation. And we are tinct parts: provocation, the attack, some—who believed that if he lost, the going to keep on fighting. and the harm. election had to be rigged, and they We will never surrender, we will only win. Let’s start with the provocation. We would be angry because he was telling Now is not the time to retreat. Now is the will show, during the course of this Americans that their vote had been time to fight harder than ever before. trial, that this attack was provoked by stolen. And in America, our vote is our We have to go all the way. We are going to fight like hell, I will tell you right now. the President, incited by the President, voice. So his false claims about elec- We will not bend, we will not break, we and, as a result, it was predictable, and tion fraud, that was the drumbeat will not yield. We will never give in. We will it was foreseeable. And, of course, that being used to inspire, instigate, and ig- never give up. We will never back down. We makes sense. nite them, to anger them. will never, ever surrender.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.004 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S619 You will see that in the months the We must stop the steal. They are painful to watch and to re- President made these statements, peo- Finally, the President used the count, and I am not going to repeat the ple listened. Armed supporters sur- speech as a call to arms. It was not evidence now. rounded election officials’ homes. The rhetorical. Some of his supporters had But I do want to be clear about what secretary of state for Georgia got death been primed for this over many also happened during that terrible at- threats. Officials warned the President months. As you will learn, days before tack, and that is this: that President that his rhetoric was dangerous, and it this speech, as Lead Manager RASKIN Trump, once again, failed us because was going to result in deadly violence. noted, there were vast reports across when the violence erupted, when we And that is what makes this so dif- all major media outlets that thousands and the law enforcement officials pro- ferent, because when he saw firsthand of people would be armed, that they tecting you were under attack, as each the violence that his conduct was cre- would be violent. You will learn that of you were being evacuated from this ating, he didn’t stop it. He didn’t con- Capitol Police and the FBI reported in Chamber from a violent mob, as we demn the violence. He incited it fur- the days leading up to the attack that were being evacuated from the House, ther, and he got more specific. He thousands in the crowd would be tar- he could have immediately and force- didn’t just tell them to fight like hell; geting the Capitol specifically, that fully intervened to stop the violence. It he told them how, where, and when. He they had arrested people with guns the was his duty as Commander in Chief to made sure they had advance notice, 18 night before the attack on weapons stop the violence, and he alone had days’ advance notice. He sent this charges. that power, not just because of his ‘‘save the date’’ for January 6. He told And this is what our Commander in unique role as Commander in Chief but them to march to the Capitol and fight Chief said to the crowd in the face of because they believed that they were like hell on January 6, as Lead Man- those warnings, right before they came following his orders. They said so. ager RASKIN said, the exact same day here. (Text of videotape presentation.) we were certifying the election results. (Text of video presentation of 1–6– President Trump! What time was that rally scheduled 2021.) President Trump! for? The exact same time that this President TRUMP. We will not let them si- Fight for Trump! Chamber was certifying the election lence your voices. We’re not going to let it Fight for Trump! results in joint session. When did he happen. Not going let it happen. Fight for Trump! conclude his speech? Literally mo- (People chanting: ‘‘Fight for Trump.’’) We were invited by the President of the President TRUMP. Thank you. And you United States! ments before Speaker PELOSI had gav- I thought I was following my President. I eled us into session. have to get your people to fight because you’ll never take back our country with thought I was following what we were called Many of us were in the House during to do. President Trump requested that we be that joint session of Congress. I was weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. And we fight. We fight in DC on the 6th. sitting two rows behind Leader SCHU- like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, You heard it from them. They were MER and Leader MCCONNELL. I remem- you’re not going to have a country anymore. doing what he wanted them to do. They ber it vividly. And as we were standing ‘‘You have to get your people to wouldn’t have listened to you, to me, there fulfilling our solemn oath to the to the Vice President of the United Constitution, the President was fin- fight,’’ he told them. States who they were attacking. They ishing his speech just a couple of miles Senators, this clearly was not just didn’t stop in the face of law enforce- away. How did he conclude that infa- one speech. It didn’t just happen. It ment, police officers fighting for their mous speech? With a final call to ac- was part of a carefully planned, lives to stop them. They were following tion. He told them to march down months-long effort with a very specific Pennsylvania Avenue, to come here; instruction: Show up on January 6, and the President. He alone, our Com- that it was their patriotic duty because get your people to fight the certifi- mander in Chief, had the power to stop the election had been stolen. And when cation. them and he didn’t. they heard his speech, they understood He incited it. It was foreseeable. And You will hear evidence tonight, to- his words and what they meant because again, you don’t have to take my word morrow, throughout the trial, about they had heard it before. for it. The President’s former Chief of his refusal as Commander in Chief to Let’s take just a minute and really Staff—he is a retired marine, four-star respond to numerous desperate pleas look at his words on January 6 as he general, was confirmed by this body to on the phone, across social media, beg- spoke at the Save America rally. Re- be the Secretary of Homeland Security, ging him to stop the attack. And you member, I told you you would hear overwhelming vote—that man was will see his relentless attack on Vice three phrases: ‘‘The election was sto- John Kelly. On the day after the insur- President PENCE, who was at that very len,’’ ‘‘Stop the Steal,’’ and ‘‘Fight like rection, he said this: moment hiding with his family as hell.’’ Let’s start with that first (Text of video presentation.) armed extremists were chanting, phrase. Mr. KELLY. You know, the president ‘‘Hang Mike Pence,’’ calling him a trai- (Text of video presentation of 1–6– knows who he’s talking to when he tweets or tor. 2021.) when he makes statements. He knows who he You will see that even when he did fi- President TRUMP. All of us here today do is talking to. He knows what he wants them nally, 31⁄2 hours into the attack, tell not want to see our election victory stolen. to do. And the fact that he said the things, these people to go home in peace, he There has never been anything like this. It he has been saying the things he has been is a pure theft in American history. Every- added, as Lead Manager RASKIN said, I saying since the election, and encouraging will quote: body knows it. Make no mistake, this elec- people, there is no surprise, again, at what tion was stolen from you, from me, and from happened yesterday. You’re very special. We love you. the country. No surprise. Think about that. No Think for a moment—just a mo- Now, of course, each of you heard surprise. The President had every rea- ment—of the lives lost that day, of the those words before. So had the crowd. son to know that this would happen be- more than 140 wounded police officers, The President had spent months telling cause he assembled the mob, he sum- and ask yourself if, as soon as this had his supporters that the election had moned the mob, and he incited the started, President Trump had simply been stolen, and he used this speech to mob. He knew when he took that po- gone onto TV, just logged onto Twitter incite them further, to inflame them, dium on that fateful morning that and said ‘‘Stop the attack.’’ If he had to stop the steal, to stop the certifi- those in attendance had heeded the done so with even half as much force as cation of the election results. words and they were waiting for his or- he said ‘‘Stop the steal,’’ how many (Text of video presentation of 1–6– ders to begin fighting. lives would we have saved? Sadly, he 2021.) And that, of course, brings me, my didn’t do that. President TRUMP. We will never give up, fellow managers, to what happened At the end of the day, the President we will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft in- here in this building. As Lead Manager was not successful in stopping the cer- volved. And to use a favorite term that all of RASKIN stated, my colleagues are going tification. That we know, thanks to you people really came up with: We will stop to walk through the events of January the bravery of our law enforcement and the steal. 6 and the evidence in very great detail. to the bravery of the Senators in this

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.005 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S620 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 room, each of you who still fulfilled We only got a couple of hours of sleep Senators, the President of the United your constitutional duty even under that morning. Early the next day, I States said: There won’t be a transi- the threat of mortal peril. But there called my dad, who came to this coun- tion of power, frankly. There will be a can be no doubt of the grave harm that try, as I mentioned, as an immigrant 40 continuation. he caused to our elected leaders; to us, years ago, and I told him that the President Trump was given every op- our families; to all who work at the proudest moment, by far, of serving in portunity to tell his supporters: Yes, if Capitol, our staff, your staff; to our Congress, for me, was going back on to I lose, I will peacefully transfer power brave Capitol police, who defend us the floor with each of you to finish the to the next President. Instead, he told tirelessly with little thanks, who be- work that we had started. his supporters the only way he could lieved that they had a Commander in I am humbled to be back with you lose the election is if it were stolen. Chief who would defend and protect today. And just as on January 6, when In tweet after tweet, he made sweep- them, instead put them in harm’s way; we overcame that attack on our Cap- ing allegations about election fraud to those killed for heeding his com- itol, on our country, I am hopeful that that couldn’t possibly be true. But that mand; to our democracy and the sys- at this trial, we can use our resolve and was the point. He didn’t care if things tem, which ensures that we have a our resilience to, again, uphold our de- were true. He wanted to make sure President elected by the people; to our mocracy by faithfully applying the that his supporters were angry, like national security and our standing in law, vindicating the Constitution, and the election was being ripped away the world. The harm was real. The holding President Trump accountable from them. damage was real. for his actions. On May 24, 6 months before the elec- Five people lost their lives on that Mr. Manager RASKIN. Senators, tion, he tweeted: terrible, tragic day. A woman was shot Representatives JOAQUIN CASTRO and It will be the greatest Rigged Election in dead 50 feet from where we later cer- ERIC SWALWELL will now show the evi- history. tified the election results. And for dence of President Trump’s long cam- How could he possibly know it would those who question just how bad it was, paign to delegitimize his electoral de- be the greatest rigged election in his- criminal complaints recently unsealed feat and to galvanize his supporters to tory 6 months before the election hap- by the Department of Justice are more help him retain his power at any cost. pened? than revealing. You all see one of these So we are going to go, at this point, And, on June 22, more of the same: step by step to explain the progression documents on the screen. In the charg- RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: IT WILL BE THE ing affidavit of one of the leaders of the all the way up until the attack. SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES! Mr. Manager CASTRO. Good after- Proud Boys, we learned that members Again—about an election that had noon, you all. My name is JOAQUIN CAS- of this group ‘‘said that they would not even happened. TRO. I represent San Antonio in the have killed . . . Mike Pence if given United States Congress. There is a say- On July 30: the chance.’’ ing that ‘‘[a] lie can travel halfway 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & In another, we learned of the tweet in FRAUDULENT Election in history. around the world before the truth has a realtime while they were in the build- chance to put on its shoes.’’ That was Again, just big words with nothing to ing stating: before the internet. prove them, but he wanted to make his We broke into the Capitol . . . we got in- The point of that saying is the lie supporters believe that an election vic- side, we did our part. . . . We were looking can do incredible damage and destruc- tory would be stolen from him and for Nancy [Pelosi] to shoot her in the friggin’ from them. This was to rile up his base, brain but we didn’t find her. tion, and that is especially true when that lie is told by the most powerful to make them angry. And for anyone who suggests other- person on Earth, our Commander in Now, these were just a few of the wise, these defendants themselves have Chief, the President of the United many times President Trump tweeted told you exactly why they were here. States. about this, and he did it in speeches, in You will see this in the trial, that in This attack did not come from one rallies, and on television, too. the halls of the Capitol, on social speech, and it didn’t happen by acci- (Text of video presentation of 7–31– media, in news interviews, and in dent. The evidence shows clearly that 2020.) charging documents, they confirmed this mob was provoked over many President TRUMP: This is going to be the they were following the President’s or- months by Donald J. Trump. And if greatest election disaster in history. ders. You can see some of the state- you look at the evidence, his purpose- Because the only way we are going to lose ments on that screen, one who said: this election is if the election is rigged. Re- Trump wants all able-bodied patriots. ful conduct, you will see that the at- member that. tack was foreseeable and preventable. Another: The only way they can take this election I will start by discussing President away from us is if this is a rigged election. President Trump is calling us to FIGHT! Trump’s actions leading up to the elec- We are going to win this election. . . . This isn’t a joke. tion when he set up his big lie. Begin- It’s a rigged election. That’s the only way Another: ning in the spring of 2020, President we are going to lose. I thought I was following my President. I Trump began to fall behind in the But this will be one of the greatest fraudu- thought I was following what we were called polls, and by July, President Trump lent—most fraudulent elections ever. to do. had reached a new low. He was running This is clearly a man who refuses to Our President wants us here. 15 points behind his opponent, and he accept the possibility or the reality in We wait and take orders from [the] presi- our democracy of losing an election, dent. was scared. He began to believe that he could le- and there are dozens more tweets and He made them believe, over many gitimately lose the election, so he did speeches of Donald Trump spreading weeks, that the election was stolen and something entirely unprecedented in his lie, but you get the point. His sup- they were following his command to the history of our Nation. He refused to porters got the point as well. They take back their country. commit to a peaceful transition of firmly believed that, if he lost, it was As I prepared for today—yesterday, power. Here is what he said: because the election was rigged. this trial—one memory that I couldn’t (Text of videotape presentation.) (Text of video presentation of 9–15– shake: It was on the night of January Mr. WALLACE: Can you give a direct an- 2020.) 6 and the feeling of walking back onto swer you will accept the election? The Interviewer. Will you accept the result the House floor and seeing many of you Mr. TRUMP. I have to see. Look, I have to if Joe Biden wins? there. I remember us finishing our task see. No, I’m not just going to just say yes. Unidentified Speaker. No. at 4 in the morning, and as I walked off I’m not going to say no. The Interviewer. Under any cir- the floor, I was so grateful—so grate- Mr. WALLACE. Do you commit to making cumstances? ful—for the opportunity to thank the sure that there is a peaceful transfer of Unidentified Speaker. No. power? The Interviewer. Why is that? Vice President of the United States, Mr. TRUMP. Get rid of the ballots and Unidentified Speaker. Because it’s lies and Mike Pence, for his actions, for stand- you’ll have a very peaceful—there won’t be a deceit and corruption. ing before us and asking us to follow transfer, frankly. There will be a continu- The Interviewer. Do you think that, when our oath and our faith and our duty. ation. you get to election night or in the following

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.007 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S621 days, if Biden winds up somehow becoming They are trying to STEAL the Election. on. This happened all over. In Atlanta, the winner—do you think it’s rigged? We will never let them do it. in Detroit, and in Milwaukee, his sup- Unidentified Speaker. Oh, yes, very much A little over an hour later, at, rough- porters used armed force to try to dis- so. ly, 2:30 in the morning, before all the The Interviewer. On election night— rupt the lawful counting of votes be- Unidentified Speaker. Yes. votes were even close to being counted, cause they bought into Trump’s big lie The Interviewer.—if it ends up that Joe he goes even further and actually de- that the election was stolen from Biden wins— clares victory. Take a look. them. Unidentified Speaker. Yes. (Text of video presentation of 11–4- President Trump’s months of inflam- The Interviewer.—in your opinion, would 2020.) ing and inciting his supporters had that be the only way that Trump could lose, President TRUMP. This is a fraud on the worked. They believed it was their that it would be a rigged election? Is that American public. This is an embarrassment the only way Joe Biden could win? duty to, quite literally, fight to stop to our country. We were getting ready to win Unidentified Speaker. Absolutely. I agree the count. So they showed up at elec- this election. Frankly, we did win this elec- with that because there’s no way in heck our tion centers across the country to do tion. President is going to lose, but, yes, it would just that. be a rigged election. There will be—some ‘‘Frankly, we did win,’’ rather than (Text of video presentation of 11–5- type of cheating went on, what have you, and calmly saying: Let’s count the votes. If 2020.) I firmly believe that. there are legal issues, we will go to President TRUMP. This is a fraud on the Now, all of us in this room have run court, and we will resolve them. American public. This is an embarrassment for election, and it is no fun to lose. I Instead, he told his supporters that to our country. We were getting ready to win am a Texas Democrat, and we have lost he had actually won the election and this election. Frankly, we did win this elec- a few elections over the years, but can that the whole thing was a fraud. He tion. you imagine telling your supporters said that on November 4, and he has (People chanting: ‘‘Yeah.’’) that the only way you could possibly never renounced that statement since. (People chanting: ‘‘Stop the count.’’) Despite President Trump’s pressure (People chanting: ‘‘They ain’t taking it lose is if an American election were from us.’’) rigged and stolen from you? at the time, election officials around President TRUMP. We were winning in all Ask yourself whether you have ever the country continued to carry out the key locations by a lot, actually, and then seen anyone at any level of government their duties, and as votes were counted our numbers started miraculously getting make the same claim about their own and his loss became more certain, he whittled away in secret. election, but that is exactly what riled up his base further. Take a look (People chanting: ‘‘They will pay. They President Trump did. He truly made at these tweets. will be destroyed because America is ris- his base believe that the only way he On November 5, he tweeted, in all ing.’’) could lose was if the election were capital letters, as if shouting com- And there it is. They had bought into rigged. mands: his big lie. President Trump told his Senators, all of us know and all of STOP THE COUNT! supporters over and over again, nearly understand how dangerous that is for STOP THE FRAUD! every day, in dozens of tweets, speech- our country, because the most combus- Senators, this is dangerous. es, and rallies, that their most precious tible thing you can do in a democracy I also want you to remember these right in our democracy—their voice, is convince people that an election tweets for another reason, because that their vote—was being stripped away, doesn’t count, that their voices and is what it looks like when Donald and they had to fight to stop that. their votes don’t count, and that it has Trump wants people to stop doing They believed him, and so they fought. all been stolen, especially if what you something. You may say: Well, he didn’t know are saying are lies. Bear in mind, this is not the Presi- that they would take up arms. But Let us turn now to the election. dent saying to his supporters that when he did know, when it was all over As you know, the results were not somebody stole your cup of coffee. This the news, President Trump didn’t stop. fully reported on election night, which is the Commander in Chief telling his As Mr. SWALWELL will show, after Don- is not unusual in our Nation’s history. supporters ‘‘your election is being sto- ald Trump lost, he became even more But by November 7, major news net- len, and you must stop the counting of desperate and incited his base even fur- works, including FOX News, reported American votes,’’ and it worked. His ther. He urged them again and again, that, once the remaining votes were words became their actions. His com- with increasingly forceful language, to counted, Joe Biden would be the likely mands led to their actions. Take a look fight to stop the steal. Even as the cer- victor. So President Trump began urg- at this. tification got closer and he grew even ing his supporters to stop the count. The same day as those tweets—the more desperate, he gave them specific I would imagine that, if we went same day as those tweets—around 100 instructions on how, where, and when around this room, there would be folks Trump supporters showed up in front of to fight to stop the steal. He told them sitting here who started down on elec- the Maricopa County elections center to show up on January 6 and march to tion night and ended up coming back in Phoenix, some of them carrying ri- the U.S. Capitol to stop the certifi- up and winning their races. Perhaps fles, literally trying to intimidate offi- cation of the election results, and he that is why some of you are seated in cials to stop the count just as Presi- told them to come here and fight like this room today. dent Trump had commanded. Arizona hell. But imagine if you were behind, and Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said You will see, clearly, that this vio- the results started coming in, and as that protesters were ‘‘causing delay lent mob that showed up here on Janu- you started pulling ahead, your oppo- and disruption and preventing those ary 6 didn’t come out of thin air. Presi- nent said: That’s not fair. Stop the employees from doing their job.’’ dent Donald John Trump incited this count while I am still ahead. Let’s call this what it was. We were violence, and that is the truth. That is what Donald Trump did, but facing a global pandemic, and workers Mr. Manager SWALWELL. Mr. Presi- that is not how America works. Here, were risking their health to ensure the dent, distinguished Senators, my name every vote counts. You don’t just stop integrity of our elections. President is ERIC SWALWELL, and I represent Cali- counting when one person is ahead. We Trump’s supporters were encircling fornia’s 15th Congressional District. count every vote. them, trying to prevent them from Manager CASTRO just told you about And let’s be clear: President Trump doing their own jobs. This was dan- Donald Trump’s lies and acts before knew that you just can’t stop counting gerous, it was scary, and it was a bla- the election, but to paraphrase Win- votes, but he wanted to inflame his tant act of political intimidation. ston Churchill, that wasn’t the end of base. There was a purpose behind this— In Philadelphia, that same day, po- his efforts. That wasn’t the beginning to truly make them believe that count- lice investigated an alleged plot to at- of the end, but perhaps it was the end ing votes would result in a stolen, tack the city’s Pennsylvania Conven- of the beginning. Here is what I mean. rigged election. tion Center, where votes were being You saw President Trump prime for He said at 12:49 a.m. on election counted. Police took at least one man months his supporters to believe that, night: into custody who was carrying a weap- if the election were lost, it only could

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.009 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S622 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 have been so because it was rigged, but President TRUMP. Dead people voting all dence that his words had consequences, that took time just like, to build a fire, over the place. and if he wanted to stop it, he could it doesn’t just start with the flames. President TRUMP. The alleged Biden mar- stop it. gin of victory in several states is entirely ac- Donald Trump, for months and months, You saw Mr. CASTRO read statement counted for by extraordinarily large mid- assembled the tinder, the kindling— night vote dumps. You saw them going up to after statement from our Commander threw on logs for fuel—to have his sup- the sky. in Chief saying, ‘‘Stop the count.’’ ‘‘Stop the steal.’’ porters believe that the only way their Massive ‘‘midnight vote dumps.’’ President Trump was never shy victory would be lost was if it were sto- Dead people voting all over the place. about using his platforms to try and len. So, that way, President Trump was He said there were votes ‘‘going up to stop something. He could have very ready, if he lost the election, to light the sky.’’ easily told his supporters: Stop threat- the match. This was never about pursuing legiti- And on November 7, after all the ening officials. Stop going to their mate claims. He was saying anything votes were counted, President Trump homes. Stop it with the threats. he could to trigger and anger his base did lose by 7 million votes. But each time, he didn’t. Instead, in so that they would fight like hell to But for Donald Trump, all was not the face of escalating violence, he in- overturn a legitimate election. lost. He had a backup plan. Instead of cited them further. And it worked. Just as Manager CAS- accepting the results or pursuing le- The next phase in the certification of TRO showed you, President Trump’s gitimate claims, he told his base more results was the certification on Decem- supporters were taking up arms to stop lies. He doused the flames with ker- ber 14 of the electoral college votes. the count. His message to ‘‘fight like osene. The night before, President Trump hell’’ was having real consequences. And this wasn’t just some random personally issued 14 Twitter state- In Michigan, you will recall that guy at the neighborhood bar blowing ments, with more false claims about President Trump was attacking that off steam. This was our Commander in the election being stolen and directing State and its officials. He continued Chief. his supporters to make sure that ‘‘they these attacks even after Michigan cer- Day after day, he told his supporters cannot be certified.’’ tified its votes. false, outlandish lies that the victory— He states here: (Text of video presentation of 11–26– that the election outcome was taken 2020.) The RINOS— and it was rigged. And he had abso- President TRUMP. Take a look at Michi- The RINOS— lutely no support for his claims, but that run the state voting apparatus have that wasn’t the point. He wanted to gan. Take a look at what they did with re- spect to counties, and then you get to De- caused us the problem of allowing the Demo- make his base angrier and angrier. troit and it’s like more votes than people. crats to so blatantly cheat in their attempt And to make them angry, he was Dead people voting all over the place. to steal the election, which we won over- willing to say anything. On November whelmingly. (Text of video presentation of 12–5- 15, he stated: We will never give up! 2020.) I concede NOTHING! We have a long way In the face of threats to elected offi- President TRUMP. You know I won almost to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION! every county in Michigan, almost every dis- cials, this is his message. He doesn’t say why the election is trict. And he calls them RINOS—Repub- rigged. President TRUMP. We should have won licans in name only—and tells them to November 17, in a Twitter statement: that state very easily. We have a similar never give up. DEAD PEOPLE VOTED. type of governor, I think, but I’ll let you President Trump, to him, it was his That is it. No evidence, just ‘‘DEAD know that in about a week. supporters against anyone who would PEOPLE VOTED.’’ He is literally telling them that not overturn the election results so November 28, Twitter statement: there were more votes in Detroit than that President Trump could win. We have found many illegal votes. Stay people. But on December 14, despite all of tuned! About 260,000 people voted in Detroit. President Trump’s efforts to stop, the This just wasn’t true. He never found There are roughly 500,000 registered electors cast their votes according to illegal votes. He didn’t even try to pre- voters in Detroit. There are approxi- the will of the American people, and tend that he had evidence for that. And mately 670,000 people living in the city. Joe Biden was certified as having won ‘‘stay tuned’’? Well, that was all about So, again, not true. But he needed to 306 electoral college votes. inciting his base, not about bringing le- make these outlandish claims to truly The day after this occurred, Leader gitimate claims. It was about drama- make his supporters believe that their MCCONNELL recognized this, stating: tizing the election to anger his sup- victory was stolen from them. Many of us hoped that the presidential porters. And it was working. A few days after election would yield a different result, but our system of government has processes to December 5, you see here he goes these clips, on December 5, his sup- porters surrounded the Michigan Sec- determine who will be sworn in on January after the Governors of Arizona and 20. The Electoral College has spoken. Georgia, Governors from his own party, retary of State’s home. (Text of video presentation of 12–6- As Manager CASTRO said, no one here, claiming that they weren’t with him. no one among us wants to lose an elec- You see, Senators, he is casting this 2021.) tion. Sometimes there is a reason to in combat terms; that either you are Unidentified Speaker. I’m just sharing our dispute an election. Sometimes the with him, making sure that he won the Secretary of State’s House and . . . count is close. Sometimes we ask for a election, or you are fighting against (People chanting: ‘‘Stop the steal.’’) Unidentified Speaker. You are a threat to recount or we go to court. That is en- him. democracy. You are a threat to free and hon- tirely appropriate. These are just a few of the hundreds est elections. But what President Trump did was of Twitter statements that President Nine o’clock at night, Secretary’s different. What President Trump did Trump sent. And it wasn’t just Twitter family is inside; protestors have sur- was the polar opposite of what any of statements. rounded her home; and they are chant- us would do if we lost an election be- As you will see, he was dialing into ing that she is a felon. cause once the outcome is clear and a meetings, holding rallies, appearing on And, as we saw, when armed judge rules, we concede. We recognize television, continuing to spread the big protestors showed up to follow Presi- the will of the American people be- lie that his election victory was stolen. dent Trump’s direction to stop the cause we let the people decide. (Text of video presentation of 12–2- steal, this was not the first time that And that is what all of the courts, 2020.) President Trump’s supporters used the Justice Department, and the 50 President TRUMP. People that were dead threats and intimidation. States that had counted the votes— were signing up for ballots. Not only were they jumping in and putting in a ballot, but President Trump cannot say: I didn’t they said it was time for a peaceful dead people were requesting ballots, and know what I was inciting. From what transition of power because that is they were dead for years, and they were re- Manager CASTRO showed and what I what our Constitution and rule of law questing ballots. just showed, there was plenty of evi- demands.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.010 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S623 Except President Trump. He directed act of war—an act of war. That is how President Trump retweeted another all of the rage that he had incited to Donald Trump prepared his supporters of Ms. Kremer’s posts, which had all January 6. That was his last chance to for January 6. the details of January 6 with the same stop the peaceful transition of power. He even stated again, 14 minutes hashtags: ‘‘March For Trump,’’ ‘‘Do And that brings us to the attack. later, to make sure his supporters un- Not Certify,’’ ‘‘Stop The Steal.’’ And in Manager CASTRO told you the power of derstood: response, President Trump, he writes the lie—especially when the lie comes The ‘‘Justice’’ Department and the FBI back: from the most powerful person in the have done nothing about the 2020 Presi- I will be there. Historic day! world, the Commander in Chief. dential Election Voter Fraud, the biggest SCAM— Before Congress, I prosecuted violent It also helps if you spend millions of crimes in California as an Alameda dollars to amplify that lie. You will see All caps. —in our nation’s history, despite over- County deputy district attorney. And here, in mid-December, President when you investigate and prosecute Trump announced the release of ads, whelming evidence. They should be ashamed. And then he adds: violent crimes, you have to distin- including ones entitled ‘‘The Evidence guish: Was this a heat-of-passion History will remember. Never give up. See is Overwhelming—FRAUD!’’ ‘‘STOP crime? Or was it something more delib- THE STEAL.’’ everyone in D.C. on January 6th. That phrase, ‘‘History will remem- erate, planned, premeditated? He spent $50 million from his legal The evidence here on this count is defense fund on these ads to stop the ber,’’ was the only time—the first time—Donald Trump had used it in his overwhelming. President Trump’s con- steal and amplify his message. They duct leading up to January 6 was delib- were released nationally, played in Presidency, and he sent this to 70-plus million Twitter followers the day they erate, planned, and premeditated. This video ads, online advertising, and tar- was not one speech, not one tweet. It geted text messages. needed to show up and be ready to fight. was dozens in rapid succession with the They used the same words and specific details. He was acting as part phrases that President Trump had been On December 27, he reminds them again: of the host committee. In fact, when he spreading for months; that the election had assembled his inflamed mob in DC, was full of ‘‘fraud,’’ to ‘‘stop the steal.’’ Don’t miss it. Information to follow! A few days later, December 30, all he warned us that he knew what was But now they had a specific purpose. coming. How do we know that purpose? These caps, ‘‘SEE YOU IN DC!’’ This con- tinues all the way up to January 6. This was President Trump’s state- ads were designed to run all the way up ment the night before the attack—I to January 5, and then they stopped. On January 1, he states: The BIG Protest Rally in Washington . . . should say this was one of his dozens of This was purposeful and deliberate statements on Twitter in the hours planning to target his base to rally will take place at 11:00 A.M. . . . Locational details to follow. StopTheSteal! leading up to the attack: around that day. I hope the Democrats, and even more im- And it wasn’t just his ads. He contin- You will see that an hour later Presi- dent Trump retweeted one of his Twit- portantly, the weak and ineffective RINO ued to use his own platform. He told section of the Republican Party, are looking his supporters, who truly believed their ter followers. That follower was Kylie Kremer, executive director of Women at the thousands of people pouring into D.C. victory had been stolen and were ready They won’t stand for a landslide . . . victory to fight, when, where, and how to stop for America First, the group organizing to be stolen. @senatemajldr @JohnCornyn what he believed was a steal. the January 6 rally and the creator of @SenJohnThune. Donald Trump would issue a delib- the Facebook group, Stop the Steal. ‘‘Thousands of people pouring into erate call to action, and just like in his Kremer tweeted: ‘‘The [cavalry] is D.C. [who] won’t stand for the landslide coming, Mr. President!’’ referring to ads, that action was centered around election to be stolen’’—it is all right the cavalry showing up on January 6. January 6. there. And he tags Senators to pressure She also added a website for supporters On December 19, at 1:42 in the morn- you to stop this, and he warns all of us to RSVP and made clear what the mes- ing, our Commander in Chief tweeted: that his thousands of supporters, whom sage was: hashtag ‘‘Stop The Steal.’’ you will see that the FBI had warned Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be And what did President Trump say in there, will be wild! were armed and targeting the Capitol, response to hearing that the cavalry won’t stand for us certifying the re- ‘‘Will be wild!’’ We know why he was coming? ‘‘A great honor!’’ he wrote sults of the election. picked this day. It wasn’t random. It back. was his last chance to stop a peaceful This wasn’t just a single tweet. He This was never about one speech. He transition of power, and he gave his and his organizers would do this over built this mob over many months with supporters plenty of time to plan. and over repeatedly. On January 3, an- repeated messaging until they believed This was the save-the-date sent out other supporter tweets: that they had been robbed of their 18 days before the event on January 6, We have been marching all around the votes and they would do anything to and it wasn’t a casual one-off reference country for you Mr. President. Now we will stop the certification. He made them or a single invitation. bring it to DC on Jan 6 and PROUDLY stand believe that their victory was stolen For the next 18 days, Donald Trump beside you! Thank you for fighting for us. and incited them so he could use them would make sure to remind them over When President Trump reposted her to steal the election for himself. and over and over to show up on Janu- tweet, she wrote back: (Text of videotape presentation.) ary 6. BEST DAY EVER!!! Thank you . . . for the President TRUMP. This election was And he would tell them exactly what retweet! It has been an honor to stand up and rigged. he wanted them to do. fight for you and our nation. We will be Unidentified Speaker. This is tyranny On December 26, he tweets: standing strong on Jan 6th in DC with you! against the people of the United States, and We are bringing the [cavalry] Mr. President. we are not standing for it any more. If a Democrat Presidential Candidate had ‘‘We are bringing the cavalry.’’ That President TRUMP. If we don’t root out the an Election Rigged & Stolen, with proof of fraud—the tremendous and horrible fraud such acts at a level never seen before, the was the consistent message. This was that has taken place in our 2020 election, we Democrat Senators would consider it an act not just any old protest. President don’t have a country anymore. of war, and fight to the death. Mitch & the Trump was inciting something his- The Left lies. They cheat, and they steal. Republicans do NOTHING, just want to let it toric. The cavalry was coming, and he They are ruthless, and they are hell-bent on pass. NO FIGHT! was organized. getting power and control by any means nec- He is saying that the Republicans are In her post, Ms. Lawrence tagged essary. doing nothing and have no fight be- Kylie Kremer, the organizer of the (People chanting and screaming.) cause you are doing your job, taking on event, whose post we just saw Presi- (Police: ‘‘Move back. Move back.’’) the constitutional process of certifying (People chanting: ‘‘Stop the steal.’’) dent Trump retweet. Again, you see President TRUMP. Can’t let it happen. the electoral college results. this is all connected. (People chanting: ‘‘Stop the steal.’’) And he also suggests, President I won’t show you all the Twitter President TRUMP. The Democrats are try- Trump, that if this was the reverse and statements—and there are a lot—but ing to steal the White House. You cannot let the Democrats had lost, it would be an here’s one more. them.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.012 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S624 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 (People chanting: ‘‘Fight for Trump.’’) my solemn honor to be before you The Campaign’s claims have no merit. The ‘‘You can’t let it happen.’’ ‘‘Never today. number of ballots it specifically challenges concede.’’ ‘‘Fight,’’ he told them in I am MADELEINE DEAN, Congress- is far smaller than the roughly 81,000-vote woman from the Fourth Congressional margin of victory. And it never claims fraud speech after speech. These crowds were or that any of the votes were cast by illegal ready to fight. This is what President District of Pennsylvania. I am a law- voters. Plus, tossing out millions of mail-in Trump was inciting. He foresaw what yer. I am a former professor of writing. ballots would be drastic and unprecedented, was coming, and this is what he delib- I am a sister. I am a wife. I am a moth- disfranchising a huge swath of the electorate erately led to our doorstep on January er. I am a grandmother to three, with and upsetting all down-ballot races. 6. fourth on her way. I am a person of Similarly, as Judge Linda Parker of I want to be clear. During this trial, faith. And I am an American. the Eastern District of Michigan when we talk about the violent mob Along with Manager LIEU, I will framed it—she said: during the attack, we do not mean present the actions of a desperate [S]tunning in its scope and breathtaking in every American who showed up at President, and we will present evidence its reach. If granted, the relief would dis- President Trump’s rally. Certain Amer- today of a class of public servants who, enfranchise the votes of . . . more than 5.5 icans came to protest peacefully, as is standing up to enormous pressure from million Michigan citizens who, with dignity, [and] hope, and a promise of a [vote], partici- their right. That is what makes our the President of the United States, did the right thing and upheld their oaths. pated in the 2020 General Election. country so great—to debate freely, My colleagues just presented evi- Donald Trump told his supporters: openly, and peacefully our differences, dence of President Trump’s months- They are stealing the election. They just like all of you were attempting to long effort to incite his base, leading took away your vote. It is rigged. do in this very room on January 6. them to believe the election was sto- That was not true. According to But what President Trump did was len, that they needed to fight like hell judge after judge, the truth was ex- different. He didn’t tell his supporters to stop the steal on January 6. actly the opposite. to fight or be strong in a casual ref- These weren’t President Trump’s Trump was not suing to ensure elec- erence. He repeatedly, over months, only efforts to overturn the results. tion integrity; he was pursuing law- told them to fight for a specific pur- Manager LIEU and I will present evi- suits that would, in effect, strip away pose. He told them their victory was dence of President Trump’s relentless, American votes so that he could win. stolen, the election was rigged, and escalating campaign to fabricate an In other words, Donald Trump was ask- their patriotic duty was to fight to election victory by ignoring adverse ing the judiciary to take away votes stop the steal. And he repeated this court rulings, pressuring and threat- from Americans so that he could steal messaging even after he saw the vio- ening election officials, attacking Sen- the election for himself. lence it was inciting. And when they ators and Members of Congress, pres- Then, after losing in all the courts, were primed and angry and ready to suring the Justice Department, and fi- Trump turned to another tactic: pres- fight, he escalated and channeled their nally bullying his own Vice President. suring and threatening election offi- rage with a call to arms: Show up on President Trump and his allies filed cials. You saw what happened in Michi- January 6 at the exact time the votes 62 separate lawsuits in Federal courts gan after Trump attacked the State of the American people were being across more than half a dozen States and its election officials. His sup- counted and certified, and then march and the District of Columbia, including porters surrounded the secretary of to the Capitol, and ‘‘fight like hell.’’ He Pennsylvania, my home State, as well state’s home, as you saw in the earlier told this to thousands of people who as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Min- slide, chanting, calling her a felon. were armed to the teeth, targeting us nesota, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Of the On November 17, the Board of Can- and determined to stop the electoral 62 postelection legal challenges, he lost vassers for Wayne County, MI, home to college count. 61. Only one was successful, and that Detroit, unanimously certified the What our Commander in Chief did case involved ballot curing in Pennsyl- election results for Biden. That same was wildly different from what anyone vania and had no impact on President night, after their vote to certify the re- here in this room did to raise election Biden’s 80,555-vote victory in our Com- sults, Trump called the two Republican concerns. This was a deliberate, pre- monwealth. members of that board, pressuring meditated incitement to his base to at- To be clear, not a single court, not a them to change their minds. The call tack our Capitol while the counting single judge agreed that the election worked. The next day, both Monica was going on. And it was foreseeable, results were invalid or should be invali- Palmer and William Heartmann, the especially to President Trump, who dated. Instead, court after court re- Republican board members, attempted warned us he knew what was coming. viewing these challenges said these to rescind their vote to certify Michi- This is what the evidence has over- cases were ‘‘not credible,’’ ‘‘without gan’s election results, but they simply whelmingly shown and will show in merit,’’ ‘‘based on nothing but specula- couldn’t. this trial, and it is also the truth. tion,’’ and ‘‘flat out wrong.’’ President Trump didn’t stop there. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The The judiciary resoundingly rejected He then contacted majority leader of majority leader. Trump’s fraud allegations and upheld the Michigan Senate, Mike Shirkey, the election results, but it was more and the speaker of the Michigan House, RECESS than that. The court said these cases Lee Chatfield, to lobby them to over- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask were different; they were dangerous to turn Michigan’s results. Trump invited unanimous consent that the Senate re- our democracy. For an example, in an Mr. Chatfield and Mr. Shirkey to Wash- cess for a 15-minute break. opinion by United States District ington to meet with him at the White There being no objection, at 1:39 Court Judge Matthew Brann from House, where the President lobbied p.m., the Senate, sitting as a Court of Pennsylvania, he said: them further. Impeachment, recessed until 2:04 p.m., [T]his Court has been presented with Let’s be clear. Donald Trump was whereupon the Senate reassembled strained legal arguments without merit and calling officials, hosting them at the when called to order by the President speculative accusations. . . . In the United White House, urging them to defy the pro tempore. States of America, this cannot justify the voters in their State and instead award MANAGERS’ PRESENTATION—CONTINUED disenfranchisement of a single voter, let votes to Trump. The officials held The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Mr. alone all the voters of its sixth most popu- strong, and so Trump moved on to a lated state. Our people, [and] laws, and insti- RASKIN. tutions demand more. different State, my home State of Mr. Manager RASKIN. Thank you, Because this Court has no authority to Pennsylvania. I am certain my Sen- Mr. President. take away the right to vote of even a single ators, CASEY and TOOMEY, remember My colleagues MADELEINE DEAN and person, let alone millions of citizens, it can- what happened there. TED LIEU will now detail former Presi- not grant Plaintiff’s requested relief. In early December, as he did in dent Trump’s increasingly desperate That decision by Judge Brann was af- Michigan, he began calling election of- attempts to stop the steal. firmed on appeal by Judge Stephanos ficials, including my former colleagues Ms. Manager DEAN. Mr. President, Bibas, a Trump appointee who agreed in the Pennsylvania Legislature, Re- esteemed Members of the Senate, it is and wrote: publicans, Majority Leader Kim Ward

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.014 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S625 and Speaker of the House Bryan Cut- But he also noted: Someone’s going to get hurt, someone’s ler. Majority Leader Ward said the Elections are the bedrock of our democ- going to get shot, someone’s going to get President called her to ‘‘declare there racy. They need to be run fairly and, perhaps killed. was a fraud in the voting.’’ more [importantly], impartially. That’s not Mr. Sterling saw what Trump’s con- Then, on November 25, President partisan. That’s just American. duct was fomenting. He warned him on Trump phoned in to a Republican State It is important to remember that live TV that violence was already hap- senate policy hearing, trying to con- this wasn’t just a random attack. pening and that more violence was vince the Republican legislators, sen- Trump wasn’t just criticizing a politi- foreseeable and inevitable. Sterling’s ators, and house members that there cian over policy or saying he didn’t pleas were played over and over on had been a fraud in the vote. He even agree. Donald Trump was savagely at- every network. had his lawyer hold a phone up to the tacking a secretary of state because Rather than heed that warning, microphone in that hearing room so the official did his job and certified the Trump escalated again. In early De- the committee could hear him. Here is State according to how the people in cember, Trump called Brian Kemp, the what he said: that State voted. Governor of Georgia, and pressured (Text of audio presentation.) Donald Trump was trying to under- him to hold a special session of the President TRUMP. We can’t let that hap- mine our elections by taking votes State legislature to overturn the elec- pen. We can’t let it happen for our country. away from the American people so that tion results and to appoint electors And this election has to be turned around be- he could remain President, and he was who would vote for Trump. cause we won Pennsylvania by a lot, and we A few weeks later, on December 23, won all of these swing States by a lot. willing to blame and betray anyone— anyone—even his own supporters, if Trump called the chief investigator for This was a gathering—I have at- the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, tended many, I have to tell you, as a they got in the way. Remember, Sen- ators, those threats were to Mr. who was conducting an audit, an audit former State legislator, a lot of policy of the signature-matching procedures hearings. I have to say with some con- Raffensperger’s family. So some may say Trump didn’t know for absentee ballots. Trump urged him, fidence, that was likely the first time a ‘‘[F]ind the fraud,’’ and claimed the of- President of the United States of his attacks against Mr. Raffensperger would result in death threats—except ficial would be a ‘‘national hero’’ if he America called in to a State legislative did. policy hearing. that all of this was very public. The secretary published his op-ed in USA Let’s call this what it is. He was ask- And, remember, here is the President ing the official to say there was evi- saying he won Pennsylvania, and Penn- TODAY, and major networks, including dence of fraud when there wasn’t any. sylvania had been certified, that Biden FOX, covered the threats against the The official refused, and the investiga- had won by more than 80,000 votes. Raffenspergers. Less than a week after calling in to What did Trump do? Did he stop? Did tion was completed. And on December that meeting, he invited multiple Re- he say: No, no, supporters; that isn’t 29, Raffensperger announced that the publican members of the Pennsylvania what I meant? No. He doubled down. audit found ‘‘no fraudulent absentee Legislature to the White House—the Let’s see the evidence. ballots’’ with a ‘‘99 percent confidence’’ same scheme he had used on the Michi- (Text of audio presentation of 11–26– level. On January 3, Trump tweeted about a gan legislators. It didn’t work with 2020.) call he had with Georgia election offi- those public servants either. President TRUMP. This was a massive Think about it. The President of the fraud. This should never take place in this cials the day before. He said: United States was calling public offi- country. We’re like a third world country. I spoke to Secretary of State Brad cials, calling from the White House, in- Look at—look at Georgia. But I understand Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton Coun- the secretary of state who is really, uh, uh, ty and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwill- viting them into the Oval Office, tell- ing, or unable, to answer questions such as ing them to disenfranchise voters of he’s an enemy of the people. The secretary of state—and whether he’s Republican or not, the ‘‘ballots under the table’’ scam, ballot their State, telling them to overturn this man, what he’s done. destruction, out of state ‘‘voters’’, dead vot- the will of the American people. All so . . . this character in Georgia, who is a dis- ers, and more. He has no clue! he could take the election for himself. aster. On January 5, the Washington Post And then in Georgia, a State Trump Let that sink in. A Republican public released a recording of that call which had counted on for victory, his conduct servant doing his job, whose family had had occurred on January 2—remember, was perhaps the most egregious. On just received death threats, and the just 4 days before the attack on the November 11, Republican Secretary of President of the United States labeled Capitol. Here is what President Trump State Brad Raffensperger confirmed him ‘‘an enemy of the people.’’ said: that he believed ballots were accu- And that is why this is different, be- (Text of audio presentation of 1–2– rately counted for Biden. 2021.) Trump went on a relentless attack. cause this was not just one attack or Here are just a few examples. In all, one comment. This was attack after at- President TRUMP. It’s more illegal for you tack in the face of clear threats of vio- than it is for them because you know what Trump tweeted at Raffensperger 17 they did and you’re not reporting it. That’s times in the coming weeks—there are lence. And on December 1, another official, the—you know, that’s a criminal—that’s a just a few—calling him a ‘‘disaster,’’ criminal offense. And you know, you can’t ‘‘obstinate,’’ not having a clue, being Gabriel Sterling, a Republican who let that happen. That’s—that’s a big risk to played for a fool, and being a ‘‘so-called voted for Trump, made this point and you and to Ryan, your lawyer. That’s a big Republican,’’ all because Raffensperger appealed directly to our President to risk. was doing his job, ensuring the integ- stop his dangerous conduct: Let’s be clear. This is the President rity of our elections. (Text of audio presentation 12–1–20.) of the United States telling a secretary And these attacks had consequences. Mr. STERLING. Mr. President, it looks of state that if he does not find votes, Mr. Raffensperger and his family re- like you likely lost the State of Georgia. he will face criminal penalties—and ceived death threats: We’re investigating. There’s always a possi- not just any number of votes. Donald bility—I get it—and you have the right to go Your husband deserves to face a firing through the courts. What you don’t have the Trump was asking the secretary of squad. ability to do—and you need to step up and state to somehow find the exact num- You better not botch this recount. Your ber of votes Donald Trump lost the life depends [upon] it. say this—is stop inspiring people to commit The Raffenspergers should be put on trial potential acts of violence. Someone’s going State by. for treason and face execution. to get hurt, someone’s going to get shot, Remember, President Biden won Just some of the threats they re- someone’s going to get killed. Georgia by 11,779 votes. In his own ceived. After these death threats, on Mr. Sterling put this perfectly. In words, Trump said: November 25, Mr. Raffensperger wrote this country, we can appropriately All I want to do is this. I just want to find an op-ed, where he said: challenge a close count or go to the 11,780 votes. My family voted for [Trump], donated to courts or disagree with others or make He wanted the secretary of state to him and are now being thrown under the bus bold statements, but what Trump was somehow find the precise number, plus by him. doing was different. one, so that he could win.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.016 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S626 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 Here is what he said. and Republican Senators,’’ telling Trump also pressured our Justice De- (Text of audio presentation of 1–2–21.) them they ‘‘have to get tougher’’ or partment to investigate the false President TRUMP. So, look, all I want to they ‘‘won’t have a Republican Party claims that the election was stolen. At do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, anymore. We won the Presidential the President’s direction, Attorney which is one more than we have. Election, by a lot. FIGHT FOR IT. General William Barr, a loyal member He says it right there, the President Don’t let them take it away!’’ of the President’s Cabinet, authorized of the United States, telling a public President Trump was suggesting to Federal prosecutors to pursue ‘‘sub- official to manufacture the exact votes Members of this Senate that if they stantial allegations of voting and vote needed so he can win. didn’t help him try to overturn the tabulation irregularities.’’ Senators, we must not become numb election, there would be consequences. Bill Barr pursuing these allegations to this. Trump did this across State On December 24, President Trump sparked an outcry. Sixteen assistant after State, so often, so loudly, so pub- wrote: U.S. attorneys in the Trump adminis- licly. Public officials like you and me I saved at least 8 Republican Senators, in- tration urged the Attorney General to received death threats and calls threat- cluding Mitch, from losing in the last Rigged cease investigations because they had ening criminal penalties, all because (for President) Election. Now they (almost not seen evidence of any substantial Trump wanted to remain in power. all) sit back and watch me fight against a anomalies. That means they did not These public officials exercised great crooked and vicious foe, the Radical Left find any evidence of real fraud. political and personal courage in the Democrats. I will— Attorney General Barr pursued the face of unprecedented pressure from a And in all capital letters he wrote— investigation anyway, and after his in- President of the United States. NEVER FORGET! vestigation, this is what he found: Senators, ours is a dialogue with his- President Trump was telling you [W]e have not seen fraud on a scale that tory, a conversation with the past, that you owe him; that if you don’t could have effected a different outcome in with a hope for the future. help him fight to overturn the results, the election. Senators, I thank you today for your he will never forget and that there will Two weeks later, on December 14, the kind attention. be consequences. These are threats, electors voted to give Joe Biden 306 Mr. Manager LIEU. Good afternoon. I just like the threats he made to State electoral votes and ensured his victory. am Congressman TED LIEU. My col- and local officials. The following day, Bill Barr resigned. league Congresswoman DEAN went And it continued. On December 29, Attorney General Barr had loyally through President Trump’s efforts to President Trump tweeted: served President Trump. He had never overturn the election through the publicly come out against the Presi- courts and, when that started failing, Can you imagine if the Republicans stole a Presidential Election from the Democrats— dent. But for Bill Barr, making up elec- his deeply disturbing attacks on State All hell would break out. Republican leader- tion fraud claims and saying the elec- and local officials. ship only wants the path of least resistance. tion was stolen was a bridge too far. I am going to walk through President Our leaders (not me, of course!) are pathetic. Bill Barr made clear that attempting Trump’s extraordinary efforts remain- They only know how to lose! P.S. I got to overturn election results crossed a ing until January 6, when he tried MANY Senators and Congressmen/Congress- line. According to a news report, Bill again to overturn the election. women Elected. I do believe they forgot! Barr, the highest law enforcement offi- I first want to highlight Representa- President Trump targeted Senators cial in the land, told President Donald tive RASKIN’s question to all of you and Members of Congress on social Trump to his face that his theories of today: Is this America? media, calling them pathetic for let- election fraud were ‘‘bullshit.’’ Like all of you, I love this country. I ting the election get ‘‘stolen’’ from When Bill Barr resigned, his former am an immigrant. My parents came to them. Deputy, Jeff Rosen, took his place. Ohio, and we started off living in the On January 4, 2 days before the at- President Trump initially tweeted basement of a person’s home. We were tack, President Trump tweeted: about Mr. Rosen that he was ‘‘an out- poor, and they went to flea markets to The ‘‘Surrender Caucus’’ within the Repub- standing person’’ when he announced sell gifts to make ends meet. Over lican Party will go down in infamy as weak that he would become Acting Attorney many years, they built a small busi- and ineffective ‘‘guardians’’ of our Nation, General, but when Rosen took over, ness, opened six gift stores, and who were willing to accept the certification President Trump put the same pressure achieved the American dream. of fraudulent presidential numbers! on him that he had done with State of- That is one reason I joined the Now he is mocking some Republican ficials and Members of Congress, U.S. United States Air Force on Active Members as the ‘‘Surrender Caucus,’’ Senators, and his former Attorney Duty. I believe America is an excep- calling them ‘‘weak and ineffective General. tional country. I was trained as a pros- guardians of our Nation’’ because they President Trump reportedly sum- ecutor at Maxwell Air Force Base in would not pretend that he had won moned Acting Attorney General Rosen Alabama, and I remain in the Reserves when, in fact, he had not. to the Oval Office the next day and because we are the greatest country in And then, the very day before the at- pressured Rosen to appoint special the world. tack, President Trump’s threats were counsels to keep investigating the elec- But how did our exceptional country even more heated and specific toward tion, including unfounded accusations get to the point where a violent mob Republicans that he considered to be of widespread voter fraud, and also to attacked our Capitol, murdering a po- part of that ‘‘Surrender Caucus.’’ investigate Dominion, the voting ma- lice officer, assaulting over 140 other Now, we have shown you this tweet chines firm. officers? How did we get to the point before, but I want to draw your atten- According to reports, Mr. Rosen re- where rioters desecrated, defiled, and tion to how the President was not just fused. He maintained that he would dishonored your Senate Chamber, inciting his base but how he was also make decisions based on the facts and where the very place in which you sit calling out specific Senate Republicans the law and reminded President Trump became a crime scene, and where Na- at the end of this tweet. This is a spe- what he had already been told by At- tional Guard troops still patrol outside cific warning to anyone who won’t help torney General Bill Barr—that the De- wearing body armor? him overturn the results. Anyone who partment had already investigated and I will show you how we got here. was against the President became an ‘‘found no evidence of widespread President Donald J. Trump ran out of enemy. fraud.’’ But President Trump refused to nonviolent options to maintain power. And let me be very clear. The Presi- follow the facts and the law, so the After his efforts in courts and threat- dent wasn’t just coming for one or two President turned to someone he knew ening officials failed, he turned to pri- people or Democrats like me; he was would do his bidding. He turned to Jef- vately and publicly attacking Members coming for you, for Democratic and Re- frey Clark, another Justice Depart- of his own party in the House and in publican Senators. He was coming for ment lawyer, who had allegedly ex- the Senate. He would publicly bait Sen- all of us, just as the mob did at his di- pressed support for using the Depart- ators, naming them in social media. rection. ment of Justice to investigate the elec- For example, on December 18, Presi- In addition to going after Senators tion results. Shortly after Acting At- dent Trump named ‘‘@senatemajldr and Members of Congress, President torney General Rosen followed his

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.017 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S627 duty—and the law—to refuse to reopen Privately, in person, before Pence threat of violence on January 6 and investigations, President Trump in- headed to oversee the joint session on how he welcomed and amplified his tended to replace Mr. Rosen with Mr. January 6, President Trump again supporters’ plans for insurrection Clark, who could then try to stop Con- threatened Pence. ‘‘You can either go against the Union. gress from certifying the electoral col- down in history as a patriot,’’ Mr. I should say as lead manager, this is lege results. Trump told him, according to two peo- a moment of special pride for me be- According to reports, White House ple briefed on the conversation, ‘‘or cause Representative PLASKETT is not Counsel Pat Cipollone advised Presi- you can go down in history as a pussy.’’ only the first delegate ever to be on a dent Trump not to fire Acting Attor- As a veteran, I find it deeply dishon- team of impeachment managers in ney General Rosen. Department offi- orable that our former President and American history, but she was also my cials had also threatened to resign en Commander in Chief equated patriot- law student at American University masse if he had fired Rosen. ism with violating the Constitution Washington College of Law. I hope I am President Trump’s actions time and and overturning the election. not violating any Federal educational time again made clear that he would do You will see and hear the con- records laws when I say she was an A- anything and pressure anyone if it sequences of President Trump’s re- student then, and she is an A-plus stu- meant overturning the election results. peated attacks on the Vice President, dent now. We watched President Trump use any the chants of ‘‘Traitor’’ and the chants STACEY. means necessary to pursue this aim, fe- of ‘‘Hang Mike Pence.’’ Ms. Manager PLASKETT. Thank you verishly grasping for straws at retain- Thankfully, Vice President Mike so much. ing his hold on the Presidency, but all Pence stood his ground, like our other Hi. Mr. President, distinguished Sen- brave officials stood their ground. He his efforts prior to January 6 kept fail- ators, I am STACEY PLASKETT, and I ing. refused the President and fulfilled his represent the people of the Virgin Is- Finally, in his desperation, he turned duty on January 6. Even after the Cap- lands of the United States. itol was attacked, even after he was on his own Vice President. He pres- Over this past weekend, my 11-year- personally targeted, even after his fam- sured Mike Pence to violate his con- old daughter—I overheard her telling ily was targeted, Vice President Pence stitutional oath and to refuse to cer- one of my sons: Mommy doesn’t seem stood strong and certified the election. tify the vote. President Trump had de- really nervous about the impeachment Vice President Pence showed us what cided that Vice President Pence, who trial, to which that son, sounding like it means to be an American, what it presided over the certification, could an older brother, said: Taliah, you will means to show courage. He put his somehow stop it. learn that most of the time, Mommy country, his oath, his values, and his As Pence later confirmed, the Vice really seems to have it under control. President does not have that power in morals above the will of one man. We know as parents that is not al- the Constitution. And President Trump The President had tried everything ways the case, but I have learned never tried to explain why he thought in his power to seize the—everything in throughout my life that preparation the Vice President could block the cer- his attempt to seize power from the and truth can carry far, can allow you tification of the election results; he rightful victor of the election. Presi- to speak truth to power. I have learned just began relentlessly attacking the dent Trump’s extraordinary actions that as a young Black girl growing up Vice President. grew increasingly more desperate. You in the projects in Brooklyn, a housing Publicly, President Trump attacked saw him go from pursuing claims in the community on St. Croix, sent to the Pence on social media and at rallies, courts to threatening State and local most unlikeliest of settings, and now, getting his supporters to believe that election officials, to then attacking as an adult woman representing an is- Mike Pence could stop the certification Members of Congress in the Senate, to land territory, speaking to the U.S. on January 6. Here is what President compromising our Justice Department, Senate. And because of truth, I am con- Trump said in Georgia on January 4. and then to attacking the Republican fident today speaking before you be- (Text of video presentation of 1–4– Vice President. cause truth and fact are overwhelming 2021.) These great public servants were being pressured by our Commander in that our President, the President of President TRUMP. And I hope Mike Pence the United States, incited a mob to comes through for us, I have to tell you. I Chief to overturn the results. Some of hope that our great Vice-President, our them and their families got death storm the Capitol to attempt to stop great Vice-President comes through for us. threats. Thankfully, at every turn, our the certification of a Presidential elec- He’s a great guy. Of course, if he doesn’t democratic processes prevailed, and tion. come through, I won’t like him quite as the rule of law prevailed. It is only be- My fellow managers have shown and much. cause all of these people stayed strong will continue to show clear evidence Behind closed doors, President and refused President Trump that our that President Trump incited a violent Trump applied significant pressure to Republic held fast and the will of the mob to storm our Capitol when he ran his second-in-command. Multiple re- electorate was seen through. And at out of nonviolent means to stop the ports confirmed that President Trump this point, President Donald J. Trump election. Once assembled, that mob, at used his personal attorneys and other ran out of nonviolent options to main- the President’s direction, erupted into officials to pressure the Vice President. tain power. the bloodiest attack on this Capitol Trump reportedly told almost anyone I began today by raising the question since 1814. who called him to also call the Vice of how we got here. What you saw was Some of you have said there is no President. According to reports, when a man so desperate to cling to power way the President could have known Mike Pence was in the Oval Office, that he tried everything he could to how violent the mob would be. That is President Trump would call people to keep it, and when he ran out of non- false because the violence—it was fore- try to get them to convince the Vice violent measures, he turned to the vio- seeable. I want to show you why this President to help him. lent mob that attacked your Senate violence was foreseeable and why Don- And President Trump kept repeating Chamber on January 6. ald Trump was different than any other the myth that Pence could stop the As you cast your vote after this trial, politician just telling their fighters, certification to his base to anger them, I hope each of you will think of the their supporters to fight for something. hoping to intimidate MIKE PENCE. bravery of all of these people who said The violence that occurred on Janu- On the morning of the rally on Janu- no to President Trump because they ary 6, like the attack itself, did not ary 6, President Trump tweeted: knew that this was not right, that this just appear. You will see that Donald All Mike Pence has to do is send them was not America. Trump knew the people he was incit- back to the States, AND WE WIN. Do it Mr. Manager RASKIN. Next, Rep- ing, he saw the violence that they were Mike, this is a time for extreme courage! resentative STACEY PLASKETT of the capable of, and he had a pattern and President Trump later went on to at- Virgin Islands will show in quite practice of praising and encouraging tack Pence nearly a dozen times in his chilling detail, I should say, how Presi- that violence, never ever condemning speech at the Save America March. dent Trump was well aware of the it.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.019 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S628 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 And you will see that this violent at- asked specifically if he was willing to Biden-Harris campaign bus as they tack was not planned in secret. The in- condemn White supremacy and militia were traveling down Interstate 35 from surgents believed that they were doing groups, if he was willing to tell them to San Antonio to Austin. the duty of their President. They were stand down and stop the violence. Let’s (Video presentation.) following his orders. And so they pub- watch. According to witnesses, this caravan licized openly, loudly, proudly exact (Text of video presentation.) repeatedly tried to force the bus you blueprints of how the attack would be Mr. WALLACE. Are you willing tonight to saw and you see in that video to slow made. condemn White supremacists and militia down in the middle of the highway and Law enforcement saw these postings groups— then to run it off the road. What that and reported that these insurgents President TRUMP. Sure. video you just saw does not show is would violently attack the Capitol Mr. WALLACE. And to say that they need that the bus that they tried to run off itself. This was months of cultivating a to stand down and not add to the violence at the road was filled with young cam- a number of these cities as we saw in Keno- paign staff, volunteers, supporters, sur- base of people who were violent, prais- sha and as we’ve seen in Portland? ing that violence, then leading that vi- President TRUMP. Sure. I’m willing to do rogates—people. olence—that rage—straight at our that. As the Trump supporters closed in on door. Mr. WALLACE. Will you say that specifi- the bus, a large black pickup truck The point is this: By the time he cally? adorned with Trump flags suddenly and called the cavalry of his thousands of President TRUMP. I would say— intentionally swerved and crashed into supporters on January 6, at an event he Mr. WALLACE. Then go ahead, sir. Do it. a car driven by a Biden-Harris volun- had invited them to, he had every rea- Say it. teer. News of the event went viral on son to know that they were armed, President TRUMP. I would say— social media. The President of the that they were violent, and that they Let’s hear now the President’s re- United States, in a campaign, saw his would actually fight. He knew who he sponse. own supporters trying to run a bus car- was calling and the violence they were (Text of video presentation.) rying his opponents’ campaign workers capable of, and he still gave the march- Mr. Chris WALLACE. Do it, sir. Say it. Do off the highway, to physically intimi- ing orders to go to the Capitol and it. date people in this country cam- ‘‘Fight like hell’’ to ‘‘Stop the Steal.’’ President TRUMP. Say it. Do it. Say it. paigning. Make no mistake, the violence was You want to call them—what do you want to Here was his response the next day. call them? Give me a name. Give me a name. (Text of video presentation.) not just foreseeable to President Go ahead. Trump; the violence was what he delib- Three, two, one, go! Mr. Chris WALLACE. White supremacists Welcome to the Red Kingdom. erately encouraged. As early as Sep- and White proud— Yeah. tember, Trump set the precedent that, President TRUMP. Who do you want me to Red Kingdom. when asked to denounce violence, he condemn? Proud Boys, stand back and stand Welcome to the Red Kingdom. would do the opposite and encourage it. by. Yeah. Now, if the President had only said Red Kingdom. When asked to condemn the Proud Welcome to the place where we run it. something once about fighting to stop Boys and White supremacists, what did The President of the United States the steal, and violence erupted, there our President say? He said: tweeted a video of his supporters try- would be no way to know he intended Stand back and stand by. to incite it or saw it coming. But just ing to drive a bus off of the road. You His message was heard loud and will recall in that first video that I as the President spent months spread- clear. The group adopted that phrase, ing his big lie of the election, he also showed you there was no sound. Well, ‘‘Stand back and stand by’’ as their of- the one that he tweeted had a fight spent months cultivating groups of ficial slogan. They created merchan- people who, following his command, re- theme song placed to it that the Presi- dise with their new slogan, which they dent—the President—put that music to peatedly engaged in real, dangerous vi- wore proudly across their backs at olence. And when they did, when the that video and he added at the top: ‘‘I Trump’s rallies and they followed the LOVE TEXAS!’’ violence erupted as a response to his President’s orders. calls to fight against the stolen elec- By the next evening, that tweet that You will see more about this later in he did had been viewed 12.6 million tion, he did not walk it back. He did the trial, but you will see in these not tell them no. He did the opposite— times. And it wasn’t just the tweet. photos to the left, Dominic Pezzola, On November 1, at a Michigan rally the opposite. He praised and encour- and to the right, William Pepe, two of with a sea of supporters, the President aged the violence so that it would con- the leaders of the group heading to the talked about that incident again. Here tinue. He fanned the flame of violence Capitol on January 6. They were later it is. and it worked. charged with working together to ob- You will see this over time. These President TRUMP. You see the way our struct law enforcement. people, you know, they were protecting his very groups and individuals whose vio- As we go through this evidence, I bus yesterday because they’re nice. So his lence the President praised helped lead want you to keep in mind these words bus—they had hundreds of cars, ‘‘Trump,’’ the attack on January 6. And that is by President Trump when asked to ‘‘Trump,’’ ‘‘Trump,’’ ‘‘Trump’’ and the Amer- how we know clearly that President condemn violence: ican flag. You see ‘‘Trump’’ and the Amer- Trump deliberately incited this and ican flag. how we know he saw it coming. Stand back and stand by. The President made a public joke of There are many examples where the And see example after example of the violence against campaigners in an President engaged in this pattern. I am kinds of people, like the Proud Boys, American election. He made light of it. just going to walk you through a few of who he had standing by on January 6. This was not a joke. In fact, it was so them. By October, as my colleagues Mr. violent, it put so many people in Let’s start with President Trump’s CASTRO and Mr. SWALWELL showed you, harm’s way that the FBI investigated incitement of the Proud Boys. Many of Donald Trump was escalating his big the incident and the criminal responsi- you have heard of this group, which lie that the only way he could lose the bility of those who attacked these cam- since 2018 has been classified by the election was if it was rigged. So as paign workers. FBI as an extremist organization. election day neared, his supporters Now, our President, Donald Trump, Since that classification, the group has were frustrated and they were angry. could have said: OK, I didn’t realize repeatedly engaged in serious acts of They were prepared to ensure his vic- how bad that was. This was very vio- violence, including at pro-Trump ral- tory by any means necessary. lent. Please stop. lies. In one such act on September 7, One of these violent acts was on Oc- But he didn’t. He saw the investiga- the Proud Boys attacked a man with a tober 30. Sometime after 12:30 p.m., a tion and made a statement in defense baseball bat and then punched him caravan of more than 50 trucks covered of his supporters’ attack on the bus while he was down on the ground. in pro-Trump campaign gear con- writing: On September 29, during a Presi- fronted and surrounded cars carrying In my opinion, these patriots did nothing dential debate, President Trump was Biden-Harris campaign workers and a wrong.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.020 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S629 Engaging in violence for him made Mr. FUENTES. And as we gather here in later, Women for America First amend- them patriots to Donald Trump. For Washington, DC, for a second Million MAGA ed their permit to hold their rally on anyone who says Donald Trump didn’t March, we’re done making promises. It has January 6, pursuant to the President’s know the violence he was inciting, I to happen now. We are going to destroy the save the date, instead of after the inau- GOP! ask you to consider his supporters (People chanting: Yeah. Yeah. Let’s go. guration. This was deliberate. tried to drive a bus off a highway in Let’s go. Destroy the GOP. Destroy the GOP. Reports confirm that the President the middle of the day to intimidate his Destroy the GOP.) himself, President Trump, became di- opponents’ campaign workers, and his Those words—that was Trump’s mes- rectly involved with the planning of response was to tweet the video of the sage: Destroy anyone who won’t listen, the event, including the speaking line- incident that had fight music, joke who won’t help them take the election up and even the music to be played, about it, and call those individuals in for Trump. just as he chose the music of his that incident patriots. And, as you will see, this was just the retweet of the caravan, driving the And once again, Donald Trump’s preview for Fuentes, who, like the Biden-Harris bus off the road, with a praise worked to incite them further. Proud Boys and the Trump caravan or- fight song. Emboldened by that praise, they re- ganizers, would later heed the Presi- He brought in the same people who mained ready to fight, ready to ‘‘Stand dent’s call and come to Washington spoke at the second Million MAGA back and stand by.’’ This link is not and be there on January 6. rally to help as well. Trump’s cam- hypothetical. Later in the rally, a former Trump paign adviser, Katrina Pierson, who Just like we saw the Proud Boys campaign spokeswoman, Katrina Pier- you will recall said on December 12 showing up in full force on January 6, son, also spoke. that this is only the beginning—‘‘we Donald Trump’s encouragement of this During her speech, she stated: ‘‘This are the cavalry’’—also became directly attack made sure his supporters were isn’t over. This is just beginning,’’ re- involved in planning the event. They ready for the next one. The caravan ferring to the fight to stop the steal. even sent out invitations together. bus attack had been organized by a Then she added: This is Amy Kremer, one of the Founders of Women for America First, Trump supporter named Keith Lee. We knew that both Republican and Demo- Leading up to the attack on our Cap- crats were against we the people. We are the tweeting the invitation, tagging Don- itol of January 6, Mr. Lee teamed up cavalry. No one’s coming for us. ald Trump and other organizers, invit- ing the same supporters who had just with other supporters to fundraise to It is clear that Trump and some of engaged in serious violence at the sec- help to bring people to Washington, his supporters saw this as war—a fight ond Million MAGA rally to show up to DC, for that date. against anyone who was unwilling to the largest rally to stop the steal. The morning of the attack, he filmed do whatever it took to keep Donald President Trump seemed to have other footage of the Capitol, pointed out the Trump in power. ‘‘We are the cavalry.’’ plans for what was going to happen at flimsiness of the fencing, and then ad- President Trump continued to rein- that rally too. dressed his supporters before the at- force the support of these messages Women for America First had ini- tack, saying: throughout the day. At 1:48 p.m., after tially planned for the rally goers to re- As soon as you all get done hearing the both speeches, he retweeted his Deputy main at the Ellipse until the counting President, y’all get to the Capitol, we need Chief of Staff’s tweet, showing his of the State electoral slates was com- to surround this place. crowd that he had flown over on Ma- pleted, just like they had remained at During the attack, he used the bull- rine One, and he tweeted: the Freedom Plaza after the second horn to call out for the mob to rush in. Thank you, Patriots. He later went to the Rotunda, himself, Million MAGA March. In fact, the per- and then back outside to urge the These people were, as you can see, mit stated, in no uncertain terms, that crowd to come inside. These are the gathered en masse and being told by the march from the Ellipse was not people that President Trump cul- the President’s allies that their elec- permitted. It was not until after Presi- tivated, who were standing by. tion had been stolen, and they were dent Trump and his team became in- I would like to look at another exam- told they were the cavalry; that no one volved in the planning that the march ple. After the election on December 12, else could do it. from the Ellipse to the Capitol came Trump supporters gathered in mass to After hearing these speeches and see- about in direct contravention of the protest the ‘‘stolen’’ election in DC. It ing the President’s support, this is original permit. This was not a coinci- was billed by his loyalists as the sec- what Donald Trump’s cavalry was ca- dence. None of this was. ond Million MAGA March. The rally pable of. Donald Trump, over many months, was organized by Women for America (Video footage of 12–12–2020.) cultivated violence, praised it, and First, the same group that you will see What you just saw was the violence then, when he saw the violence his sup- later secured the permit for the Janu- that ensued after that rally. porters were capable of, he channeled it ary 6 rally. And who else was there? The Proud Boys, after that rally, en- to his big, wild, historic event. He or- The Proud Boys, standing by. gaged in serious acts of violence in ganized January 6 with the same peo- Donald Trump did not attend that downtown DC. Some Trump supporters ple who had just organized the rally re- rally, but he made sure to make clear and self-identified Proud Boys vandal- sulting in substantial violence, and he to his supporters, throughout the day, ized churches after that rally. made absolutely sure, this time, these how he felt about the event. At 8:47 If we look at these events, it is clear violent rally-goers wouldn’t just re- a.m., he sent out a tweet: how we got here because what did the main in place. He made sure that those WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT!!! President do after that? He turned violent people would literally march right around, and a little over a week right here, to our steps, from the El- And then the rally began. And Don- later, he began coordinating the Janu- lipse to the Capitol, to stop the steal— ald Trump’s allies who spoke at the ary 6 Save America rally with the same his cavalry. This was deliberate. rally carried on his message of the sto- people who had planned the second Mil- Because the President of the United len election and the importance of lion MAGA March. States incited this, because he was or- fighting to stop the steal. You will recall that the Women for chestrating this, because he was invit- Here is Nicholas Fuentes, a commen- America First had organized that sec- ing them, the insurgents were not shy tator who had organized a ‘‘stop the ond Million MAGA March. They had about their planning. They believed steal rally’’ in Michigan with Trump originally planned rallies for January they were following the orders of the supporters. 22 and January 23, after the inaugura- Commander in Chief. They were, as (Text of video presentation.) tion, but Donald Trump had other with the tweet we just saw, quite lit- Mr. FUENTES. In the first Million MAGA plans. On December 19, President erally, his cavalry. So they posted March, we promised that if the GOP would not do everything in their power to keep Trump tweeted his save the date for exact blueprints of the attack openly, Trump in office that we would destroy the January 6. He told his supporters to loudly, proudly, and they did this all GOP. come to DC for a ‘‘big protest’’ that over public forums. They were not just (People chanting: Yeah. GOP.) day, billing it as ‘‘wild.’’ Just days hidden posts on dark websites that

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.022 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S630 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 Trump would not have seen. Quite the What? They treated it as a war, and erupt with violent threats ahead of opposite. We know that President they meant it. Wednesday’s rally against the 2020 elec- Trump’s team monitored these On the morning of the attack, under tion.’’ websites. We know this because his ad- a thread titled ‘‘Today, I told my kids FOX News also reported that the visers confirmed it. goodbye,’’ one poster wrote: Proud Boys would come to the January An ‘‘ex-White House and campaign Today I had the very difficult conversation 6 rally prepared for violent action, even insider,’’ as you will read, ‘‘who has with my children, that daddy might not quoting a Proud Boy member who said known both Scavino and the president come home from DC. they would be ‘‘incognito’’ and ‘‘spread for years, said there was no way that Within a matter of hours, that post across downtown DC in smaller num- Scavino and the Trump social media amassed 4,000 ‘‘likes.’’ bers.’’ operation would not have been aware of President Trump had truly made City officials, seeing these same the plans circulating online to storm them believe that their election had warnings, also publicly warned about the Capitol’’ because the Trump ‘‘oper- been stolen and that it was their patri- the violence and unlawful weapons at ation closely monitored the web’s otic duty to fight to steal it back—‘‘pa- the event. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser darkest corners, ranging from main- triotic,’’ a term he gave those who use cautioned residents of the District of stream sites such as Twitter, violence for him—and they were will- Columbia to avoid the downtown area Facebook, and Reddit, to fringe mes- ing to say goodbye to their children for while the rally attendees were in town. Federal law enforcement warned of sage boards like 4chan and 8chan (now this fight. called 8kun) to TheDonald.win, an off- These supporters didn’t just rely on these threats also. On January 3, a shoot from a banned Reddit commu- entering the Capitol with guns hap- Capitol Police intelligence report warned of a violent scenario in which nity dedicated to rabidly supporting all hazardly. They had maps of this build- ‘‘Congress itself’’ could be the target of things Trump.’’ They actively mon- ing. They talked through which tun- the angry supporters of President itored the exact sites, like nels to use and how to get to the Sen- Trump on January 6. According to that TheDonald.win, on which these insur- ate Chamber. Some posted specific report, obtained by the Washington rectionists wrote their posts. floor plan layouts of the Capitol along- Post: So what would Trump and his team side hopes of overwhelming law en- have seen when they were monitoring Supporters of the current president see forcement to ‘‘find the tunnels; arrest January 6, 2021, as the last opportunity to these sites? What would his supporters the worst traitors.’’ overturn the results of presidential election. have said? They would have seen a Posters also fixated on what they saw . . . This sense of desperation and dis- clear roadmap of exactly what hap- as their ability to easily overwhelm appointment may lead to more . . . incentive pened. the Capitol Police as ‘‘there are only to become violent. Unlike previous post-elec- This is an example of a post that was around 2k of them,’’ and, again, they tion protests, the targets of the pro-Trump captured from one of the sites dedi- urged ‘‘the capitol is our goal. Every- supporters are not necessarily the counter- cated to Donald Trump, that we just thing else is a distraction.’’ protesters as they were previously, but rath- talked about, shortly before the site er Congress itself is the target [for January There were hundreds of these posts— 6]. was taken down. hundreds—monitored by the Trump ad- The day before the rioters stormed The meme reads: ministration, and these posts were the Congress, an FBI office in Virginia The Capitol is our goal. Everything else is chillingly accurate right down to com- also issued an explicit warning that ex- a distraction. Every corrupt Member of Con- munication devices. tremists were preparing to travel to gress locked in one room and surrounded by A new affidavit, filed by the FBI, de- real Americans is an opportunity that will Washington to commit violence and scribed preparations by the rightwing never present itself again. ‘‘war,’’ according to internal reports. group, the Proud Boys, to storm the Let that sink in. Think about that. The FBI report cited to an online Capitol, including using earpieces and The exact thing that happened on Jan- post where the user declared that walkie-talkies to direct movements uary 6—that was their goal, and they Trump supporters should go to Wash- throughout the building. This hap- said it out loud on sites that the ington and get violent. The supporter pened. That is the level of planning in Trump administration was actively said: advance that occurred. They had ear- monitoring. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a A third-party site captured a post on pieces. On the slide, you will see Proud protest. Go there ready for war. We get our TheDonald.win, where one user posted: Boy member Dominic Pezzola has an President or we die. earpiece in his right ear, consistent This cannot simply be a protest. It has to These threat warnings were not just be the establishment of the MAGA militia with the affidavit. In addition to these hypothetical. Actual arrests occurred with command offices set up, with all further detailed posts, they made clear why in the days leading to the attack. militia tactical missions spreading from they thought they could do this. It On January 4, 2 days before the rally, there. wasn’t just that they were doing it fol- one extremely well-publicized arrest Another user said in response: lowing the President’s orders; they was of a Proud Boy leader who de- We will have to achieve an actual tactical thought he would help them. stroyed a church’s Black Lives Matter victory like storming and occupying [the A third-party site captured a post on banner a month earlier during the De- Capitol] to have the intended effect. TheDonald.win—again, the site mon- cember 12, second Million MAGA That is what they understood Donald itored by Trump’s team. March. The report emphasized that Trump to want—there it is in black He [meaning Donald Trump in this in- when he was arrested, he was carrying and white—and they explained why stance] can order the NAT guard to stand high-capacity firearms magazines, they felt justified in this. down if needed. Unfortunately he has no con- which he claimed were meant to be Another poster on the forum trol over the Capitol Police . . . but there supplied to another rally attendee for TheDonald.win wrote on January 4: are only around 2k of them and a lot are use- January 6. less fat asses or girls. If Congress illegally certifies Biden . . . By the night before the January 6 at- Trump would have absolutely no choice but It is all right there—the overall goal, tack, DC police had already made six to demand us to storm Congress and kill/beat maps of the Capitol, the weapons, com- arrests in connection with the planned them up for it. munications devices. They even said protests on charges of carrying weap- Donald Trump will have no choice. publicly, openly, proudly that Presi- ons, ammunitions, assault, assaulting That was what he made them believe dent Trump will help them to com- police. to the point his supporters felt justi- mandeer the National Guard so all This is all in public view—all of it. fied even in carrying weapons and they have to do is overwhelm the 2,000 The truth is usually seen and rarely storming our Capitol. This was in post Capitol Police officers. heard. Truth is truth, whether denied after post. This was reported in the NBC News or not, and the truth is, President Here is another. When discussing how and the Washington Post, with head- Trump had spent months calling his to carry guns into DC, one noted: lines like: ‘‘Violent threats ripple supporters to a march on a specific Yes, it’s illegal, but this is war, and we’re through far-right internet forums day, at a specific time, in specific clearly in a post-legal phase of our society. ahead of protest.’’ ‘‘Pro-Trump forums places to stop the certification.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.023 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S631 And leading up to the event, there This was not just one speech. This These tweets—attacking the election were hundreds—hundreds—of posts on- was weeks and weeks of deliberate ef- as fraudulent, attacking his Vice Presi- line showing that his supporters took fort by Donald Trump to overturn the dent, and urging his supporters to this as a call to arms to attack the election results so that he didn’t have fight—continued throughout the morn- Capitol. There were detailed posts of to give up the Presidency. ing. the plan to attack online. Law enforce- The speech on January 6 builds on, Here is another example. At 8:17 a.m. ment warned that these posts were real refers to, and amplifies that same pat- he tweeted: threats and even made arrests days tern—the pattern Trump had used and All Mike Pence has to do is send it back to leading up to the attack. broadcasted for months: He refused to the States, AND WE WIN. And yet, in the face of all this—these lose, his attacks on others, and his dif- ‘‘And we win.’’ That is what he said, credible warnings of serious, dangerous ferent rules. even though by then he had clearly threats to our Capitol—when those The only thing different about his lost. thousands of people were standing in speech on January 6 from all these As Trump continued tweeting, the front of President Trump, ready to other times that we went through was Save America March at the White take orders and attack, this is what he that he was no longer telling his base House was now in full swing. The said: just that they had to fight to stop the speakers who warmed up the crowd for We’re going to the Capitol. steal. He was finally telling them: Now Trump were members of his inner cir- And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you is the time to do it. Here is the place, cle—family members, his personal at- don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have and here is how. torney, people President Trump had a country anymore. For weeks, he had urged his sup- deputized to speak on his behalf. And that is why this is different. porters to show up at a specific time Some of the speakers also spoke at That is why he must be convicted and and place, and when they got there, he the second Million MAGA March, disqualified. told them exactly what he wanted. which resulted in serious violence. Mr. Manager RASKIN. Representa- Let’s start with his desperation. You The warmup acts on January 6 fo- tive DEAN will now return to the events saw how much planning went into Jan- cused on promoting Donald Trump’s of January 6 itself. She will dem- uary 6, and when the day arrived, Don- big lie. They stoked the same fears—a onstrate President Trump’s repeated ald Trump’s desperation was in full stolen election, of fraud, of ripping vic- incitement of the crowd that morning, force. tory away from them. And the speak- as he directed them to the Capitol in Between the time he woke up on Jan- ers told them what to do about it. As his last-ditch effort to retain his hold uary 5 and the start of the Save Amer- the crowd erupted in ‘‘fight for Trump’’ on power. ica March that next day, he had chants throughout that morning, Don- Ms. Manager DEAN. For me and for tweeted 34 times. When Donald Trump ald Trump Jr. urged: many Americans, January 6 is forever wants to get his message across, he is That’s the message! These guys better etched in our memories. not shy, as you all know. These tweets fight for Trump! I went to work with a sense of excite- were relentless. And these tweets all The speakers lasted 3 hours, repeat- ment—the start of my second term in centered on his singular focus—his ing President Trump’s message. And, Congress and the first time I would drumbeat to motivate, anger, and in- finally, at about noon, Donald Trump participate in the certification of a cite his supporters—his big lie: The took the stage with the seal of the Presidential election. Presidential election had been rigged. Presidency on his podium and the And then we all know what happened. It had been stolen from him, and they White House as his backdrop. I know many of us have similar experi- had to fight to stop it. President Trump spoke for more than And the timing was no coincidence. ences from that day, but I will briefly 70 minutes. His narrative was familiar. He sent 34 tweets because this was his share mine. I stood with colleagues in It was the same message he had spent last chance to rile up his supporters be- the Gallery above the House floor to months spreading to his supporters: fore the big, historic, wild event he had observe the Arizona challenge. Mo- the big lie, the election was stolen; planned. ments later, police radios reported a that they should never concede; and Now, I won’t go through all of these that his supporters should be patriots breach of the Capitol grounds. Some- tweets, but let me just highlight a few. one shouted up to us, ‘‘Duck’’; then, and fight much harder to stop the At 1 in the morning, he tweeted: steal, to ‘‘take back our country’’—the ‘‘Lie down’’; then, ‘‘Ready your gas If Vice President [Mike Pence] comes masks.’’ same phrases he had spread for weeks. through for us, we will win the Presidency. But now the message was immediate. Shortly after, there was a terrifying . . . Mike can send it back. banging on the Chamber doors. I will Now it was just no longer just fight; it This will look familiar to you be- was ‘‘fight right now.’’ never forget that sound. Shouts and cause Mr. LIEU just showed you how panicked calls to my husband and to (Text of video presentation of 1–6– Trump had privately been pressuring 2021.) my sons, instructions to flee, and then and publicly attacking his Vice Presi- the constant worrying of the gas masks President TRUMP. All of us here today do dent to stop the certification. not want to see our election victory stolen filtering the air—the Chamber of the And when Vice President Pence re- by emboldened radical-left Democrats, which United States House of Representatives fused, when he explained that the Con- is what they’re doing. And stolen by the fake turned to chaos. stitution simply does not allow him to news media. That is what they’ve done and For Donald Trump, it was a very dif- stop certification, Donald Trump pro- what they’re doing. We will never give up. ferent day. Earlier, I showed you Don- voked his base to attack him. The late- We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. ald Trump’s desperate attempts to in-the-evening tweet was no different. You don’t concede where there’s theft in- volved. maintain power: ignoring adverse court It just got more forceful. rulings, attacking elected officials, Our country has had enough. We will not Let’s be clear. What Donald Trump take it anymore, and that’s what this is all pressuring his Justice Department, was saying—that Vice President Pence about. And to use a favorite term that all of even attacking his own Vice President. could send back the certification—was you people really came up with: We will stop You saw a man who refused to lose, not true. the steal. who was desperate to retain power by For one thing, all 50 States had rati- That set the tone. ‘‘Our country has any means necessary. You saw a man fied this election. And for another, had enough.’’ And ‘‘[w]e will not take willing to attack anyone and everyone Vice President Pence explained to him it anymore.’’ who got in his way, and you saw a man that he does not have the power to uni- He told them and us, right at the be- who thought he could play by different laterally overturn States’ votes and ginning, that the only way to take rules. just send certification back. back the country was to fight. Let’s He told his supporters, as my col- And Donald Trump knew this, but look at what he said next. league Ms. PLASKETT just showed you, this was his last chance to get his Vice (Text of video presentation of 1–6– exactly what he thought those dif- President to stop the certification, and 2021.) ferent rules were—combat, fight, vio- so he was willing to say or do just President TRUMP. And, Rudy, you did a lence. about anything. great job. He’s got guts. You know what?

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.025 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S632 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 He’s got guts, unlike a lot of people in the course, was not true, and then he told am going to be watching . . . history is Republican Party. He’s got guts. He fights. them exactly what to do when they got going to be made.’’ This was clearly Ms. PLASKETT showed you example to the Capitol. not just some rally or march or pro- after example of Donald Trump, when You’ll never take [your] country back with test; this was about Donald Trump try- confronted with violence, praising it. weakness. You have to show strength. ing to steal the election for himself, We saw him instruct the Proud Boys, a And don’t forget who is standing claiming that the election was fraudu- violent extremist group, to stand back there, the same people Ms. PLASKETT lent, illegitimate, so that his sup- and stand by. That group was there on described to you, many people vio- porters would fight to take it back. In January 6. We saw him praise a cara- lent—violent people law enforcement fact, after stoking the crowd’s anger van of his supporters after they tried had warned would be armed and would for nearly 40 minutes, after repeating to drive a bus belonging to the Biden be targeting us. false election conspiracy after false campaign off the road. The organizer of One of President Trump’s key de- election conspiracy, he said this in no that attack was there on January 6. fenses focused on what he said for a few uncertain terms. And we saw him team up with the or- seconds, 15 minutes into the speech. (Text of video presentation of 1–6– ganizers of the violent second MAGA (Text of videotape presentation of 1– 2021.) Million March to plan his rally on Jan- 6–2021.) President TRUMP. You will have an ille- uary 6. President TRUMP. I know that everyone gitimate President, that is what you’ll have. What does he do at that rally? He here will soon be marching over to the Cap- Any outcome besides him keeping tells Giuliani he is doing a great job itol building, to peacefully and patriotically the Presidency would be illegitimate. addressing the crowd, saying he has make your voices heard. This was building on the big lie of a ‘‘guts’’ to call for fighting. And to be In a speech spanning almost 11,000 rigged and stolen election. clear, this is what he was praising. words—yes, we did check—that was the And here is what he said a little later (Text of video presentation of 1–6– one time, the only time President in his speech. 2021.) Trump used the word ‘‘peaceful’’ or any (Text of video presentation of 1–6– Mr. GUILIANI. So let’s have trial by com- suggestion of nonviolence. The impli- 2021.) bat. cation of the President’s tweets, the President TRUMP. When you catch some- ‘‘Trial by combat.’’ Donald Trump rally, and the speeches were clear. body in a fraud, you are allowed to go by praised Rudy, said he did a good job, President Trump used the word ‘‘fight’’ very different rules. So I hope Mike has the had guts for telling the crowd that we or ‘‘fighting’’ 20 times, including tell- courage to do what he has to do. need trial by combat. ing the crowd they needed to ‘‘fight ‘‘When you catch somebody in a Next, more attacks. like hell’’ to save our democracy. fraud, you are allowed to go by very (Text of video presentation of 1–6– We know how the crowd responded to different rules.’’ 2021.) Donald Trump’s words, and he knew We told you that context matters. President TRUMP. All Vice President how they responded to his speech. Here Here is the context: This was not just Pence has to do is send it back to the States is the evidence of how the crowd re- one reference or a message to sup- to recertify, and we become President and acted. porters by a politician to fight for a you are the happiest people. (Text of video presentation of 1–6– cause. He had assembled thousands of This attack, like the tweets he sent 2021.) violent people, people he knew were ca- that morning, had a purpose: con- (People cheering.) pable of violence, people he had seen be vincing his supporters that the future President TRUMP. We are going down to violent. They were standing now in of our country, of our democracy, the Capitol— front of him. And then he pointed to hinged on whether Vice President (People cheering.) us, lit the fuse, and sent an angry mob Pence would overturn the election— President TRUMP. . . . weakness, you have to show strength— to fight the perceived enemy—his own something he knew Pence could not Unidentified Speaker. Yes. Right. Vice President and the Members of and would not do. (People chanting: ‘‘Take the Capitol.’’) Congress as we certified an election. He called out Vice President Pence (People chanting: ‘‘Taking the Capitol (Text of video presentation of 1–6– nine times that day, and each time, he right now.’’) 2021.) got more forceful. Here is what he said (People chanting: ‘‘Invade the Capitol.’’) (People chanting: ‘‘Storm the Capitol.’’) President TRUMP. But I said something’s at 12:15. President TRUMP. Make your voices wrong here. Something’s really wrong. Can’t (Text of video presentation of 1–6– heard. have happened. And we fight. We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re 2021.) ‘‘Storm the Capitol.’’ ‘‘Invade the President TRUMP. And we’re going to not going to have a country anymore. Our Capitol.’’ ‘‘Fight, fight, fight.’’ ‘‘Take exciting adventures and boldest endeavors have to fight much harder. And Mike Pence the Capitol right now.’’ These were the is going to have to come through for us. And have not yet begun. My fellow Americans, if he doesn’t, that will be a sad day for our words of the crowd. Trump was telling for our world, for our children, and for our country, because you are sworn to uphold them to fight, and he would keep tell- beloved country—and I say this despite all our Constitution. ing them to fight throughout the rest that’s happened—the best is yet to come. Now it is up to Congress to confront this of his speech. These are not only words (Cheers and Applause.) egregious assault on our democracy. And of aggression, they are words of insur- So we’re going to—we’re going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. I love Pennsyl- after this, we are going to walk down—and rection, and if you have any doubt, lis- I’ll be there with you. We are going to walk vania Avenue. And we’re going to the Cap- ten to what he says next. itol, and we are going to try and give—the down. We are going to walk down any one (Text of video presentation of 1–6– you want, but I think right here, we are Democrats are hopeless. They never voted going to walk down to the Capitol. 2021.) for anything—not even one vote. But we are (Cheers and applause.) President TRUMP. Today we see a very going to try and give our Republicans—the And we are going to cheer on our brave important event though, because right over weak ones, because the strong ones don’t Senators and Congressmen and women, and there, right there, we see the events that need any of our help. We are going to try and we are probably not going to be cheering so will take place. And I am going to be watch- give them the kind of pride and boldness much for some of them. Because you’ll never ing, because history is going to be made. We that they need to take back our country. So take back our country with weakness. You are going to see whether or not we have let’s walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. have to show strength and you have to be great and courageous leaders or whether or (Cheers and Applause.) strong. not we have leaders that should be President TRUMP. I want to thank you all. God bless you and God bless America. ‘‘We’re going to have to fight much ashamed of themselves throughout his- Thank you all for being here. This is in- harder. And Mike Pence will have to tory. Throughout eternity they will be credible. Thank you very much. come through for us.’’ That is what he ashamed. And you know what? If they (Cheers and Applause.) said, and he told the crowd what he do the wrong thing, we should never (People chanting: ‘‘Fight for Trump.’’) meant and exactly what to do, literally ever forget that they did. Never forget. ‘‘If you don’t fight like hell, you’re commanding them to confront us at We should never ever forget. not going to have a country anymore.’’ the Capitol. He even told them he The Commander in Chief points to And there was only one fight left, and would walk there with them, which, of Congress and tells those assembled: ‘‘I it was a mile up the road. Donald

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.026 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S633 Trump, the President of the United went to work at the Department of Unidentified Speaker. Way to go. States, ordered the crowd to march on Justice and was the senior counsel for Unidentified Speaker. Break it down. Congress, and so the crowd marched. Deputy Attorney General Larry Twelve minutes later, Vice President ‘‘This is incredible,’’ we heard him say. Thompson under Attorney General Pence began presiding over the joint That is how President Trump ended his Ashcroft. So she is a very well trained session of Congress to certify the re- speech. and experienced prosecutor, as you can sults of the Presidential election. You I would like to close with a very brief tell. can see Vice President Pence gaveling timeline of what was happening in par- Ms. Manager PLASKETT. Mr. Presi- in the joint session here. allel alongside the President as he dent, Senators, almost all of us were (Text of video presentation of 1–6– spoke on the 6th of January. A little here on January 6, and we all have our 2021.) after noon, President Trump began his individual experiences: what we felt, The VICE PRESIDENT. Madam President, speech with a fiery refusal to concede. what we saw, what we heard. We have Members of Congress, pursuant to the Con- He commanded the crowd to fight and seen clips and reports in the media, but stitution and the laws of the United States, march down Pennsylvania Avenue, and I have to tell you, it was not until pre- the Senate and House of Representatives are meeting in joint session to verify the certifi- around 12:20, some rally goers, some paring for this trial that I understood cates and count the votes of the electors of attendees, began marching. the full scope and learned the informa- the several States for President and Vice By 12:30, as President Trump contin- tion that you are going to see that I President of the United States. ued to incite his supporters, large seg- understood the effort to attack our While Vice President PENCE presided ments of the rally crowd had amassed seat of government in order to carry over the joint session, Trump sup- at the Capitol. out President Trump’s mission to pre- porters began their assault on our Cap- At 12:53, as the President’s speech vent the certification of a Presidential itol. Radio communications from the was playing on cell phone broadcasts, election. It was an attack to our Re- Metropolitan Police Department high- the outermost barricades of the north- public, to our democratic process. light how, during and following Presi- west side of the Capitol were breached, My colleagues, Manager SWALWELL, dent Trump’s speech, Trump sup- and Capitol Police were forced back to and I are going to walk you through porters descended on the Capitol and the steps of the Capitol. the attack on the Capitol that day and became increasingly violent. At 1:10, the President ended his the danger that it posed to the Vice What you are about to hear has not speech with a final call to fight and a President, to the Speaker of the House, been made public before. final order to march to the Capitol. to you all as Senators, my colleagues (Text of video presentation of 1–6– At 1:45, the President’s followers in the House, Capitol Police, and every- 2021.) surged past Capitol Police, shouting: one who works in and around this Cap- The Officer. Multiple Capitol injuries. Mul- ‘‘This is a revolution.’’ itol. tiple Capitol injuries. Just after 2:10, an hour after Presi- As you have heard, President Trump The Dispatcher. 1318. dent Trump ended his speech, the in- had been telling his supporters and his The Officer. Twelve to 50, we’re coming surrectionist mob overwhelmed Capitol millions of Twitter followers that around from the south side. security and made it inside the Halls of Pence had the ability to secure the The Dispatcher. Be advised, the speech has Congress, because the truth is, this at- Presidency for Trump; that Mike Pence ended. tack never would have happened but The Dispatcher. Intel 1, be advised you’ve alone had the power to overturn the got a group of about 50 up the hill on the for Donald Trump. And so they came, election results if he would just do it. west front just north of the stairs. They are draped in Trump’s flag and used our But at 12:55 p.m., on January 6, Vice approaching the wall now. flag, the American flag, to batter and President Pence formally refused the The Officer. They’re starting to dismantle to bludgeon. President’s demand. the reviewing stand. They’re throwing metal And at 2:30, I heard that terrifying He wrote, and I quote: poles at us. The Officer. Cruiser 50, give me DSO up banging on the House Chamber doors. It is my considered judgment that my oath here now. DSO. Multiple law enforcement in- For the first time in more than 200 to support and defend the Constitution con- juries. DSO, get up here. years, the seat of our government was strains me from claiming unilateral author- The Officer. All right. We’re 30 seconds out. ransacked on our watch. ity to determine which electoral votes The Officer. We need some reinforcements Mr. Manager RASKIN. Mr. President, should be counted and which should not. up here now. They’re starting to pull the I think this would be a good time for a Pence ended his letter with a passage gates down. They’re throwing metal poles at break. including the words: us. RECESS I will do my duty. The Officer. Cruiser 50, DSO, get up here. The Officer. OK. We’re here. Mr. SCHUMER. Yes. I ask unanimous Even though the count resulted in The Officer. Twelve to 50, we’re here. consent that we recess until 4 p.m. the defeat of his party and his own can- The Officer. We just had an explosion go on There being no objection, at 3:43 didacy, Vice President Pence had the up here. I don’t know if they’re fireworks or p.m., the Senate, sitting as a Court of courage to stand against the President, what, but they’re starting to throw explo- Impeachment, recessed until 4:08 p.m., tell the American public the truth, and sives, fireworks material. whereupon the Senate reassembled uphold our Constitution. That is patri- After attempting to dismantle the when called to order by the President otism. outermost perimeter, the rioters did pro tempore. That patriotism is also what put the everything in their power to storm MANAGERS’ PRESENTATION—CONTINUED Vice President in so much danger on past the police and into the Capitol. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Could January 6 by the mob sent by our They coordinated, moving metal barri- we have order in the Senate, please. President. To the President and the cades the police were using to maintain Mr. RASKIN. mob he incited, that duty to our Con- distance. Listen to the yelling of ‘‘pull Mr. Manager RASKIN. Thank you, stitution was an all-out betrayal, and them this way’’ as they grabbed the Mr. President. the Vice President was the direct tar- barriers and attacked officers trying to Members of the Senate, at this point, get of that rage. hold the line. Representatives PLASKETT and At 12:53 p.m., Senators, Members of (Text of video presentation of 1–6– SWALWELL will take you through the Congress, Vice President Pence were in 2021.) actual day of the attack. They will their respective Chambers. Outside, ri- Unidentified Speaker. Pull. Pull this way. recreate the attack as it unfolded, fo- oters, including some linked to the Pull forward. cusing on the threats to Vice President Proud Boys, broke through the outer Unidentified Speaker. No, no, no, no, no. Pence, Speaker PELOSI, the joint ses- barricade surrounding the lawn of the No. No. No. No. sion, and law enforcement. Capitol. At about 1:10 and 1:23 p.m., respec- I do want to alert everyone that (Text of video presentation of 1–6– tively, Capitol Police sent out the first there is some very graphic, violent 2021.) evacuation alerts of the day, telling footage coming, so people are aware. (People chanting: ‘‘USA.’’) people to evacuate the Madison Build- I am going to call, again, on Ms. Unidentified Speaker. Whoa, whoa, whoa. ing and the Cannon Building, respec- PLASKETT, who I should also tell you Hey, hey, hey. tively. Shortly after, at 1:45 p.m.,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.028 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S634 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 Trump supporters surged past Capitol Note, as the video begins, we are see- footage of Officer Goodman previously, Police protecting the Capitol’s west ing the inside view as the mob ap- but there is more to his heroic story. steps, the side that is facing the White proaches from outside and beats the In this security footage, you can see House. windows and doors. You can see that Officer Goodman running to respond to In another radio communication be- the rioters first break the window with the initial breach. tween Metropolitan Police officers, you the wooden beam that you saw pre- (Video presentation of 1–6-2021.) can hear an officer declare that there is viously, and a lone police officer inside Officer Goodman passes Senator MITT a riot at the Capitol at 1:49 p.m. responds and begins to spray the first ROMNEY and directs him to turn around (Text of video presentation of 1–6– man who enters but is quickly over- in order to get to safety. On the first 2021.) whelmed. floor, just beneath them, the mob had The Officer. Cruiser 50, we’re going to give I want you to pay attention to the already started to search for the Sen- riot warnings as soon as the LRAD is here. first group of assailants as they break ate Chamber. We’re going to give riot warnings. We’re into the building. The second man Officer Goodman made his way down going to try to get compliance, but this now through the window is wearing full tac- to the first floor, where he encountered is effectively a riot. tical body armor and is carrying a the same insurrectionists we just saw— The Dispatcher. 1349 hours. Declaring it a baseball bat. Others are carrying riot watched—breach the Capitol. In this riot. shields. video, we can see the rioters surge to- The next video, as well as several vid- Among this group are members of the ward Officer Goodman. Recall that the eos that follow, have a model of the Proud Boys—some of whom, like rioters are in red, and Officer Good- Capitol Complex. The video is from the Dominic Pezzola, who was recently in- man, in this model, is in blue. Watch west front of the Capitol on the Senate dicted on Federal conspiracy charges— Officer Goodman, who backs up the side, the side facing the White House. we will discuss later. stairs. Watch the red dot, which moves up You can watch where they are com- (Text of video presentation of 1–6– the lower steps of the Capitol, indi- ing on our model as well. 2021.) cating the approximate location of the (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) (People chanting: ‘‘USA.’’) rioters as they surge past the police. When I first saw this model that was Unidentified Speaker. That’s my muffin. I (Text of video presentation of 1–6– created for this, I thought back to Sep- paid for that. 2021.) tember 11. I know a lot of you Senators Unidentified Speaker. You work for us. Unidentified Speaker. Where is the meet- Unidentified Speaker. This is our fucking were here. Some of you might have ing at? house. been Members on the House side. I was Unidentified Speaker. Hey, where do they Unidentified Speaker. This is a revolution. also here on September 11. I was a count the fucking votes? Unidentified Speaker. Let’s go. Push. staffer at that time. My office was on Unidentified Speaker. Hey! Hey! Unidentified Speaker. Go. Fuck you. Fuck Unidentified Speaker. Do it! Do it! you. the west front of the Capitol. I worked in the Capitol, and I was on the House Unidentified Speaker. Where are they While the mob that Donald Trump counting the votes? Where are they counting side. sent to stop the certification came the votes? This year is 20 years since the at- Unidentified Speaker. Right there. Hey. closer and closer to breaching the Cap- tacks of September 11, and almost itol, just one floor below where we are Unidentified Speaker. These people. These every day I remember that 44 Ameri- people. These people. We have no weapons. now, Vice President Pence continued cans gave their lives to stop the plane We have no fucking weapons. to preside over the session in the Sen- that was headed to this Capitol Build- Unidentified Speaker. No, no. ate Chamber above. ing. I thank them every day for saving Unidentified Speaker. Motherfucker. At about 2:12 p.m., Secret Service my life and the life of so many others. Although they were shouting that quickly and suddenly evacuated Vice Those Americans sacrificed their they did not have any weapons, we President Pence from the Senate floor. lives for love of country, honor, duty— know from the earlier video that that Here is the immediate reaction to that all the things that America means. The is not true. The second assailant evacuation. Capitol stands because of people like through that breach was the one car- (Text of video presentation of 1–6– that—this Capitol that was conceived rying a metal baseball bat. We know 2021.) by our Founding Fathers, that was there were other weapons there that Unidentified Speaker. No audio. They just built by slaves, that remains through day. cut out. It looks like they—and sometimes the sacrifice of service men and women Did you hear the other shouts? the Senate— around the world. We’re here for you. He’s one person, we’re Unidentified Speaker. It seemed like they thousands. just ushered MIKE PENCE out really quickly. And when I think of that, I think of Unidentified Speaker. Yes, they did. That’s these insurgents, these images, incited And— exactly what just happened there. They ush- by our own President of the United Where do they count the votes? ered Mike Pence out. They moved him fast. States, attacking this Capitol to stop They were coming at the urging of They were—yeah, I saw the motions too. the certification of a Presidential elec- Donald Trump to keep Congress—a sep- While Vice President Pence was tion, our democracy, our Republic. arate branch of government—from cer- being evacuated from the Senate At the same time that that breach on tifying the results of a Presidential Chamber, rioters were at that time this Capitol Building occurred, at ap- election. breaking into the Capitol. This next proximately 2:13 p.m., just one floor up, As the rioters reached the top of the video shows their approach and the ini- while Senator LANKFORD was speaking stairs, they were within 100 feet of tial breach of the Capitol Complex. on the Senate floor, Senator GRASSLEY, where the Vice President was shel- Remember to watch the red dot, who had taken over for Vice President tering with his family. And they were which broke—has been tracking Pence, called an unscheduled imme- just feet away from one of the doors to throughout this incident. diate recess of the Senate. this Chamber, where many of you re- (Text of video presentation of 1–6– A Senate aide approached Senator mained at that time. 2021.) LANKFORD and informed him that the I also want to show you a different Unidentified Speaker. Let us in. Capitol had been breached. Senator angle from the security footage of Offi- Unidentified Speaker. Let’s go. GRASSLEY is immediately escorted out cer Goodman’s acts. This video is on Unidentified Speaker. Break the window, of the Senate Chamber. the second floor of the Senate wing of bro. (Text of video presentation of 1–6– the Capitol. The red dot, as you recall, Now we are going to show you, 2021.) represents the insurrectionists. The through security footage that has not Unidentified Speaker. Protesters are in the blue dot is Officer Goodman, who led been made public before, what that building. the mob away from the Chamber, just same breach looked like from the in- Mr. LANKFORD. Thank you. minutes earlier. side. Now, because this is security foot- Now, while this was going on, Officer (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) age, there is no sound. Eugene Goodman responded to the ini- On the left-hand side of the video, (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) tial breach. You all may have seen just inside the hallway is the door to

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.030 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S635 the Senate Chamber. And watch how Listen to this man explain. Speaker on the floor and in her office, Officer Goodman provoked the rioters (Text of video presentation of 1–6– publicly declared their intent to harm and purposefully draws them away 2021.) or kill her, ransacked her office, and from the door to the Senate Chamber Unidentified Speaker. While Congress, terrorized her staff. And they did it be- and toward the other officers waiting cowards, hid in their—inside, and were es- cause Donald Trump sent them on this down the hall. corted away because of fear of the people. Of mission. The rioter seen carrying a baseball course they are cowards. They can’t face the As the insurrectionists got closer, bat in this video is the same one we people. They can’t do the right thing. Pence Capitol Police rushed the Speaker from saw moments ago breaching the win- lied to us. He is a total treasonous pig. And the House floor at 2:15 p.m., mere min- his name will be mud forever. Now the real dow on the first floor. battle begins. And it looks like the American utes after the Capitol was first While all of this was going on, Vice people are very pissed. So good luck with breached. They recognized imme- President Pence was still in the room that. Peace out. diately that she was in danger. The near the Senate Chamber. It was not ‘‘Peace out.’’ Speaker was not just rushed from the until 2:26 that he was evacuated to a Several insurrectionists described floor; the Capitol Police deemed the secure location. This next security what they had planned to do if they en- threat so dangerous that they evacu- video shows that evacuation. countered the Vice President or other ated her entirely from the Capitol His movements are depicted by the lawmakers. One of them, Dominic Complex, rushing her to a secure off- orange dot in our model. The red and Pezzola, also known as Spaz, is a mem- site location. blue dots represent the location where ber of the Proud Boys, as we discussed. The insurrectionists’ intent to mur- the mob and Officer Goodman were and Pezzola came to the Capitol on Janu- der the Speaker of the House is well where Officer Goodman led the mob ary 6 with deadly intentions. He com- documented in charging documents away from the Chamber just moments mandeered a Capitol Police shield, used that are now available. We know from ago. it to smash a glass window, entered the the rioters themselves that if they had (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) Capitol, and paved the way for dozens found Speaker PELOSI, they would have You can see Vice President Pence of insurrectionists. killed her. I have already discussed Proud Boys and his family quickly moved down the As you recall from an earlier video, member Dominic Pezzola, who has stairs. The Vice President turns around Pezzola was one of the first wave of ri- since been charged with eight Federal briefly as he is headed down. oters to breach the building. On the crimes for his conduct on January 6. As (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) left, you can see a screen shot from the you will recall, according to the FBI As Pence was being evacuated, riot- video of the break-in we showed ear- agent’s affidavit submitted to the ers started to spread throughout the lier. And on the right, you can see court, the group he attacked the Cap- Capitol. Those inside helped other riot- Pezzola in the mob chase Capitol Po- itol with confirmed that ‘‘anyone they ers break in through doors in several lice Officer Eugene Goodman through got their hands on they would have locations around this entire building. the building. Pezzola is the man in the killed, including NANCY PELOSI.’’ And the mob was looking for Vice center of the photo with the gray William Calhoun, a lawyer, from President Pence because of his patriot- beard. Georgia, also participated in the insur- ism, because the Vice President had re- Pezzola has since been charged with rection that day. And he, too, has been fused to do what the President de- eight Federal crimes for his conduct charged for his actions. This insurrec- manded and overturn the election re- related to January 6. According to an tionist detailed his criminal activity at sults. FBI Agent’s affidavit submitted to the the Capitol online. Calhoun wrote During the assault on the Capitol, ex- court, the group that was with him about his involvement on his own tremists reportedly coordinated online during the sack of the Capitol con- and discussed how they could hunt Facebook page. firmed that they were out to murder Here is the post. Calhoun stated: down the Vice President. ‘‘anyone they got their hands on.’’ And get this—the first of us who got up- Journalists in the Capitol reported Here is what the FBI said: they heard rioters say they were look- stairs kicked in Nancy Pelosi’s door and Other members of the group talked about ing for Pence in order to execute him. pushed down the hall towards her inner sanc- things they had done that day, and they said tum, the mob howling with rage—Crazy Trump’s supporters had erected a that anyone they got their hands on they NANCY probably would have been torn into gallows on the lawn in front of the Cap- would have killed, including NANCY PELOSI. little pieces, but she was nowhere to be seen. itol Building. Another group of rioters And, I quote: ‘‘Crazy NANCY’’—that is Trump’s nickname chanted: ‘‘Hang Mike Pence,’’ as they for the Speaker of the House. Then he ex- [T]hey would have killed [Vice President] plains that he and his group only abandoned stood in the open door of the Capitol Mike Pence if given the chance. Building. their claim to the Speaker’s office when ‘‘a They were talking about assassi- You can hear the security alarm SWAT team showed up.’’ nating the Vice President of the United through the door in the background. He writes: States. During the course of the at- And you can hear the mob calling for Then a SWAT team showed and we re- tack, the Vice President never left the the death of the Vice President of the treated back to the rotunda and continued Capitol, remained locked down with his United States. our hostile takeover of the Capitol Building. family—with his family—inside the (Text of video presentation of 1–6– ‘‘Retreated,’’ ‘‘hostile takeover.’’ He building. Remember that as you think 2021.) is using military terms for this attack. about these images and the sounds of (People chanting: ‘‘Hang Mike Pence.’’) The mob continued to look for NANCY the attack. PELOSI throughout the time they occu- This wasn’t an isolated area or inci- The Vice President, our second in pied the Capitol, including invading dent where that was being told, where command, was always at the center of her offices. that was being said. It was going on ev- it. Vice President Pence was threat- Watch now how the mob searches for erywhere. ened with death by the President’s sup- Speaker PELOSI’s office, which is Here is another example of the crowd porters because he rejected President marked in red, and the House Chamber outside yelling: ‘‘Bring out Pence, Trump’s demand that he overturn the itself. bring him out.’’ election. (Text of video presentation of 1–6– (People chanting: ‘‘Bring him out.’’) The mob also went after the Speaker 2021.) (People chanting: ‘‘Bring out Pence.’’) of the House, who alongside the Vice Unidentified Speaker. Where are you, After President Trump had primed President, was presiding over the joint Nancy? We are looking for you? his followers for months and inflamed session of the certification in the Unidentified Speaker. Nancy! Oh, Nancy! the rally-goers that morning, it is no House Chamber. Nancy! Where are you, Nancy? wonder that the Vice President of the The chilling evidence shows that on During the siege, the Speaker’s staff United States was the target of their January 6, armed and organized insur- took cover in her office, hiding in fear wrath after Pence refused to overturn rectionists trained their sights on for their lives for hours, as rioters the election results. Speaker PELOSI. They sought out the broke in and ransacked her office.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.032 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S636 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 As the rioters were breaking into the oters, including Richard ‘‘Bigo’’ who had entered the building through Capitol, her staff retreated into an in- Barnett, entered Speaker PELOSI’s of- the Senate quickly spread out through terior room. Eight of them gathered in fice. The world is all now too familiar the Capitol. Many headed toward the a conference room. About the same with the images from these slides. If House and Senate Chambers. After time, Capitol Police announced the you look closely, however, at the now- Speaker PELOSI was ushered out, Chair- Capitol had been breached, Speaker infamous pictures of Barnett with his man MCGOVERN was presiding in the PELOSI’s staff heeded the call to shelter feet on the desk, you might see some- House, attempting to keep the count- in place. thing that you didn’t notice pre- ing process going. On our model, you can see the rioters viously. Here is a better look. As this On our phones, Members were receiv- in the Rotunda in red and the Speak- photo highlights, he is carrying a stun ing security updates and watching so- er’s office, again, in orange. gun tucked into his waistband. The cial media to see the horror that was This is a security video, so there is FBI identified the device as a 950,000- going on outside. We never thought it no sound. volt stun gun walking stick. The weap- would make its way in. (Video presentation.) on could have caused serious pain and By 2:25 p.m., rioters who were already As you can see, the staff moves from incapacitated anyone Barnett had used in the building opened the east side their offices through the halls and then it against. doors of the Capitol Rotunda to let enters a door on the right-hand side. Richard Barnett bragged about his more of the mob in. They quickly That is the outer door of a conference actions. He was proud of the way he flooded through the doors, over- room, which also has an inner door desecrated the Speaker of the House’s whelming the officers. that they barricaded with furniture. office. He left a note: This is new security footage of those The staff then hid under a conference WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN. doors, and, as before, the mob is identi- room table in that inner room. This is Here is Barnett in his own words. fied with the red dot on the model of the last staffer going in and then barri- (Text of video presentation.) the Capitol. If you look closely, you cading themselves inside the inner of- Unidentified Man. Where’d you get it? will see the first person through the fice. Mr. BARNETT. I didn’t steal it. I bled on door is holding the Trump flag. After just 7 minutes of them barri- it. And they were fucking macing me, and I (Video presentation.) cading themselves and the last staffer couldn’t fucking see. And so I figure: Well, At the same time, just one floor entering the door on the right, a group I’m in her office. I got blood in her office. I below, the mob finally pushed through of rioters entered the hallway outside put a quarter on her desk even though she a line of Capitol Police officers and and, once inside, the rioters have free ain’t fucking worth it. And I left her a note overtook the area. We all know that on her desk that says: Nancy, Bigo was here, rein in the Speaker of the House’s of- you bitch. area in the Capitol as the Crypt. This fices. is directly beneath the Rotunda at the Trump’s mob ransacked the Speaker In this security video, pay attention very center of the Capitol. of the House’s office. They terrorized to the door that we saw those staffers (Text of video presentation.) her staff. Again, that is a mob that was leaning into and going into. sent by the President of the United (People chanting: ‘‘Open up.’’) (Video presentation.) The Officer. No harm. No harm. States to stop the certification of an One of the rioters, you can see, is Inside the House Chamber, a security throwing his body against the door election. The Vice President, the Speaker of officer suspended the floor debate to three times until he breaks open that the House—the first and second in line update Members. outer door. Luckily, when faced with to the Presidency—were performing (Text of video presentation.) the inner door, he moves on. Another their constitutional duties, presiding The Officer. We have a person with tear gas rioter later tried unsuccessfully to over the election certification. And in the Rotunda. Please stand by. There are break through that inner door. At this masks under your seats. Please grab a mask. they were put in danger because Presi- point, the mob had already broken into Place it in your lap, and be prepared to don dent Trump put his own desires—his the Speaker’s formal conference room your mask in the event the room is own need for power—over his duty to that is in the back of the hall at the breached. the Constitution and our democratic top of the video. We were told there were tear gas I want to play some audio we have of process. President Trump put a target masks underneath our seats and to be the Speaker’s staff with the rioters at on their backs, and his mob broke into prepared to grab them. the door that day. You can hear the the Capitol to hunt them down. Determined to keep the count going, (Text of video presentation.) terror in their voices as they describe Chairman MCGOVERN called the House what is happening to them as they are The Officer. We’re talking projectiles. back into session, but only 4 minutes Let’s go. We need units outside on the ter- barricaded in that conference room. race ASAP. We need units. We’re surrounded. later, at 2:30 p.m., the House abruptly Please listen carefully because the The Officer. Cruiser 50, they’ve breached recessed. A new security announce- staffer is whispering into a phone as he the scaffolds. Let Capitol know they have ment was made. hides from the rioters that are outside breached the scaffolds. They are behind our (Text of video presentation.) the door. lines. The Officer. Be prepared to get down under (Text of video presentation.) Mr. Manager SWALWELL. Shortly your chairs, if necessary. So we have folks Unidentified Speaker. They’re in the hall. after 2 p.m., the Capitol Police and entering the Rotunda and coming down this We need the Capitol Police to come into the Metropolitan Police were overwhelmed way. So we will update you as soon as we hallway. They’re pounding on doors trying to by President Trump’s mob. Perimeters can, but just be prepared. Stay calm. find her now. were broken. The Capitol had been As I heard that announcement on the You can hear the pounding in the breached. Those officers kept fighting floor, I saw the new House Chaplain, on background as that staffer is speaking. back for hours and hours to hold the just her fourth day on the job, walk to One of those staffers explained later line. They fought to defend the Capitol the front podium unannounced, and, that they could hear the mob going Building and all of us within it. amidst the chaos, she started to recite through her offices, breaking down the But they weren’t there just to pro- a prayer for peace. door and yelling: Where are you, tect us—and they did—and our staff Uncertain what would happen next, I Nancy? and the custodial staff and all the peo- sent a text message to my wife: The mob also pillaged and vandalized ple who work so hard in this building. I love you and the babies, please hug them the Speaker’s office and documented They were there to protect the votes of for me. their crimes on social media. They the American people that were being I imagine many of you sent a similar stole objects, desecrated the office of counted that day. I will show you more message. the Speaker of the House of Represent- later about what that day was like for What we could not see from inside atives of the United States. those brave officers. the Chamber was that outside, the mob As you can see in these photos, riot- But first, let’s go back to what was was growing larger and larger and ap- ers broke down a door. They also shat- happening where Manager PLASKETT proaching our doors. But we could hear tered a mirror. At 2:50 p.m., several ri- left off in the House Chamber. Rioters them.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.033 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S637 This security footage, which does not Lobby. To protect the Members in the As you heard from Manager have sound, shows a closeup of Trump’s Lobby, an officer discharged his weap- PLASKETT, Vice President Pence was mob as they move toward the second on, and she was killed. I want to warn moved away from the area near the floor of the House Chamber to stop the everyone that the next video, which Senate Chamber at around 2:25 p.m. By counting of votes. shows her death, is graphic. that time, rioters had breached several (Video presentation.) (Text of video presentation of 1–6– areas close to this Chamber, and they In the back of the group, you see one 2021.) were flooding the hallways just outside individual carrying a ‘‘Stop the Steal’’ He has a gun! He has a gun! He’s got a gun! and nearby. The Senate Chamber was sign. They get within footsteps of the Inside the Chamber, Representatives, not evacuated until 2:30 p.m. The mob House door. staff, and journalists remained trapped had been in the building for more than The next video is the viewpoint of in the Gallery, one floor above the 15 minutes. the insurrectionists. It begins with the House floor, and heard the gunshot. My This new security footage of the Sen- mob amassing and cuts ahead to show ators and staff leaving the Chamber colleague Representative DAN KILDEE you their search to the House door. produced this recording. will be displayed on the screens. It is (Text of video presentation.) (Text of video presentation of 1–6– silent. (People chanting: ‘‘We want Trump.’’) 2021.) (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) Unidentified Man. It’s a mob. They’re You cannot see it in this footage, but going. Just stop. Whoa, whoa. Dude, dude, What the fuck? Take your pins off. Pins quick-thinking Senate floor staff off! dude, dude—you’re not helping. You’re not grabbed and protected the electoral helping. You are going to get me hurt and Out of fear that they would be seen ballots that the mob was after. other people. or taken by the mob, my colleagues Those of you who were here that day (People chanting: ‘‘Stop the steal.’’) were telling each other to take off Unidentified Man. All right, no violence. will recall that, once you left the Sen- Unidentified Man. It’s too late for that. their congressional pins. That buzzing ate floor, you moved through a hallway They don’t listen without that stuff. sound that you hear in the background to get to safety. That hallway was near (People chanting: ‘‘Stop the steal.’’) of these videos was the sound of the gas where Officer Goodman had encoun- Those doors, to orient you at home, masks. tered a mob and led them upstairs and are the doors that the President of the It was not until approximately 2:50 away from the Senate Chamber. You United States walks through when he p.m., about 6 minutes after the shoot- know how close you came to the mob. or she gives the State of the Union Ad- ing downstairs, that the remaining Some of you, I understand, could hear dress. Members, staff, and journalists in the them, but most of the public does not You may have heard one man yell Gallery were finally able to flee. know how close these rioters came to ‘‘no violence’’ and another respond: In this security footage video, you you. As you were moving through that It’s too late for that. They don’t listen can see them exiting. Many Members hallway—I paced it off—you were just without that. are still wearing their gas masks. They 58 steps away from where the mob was They were there to stop the certifi- walk just feet away from where the amassing and where police were rush- cation of the election. Capitol Police are holding an insurrec- ing to stop them. They were yelling. At this point, inside the House Cham- tionist at gunpoint. Just minutes ear- In this security video, you can see ber, we can now hear the pounding on lier, that insurrectionist had tried to how the Capitol Police created a line the doors. At 2:35 p.m., Members on the open the Gallery door and, thankfully, and blocked the hallway with their House floor were told that an evacu- was stopped by a tactical team. bodies to prevent rioters at the end of ation route was secure, and it was time (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) the hall from reaching you and your to leave. This video shows Members of Although Members were now being staff. Congress exiting to the side of the po- moved to another location, the mob (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) dium where we would go through the continued to fight—to stop the count, Because this is security footage that House Lobby and downstairs. to find the Members, to engage with you have not seen before, I want to (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) the police. The building was not yet se- play it again. The top of the screen is Because of coronavirus restrictions, cure. the other end of that hallway where congressional Members had been wait- This security video from 2:56 p.m. the mob has amassed and the officers ing in the Gallery for their time to shows the mob in the House of Rep- are rushing to protect you. speak, just one level above the House resentatives’ wing on the second floor (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) floor. Representatives, staff, journal- of the Capitol. Insurrectionists who are Additional security footage shows ists all took cover under their chairs, still inside the building are fighting how Leader SCHUMER and the members helped each other put on their gas with the police, who are overwhelmed of his protective detail had a near miss masks, and held hands as rioters gath- in trying to get them out. with the mob. They came within just ered outside. (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) yards of rioters and had to turn Here, on this slide, you see Rep- Throughout this presentation, we around. Here, in this new video, you resentative JASON CROW comforting our have been very careful to not share see Leader SCHUMER walking up a colleague Representative SUSAN WILD. where Members of Congress were taken ramp. In going up the ramp with his (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) or the paths they followed to get out detail, he will soon go out of view. The rioters continued to surround and off the floor, but that very issue (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) the House Chamber, flooding the halls was under discussion by the insurrec- Seconds later, they return and run and kicking on the doors as they tionists themselves. One example back down the hallway, and officers passed them. comes from an FBI affidavit, which immediately shut the door and use (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) stated that a leader of a militia group their bodies to keep them safe. This security video shows Ashli Bab- known as the Oath Keepers received (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) bitt, followed by others in the mob, messages while he was at the Capitol. At 2:45 p.m., shortly after Senators turning the corner to the House Lobby The leader was given directions to were ushered to safety from the Senate doors where the Members were leaving. where Representatives were thought to floor, insurrectionists reached the Sen- (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) be sheltering and instructions to ‘‘turn ate Galleries. The following video was Chairman MCGOVERN was one of the on gas; seal them in.’’ filmed by a New Yorker reporter. last Members to leave the floor. As he As you know, the threat to the Sen- (Text of video presentation of 1–6– left through the House Lobby, just ate was no less than that of the Mem- 2021.) after 2:40 p.m., he was spotted by the bers of the House. The mob approached Where the fuck are they? We’re here. mob. the Senate with the same purpose: ful- Minutes later, the insurrectionists (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) filling President Trump’s goal of stop- invaded and desecrated the Senate Minutes later, at 2:44 p.m., Ashli Bab- ping the count; delaying the certifi- floor. These vandals shouted and rifled bitt attempted to climb through a cation of the electoral college votes of through the desks of this room. They shattered window into the House the American people. took pictures of documents and of

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.035 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S638 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 themselves, celebrating that they had Cruiser 50, the crowd is using munitions cers that were on the frontline. And when I taken over the floor and stopped the against us. They have bear spray in the say ‘the frontline,’ I mean, literally, officers counting of the electoral college votes. crowd. Bear spray in the crowd. that were in a line, stopping these people (Text of video presentation of 1–6– 1328. that were beating them with metal poles. Multiple deployments U.S. Capitol with They were spraying them with bear mace. I 2021.) pepper spray. mean, they did everything in their power to Unidentified Speaker. Look at this. Take a DSO, DSO, I need a re-up. I need a re-up up not let those people in. And this was going picture. here. on for hours. Unidentified Speaker. Here. Look. TED You hear the officer describe they are Around 4:30 p.m., hours into the Cap- CRUZ’s objections. He was going to sell us out all along. ‘‘using munitions’’—they, the rioters, itol riots, Officer Daniel Hodges was Unidentified Speaker. Really? are ‘‘using munitions against us.’’ protecting a west side Capitol en- Unidentified Speaker. Objection to count- This video shows how the sprays that trance, when rioters who were trying ing the electoral votes of the State of Ari- were described were used against the to stop the certification trapped him zona. officers. between two doors. Unidentified Speaker. All right. All right. (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) When Officer Hodges was interviewed There’s got to be something in here we can In a separate Metropolitan Police De- later, this is how he described what use against these scum bags. partment radio traffic recording, you was happening. Unidentified Speaker. What happened to (Text of video presentation of 1–6– the phone, man? can hear an officer when he realizes that the insurrectionists had over- 2021.) Larry Brock, who was arrested for taken the police line. Officer Hodges. They threw down a huge his role in the insurrection, was photo- (Text of audio presentation of 1–6– metal object that hit me on the head. I was graphed on the Senate floor, wearing a 2021.) also knocked down. The medical mask I was helmet, tactical gear, and carrying flex wearing at the time got pulled up over my Cruiser 50. We lost the line. We’ve lost the cuffs. eyes, so I was on the ground and blinded, and line. All MPD, pull back. All MPD, pull back they started attacking me from all sides. (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) up to the upper deck. All MPD, pull back to This man, also in the Senate Gal- the upper deck ASAP. All MPD, come back Rioters crushed Officer Hodges. He leries, is Eric Munchel. Like Brock, he to the upper deck. Upper deck. Cruiser 50, was wedged in the doorway, blood drip- was dressed in what appears to be tac- we’re flanked. 10–33. I repeat 10–33 west front ping from his mouth. He was struggling tical gear, also holding up flex cuffs. of the Capitol. We have been flanked and to breathe, all while the insurrection- (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) we’ve lost the line. ists hit him. If the doors to this Chamber had been The MPD officer calls out ‘‘10–33.’’ Officer Hodges’ experience reminds breached just minutes earlier, imagine That is the code for emergency, officer you of what he and many other officers what they could have done with those in need of assistance; his words, ‘‘We’ve experienced that day, what they went cuffs. lost the line.’’ through. After insurrectionists occupied the Hours after Members of the House We are also reminded of three offi- Capitol and stopped the joint session and Senate had left this area on the cers who lost their lives: Capitol Hill from counting the votes, the Capitol west front of the building, the mob Police Officers Sicknick, Liebengood, was in lockdown for 5 hours. continued to grow, continued to beat and Metropolitan Police Officer Smith. As long as it took to get back to the the officers, as they tried to get in. In many law enforcement families, Capitol, to get back to the certifi- In this new security video, you can we pray for our loved ones, and we cation of the election, it could have see the mob attacking officers with a know the scripture of Matthew 5:9, been so much longer, or we might not crutch, a hockey stick, a bull horn, and ‘‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they have been able to resume at all. As hor- a Trump flag. shall be called the children of God.’’ rific as it was—140 officers injured, 3 of- (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) I am sorry I have to show you the ficers who ultimately lost their lives— I want to show you that same attack next video, but in it you will see how we all know that awful day could have from the officer’s perspective, from his blessed we were that on that hellish been so much worse. The only reason it body camera footage. day, we had a peacemaker like Officer was not was because of the extraor- (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) Hodges protecting our lives, our staffs’ dinary bravery of the men and women This body camera footage is from 4:27 lives, this Capitol, and the certifi- of the Capitol Police and the Metro- p.m., over 2 hours from when the Cap- cation process. politan Police Departments. For hours itol was first breached. The attack on May we do all we can in this Cham- and hours, these insurrectionists were police that afternoon was constant. ber to make sure that never happens in hand-to-hand combat with these Metropolitan Police Officer Michael again. brave men and women. Fanone, a 20-year police veteran with (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) Like some of you, I come from a law four daughters, was part of a line of of- RECESS enforcement family. My dad was a cop. ficers protecting the Capitol. He was The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The My two brothers—my little brothers one of three officers whom the mob majority leader. are cops who walk the beat today. I am dragged down the stairs. When they Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, we proud of them. And like in every law dragged him, they stole his badge, his will now have a recess for dinner, and enforcement family, when we hang up radio, his ammunition magazine, and we will resume at 6:15. the phone, we don’t only say ‘‘I love they tased him, triggered a heart at- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under you,’’ we say ‘‘Be safe.’’ tack. the previous order, the Senate stands So let’s focus now on the attack and Here he describes his experience. in recess until 6:15 p.m. what it was like for the officers defend- (Text of video presentation of 1–6– Thereupon, the Senate, at 5:25 p.m., ing the Capitol that day. And, again, I 2021.) recessed until 6:15 p.m. and reassem- want to warn you that the following Officer Fanone. It looked like a medieval bled at 6:28 p.m., when called to order audio and videos are graphic and are battle scene. It was some of the most brutal by the President pro tempore. unsettling, but it is important that we combat, you know, I have ever—ever encoun- MANAGERS’ PRESENTATION—CONTINUED understand the extent of what oc- tered. At one point I got tased. People were The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Mr. curred. yelling at me, ‘We got one. We got one.’ RASKIN. Here is an audio recording from the Officer Christina Laury, who regu- Mr. Manager RASKIN. Mr. President, radio traffic of the DC Metropolitan larly serves in MPD’s Narcotics and distinguished Members of the Senate, Police Department describing the vio- Specialized Investigation Division, also Managers CICILLINE and CASTRO will lence. protected the front Capitol entrance. now remind us of what President (Text of audio presentation of 1–6– Here is her experience. Trump was doing during the attack. 2021.) (Text of video presentation of 1–6– They will show how he continued to Cruiser 50, I copy. We’re still talking 2021.) stoke the insurrection and refused to rocks, bottles, and pieces of flag and metal Officer Laury. I mean, I can’t say enough speak out against the violence or do pole. about the officers that were there, the offi- anything to stop it.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.037 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S639 Mr. CICILLINE. (Text of video presentation of 1–6– Capitol perimeter at 1:49, Donald Mr. Manager CICILLINE. Mr. Presi- 2021.) Trump released a propaganda reel of dent, distinguished Senators, you just President TRUMP. We’re going to the Cap- his ‘‘Save America’’ speech that he had heard from my colleagues about the itol, and we’re going to try and give—and given an hour before. harrowing events that happened here we’re going to try and give our Repub- I want to be clear. The events I just at the Capitol on January 6 and saw licans—the weak ones because the strong described—the rioters breaching the that very disturbing video, and now I ones don’t need any of our help—we’re going Capitol, attacking law enforcement, to try and give them the kind of pride and would like to turn your attention to boldness that they need to take back our the violence that is being broadcast all what was happening on the other end country. over the television for the whole world of Pennsylvania Avenue at the White So let’s walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. to see, including the President of the House. I want to thank you all. God bless you, and United States—I want to show you: The truth is, the facts are that on God bless America. This is what is happening right before January 6, Donald Trump did not once Thank you all for being here. This is in- Donald Trump sends that video out credible. Thank you very much. condemn this attack. He did not once (People chanting: ‘‘Fight for Trump.’’) again and as he does it. condemn the attackers. In fact, on Jan- (Text of video presentation of 1–6– Now, you have seen what happened uary 6, the only person he condemned 2021.) when these supporters, following his was his own Vice President, Mike orders, arrived here at the Capitol. But President TRUMP. Our country has had Pence, who was hiding in this building enough. We will not take it anymore and we want to look at what happened with his family in fear for his life. that’s what this is all about. And to use a fa- next. Now, you will recall, during the In the first crucial hours of this vio- vorite term that all of you people really speech, President Trump said, ‘‘We’re lent attack, he did nothing to stop it, came up with: We will stop the steal. Be- going to the Capitol,’’ sort of sug- nothing to help us. cause you’ll never take back our country gesting he was going to go with this with weakness. You have to show strength, By all accounts, from the people that crowd. Of course, that was not true. and you have to be strong. were around him, he was delighted. But let’s hear what he said. And here is the last thing Donald Even if President Trump claims he (Text of video presentation of 1–6– Trump said that day, and you might didn’t know the extent of the violence 2021.) remember this from my motions pres- that would follow his speech, it was President TRUMP. Now it is up to Con- entation earlier in the week. now happening in plain view, broadcast gress to confront this egregious assault on on television. His supporters were at- At 6 p.m. on January 6, after all the our democracy. And after this, we’re going destruction that you just saw, Capitol tacking law enforcement. The mayor to walk down, and I’ll be there with you. and the police chief were calling for Police and the National Guard fighting We’re going to walk down. We’re going to to secure this building, here is what walk down. help. Members of Congress and the Vice Donald Trump tweeted: Any one you want, but I think right here. President were inside scared for their We’re going to walk down to the Capitol. lives. These are the things and events that hap- pen when a sacred landslide election victory This, of course, was not true. He did He doesn’t send help, and he doesn’t is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped not go with them to the Capitol. He try to stop it. He doesn’t even acknowl- away from great patriots who have been left and went back to the White House, edge the attack. Instead, our Com- badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go and while he was en route to the White mander in Chief tweeted the video of home with love & in peace. Remember this House, violence began to grow here at the speech that he had given before, day forever! the Capitol. that included language like ‘‘our coun- He got what he incited, and accord- And within minutes of Donald try has had enough. We will not take it ing to Donald Trump, we got what we Trump’s speech ending, there were sig- anymore and that’s what this is all deserve. Donald Trump’s incitement of nificant reports of escalating violence about. . . . You have to be strong.’’ this insurrection, including his derelic- that began to surface. Buildings around Those around Donald Trump—this tion of his duty as Commander in Chief the Capitol were starting to be evacu- was later reported—were disgusted. His to defend the Capitol and the people in ated, and by 1:15, an explosive device close aides, his advisers, those working it, his complete refusal to condemn the had been found at the DNC, and a pipe for him, former officials, and even his attack while it was going on, and his bomb had been found at the RNC about family were begging him to do some- continuing to incite the violence dur- 15 minutes earlier. The House Sergeant thing. Kellyanne Conway, the Presi- ing the attack require impeachment. at Arms had called for immediate as- dent’s close adviser, called to ‘‘add her Now, let’s turn to then-President sistance. At 1:34 p.m., the mayor of name’’ to the chorus of aides urging Trump’s conduct that day. I want to Washington, DC, called for additional Donald Trump to take action. Ivanka start at the beginning, when he ad- National Guard troops. Trump, the President’s own daughter, dressed his thousands of great patriots, I won’t go through all of the details went to the Oval Office ‘‘as soon as’’ as he called them that morning. of violence that unfolded here. You just the rioting escalated, and as was con- Around noon, Donald Trump began saw that. But as we walk through what firmed by Senator GRAHAM, ‘‘trying to speaking at his rally just down Penn- our Commander in Chief did that day, get [Trump] to speak out, to tell every- sylvania Avenue. Even before Donald I want to be very clear about exactly one to leave.’’ Trump finished speaking, his sup- what was happening here at the same Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY porters began to walk down toward the time. called Jared Kushner, ‘‘pleading with Capitol, and they were already starting For 40 minutes, while buildings were him to persuade Trump to issue a to chant ‘‘stop the steal’’ and ‘‘storm being cleared, pipe bombs were being statement’’ or to do something. And the Capitol’’ and ‘‘invade the Capitol’’ found, and his supporters were literally Kushner, too, went down to the White and ‘‘fight for Trump.’’ breaching the perimeter of the Capitol House after that call. And by 12:53 p.m., they had violently and overwhelming law enforcement. And it wasn’t just the people at the forced their way through the barri- You saw the violence that was occur- White House. Members of Congress cades here at the Capitol. Now, about 1 ring. We heard nothing from the Presi- from both parties, who were trapped o’clock that day, with this chaos just dent of the United States. We didn’t here, were calling the White House to starting, Speaker PELOSI, as the Con- hear anything from Donald Trump ask for help. Some Members even ap- stitution requires, formally com- until 1:49 p.m., when, while all of this pealed directly to Donald Trump. menced the process by which this is unfolding, President Trump sent out These Members who had ‘‘been loyal Chamber certifies election results. a tweet. Trump supporters and were even will- Within 10 minutes, at 1:11 p.m., as if This was the first thing he did when ing to vote against the electoral col- almost on cue, Donald Trump con- he learned the U.S. Capitol, with all lege results, were now scared for their cluded his speech with his final re- the Members of Congress and his own lives.’’ minder to the thousands gathered Vice President, was under violent at- Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY re- there: It was time to go to the Capitol. tack. What was that tweet? Nearly an peatedly even got into a screaming Let’s watch. hour after the rioters breached the match as the attack was under way,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.039 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S640 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 demanding that Mr. Trump do some- Instead, he attempted to call Senator they’re trying to rush this hearing and how thing, issue a statement denouncing TUBERVILLE. He dialed Senator LEE by we need you, our Republican friends, to try the mob. accident. to just slow it down. I imagine many of you sitting here (Text deleted.) This was the singular focus of Donald today picked up your phone and tried Let’s be clear. At roughly 2 p.m., Trump during this bloody, violent at- to reach somebody at the White House when Donald Trump was walking tack on the Capitol: stopping the cer- to ask for help. This wasn’t partisan around the White House watching the tification. politics. These were Americans from TV delighted and spent 5 to 10 minutes Look, as I mentioned, I was a trial all sides trying to force our Com- talking to Senator TUBERVILLE, urging lawyer for 16 years. Sometimes, you mander in Chief to protect and defend him to delay the election results, this have to ask a jury to use reasonable in- our country. He was required to do is what was happening in the Capitol. ferences to piece together a defendant’s that. (Video presentation.) state of mind. We don’t have to do this Now, the extent of how many people You saw Senator LANKFORD stop here. While our country was violently tried to reach the President to get him speaking and leave the floor quickly in attacked by an armed mob, President to act is not known. But what is clear, that clip because the insurgents had Trump not only refused to stop the at- what we know without any doubt, is broken through the barricades and en- tack or even address the attack at all, that from the very beginning, the peo- tered the building. And as these armed he made clear his focus was on the ple around Donald Trump lobbied him insurrectionists banged on the doors, same goal of the attackers he incited: to take command. What is also clear is Members of Congress were told to put to stop the certification process and what Donald Trump, our Commander on their gas masks, to put bags over prevent the peaceful transition of in Chief, did in those initial hours to their heads for safety, and prepare to power. The only action we know that protect us. Nothing. Not a thing. He evacuate. And Donald Trump was call- he took an hour into this attack was to knew it was happening. The attack was ing to ask the Senator to delay the cer- call Senator TUBERVILLE to ask him to on TV. We all know that President tification process. Let that sink in. delay the certification. This is as clear Trump had the power to stop these at- Donald Trump didn’t get to finish evidence as I have ever seen of what tacks. He was our Commander in Chief. that call. It was cut off because the Donald Trump really cared about that day. He had the power to assess the security Senators had to move to another loca- Now, look, the certification process, situation, send backup, and send help. tion, for your security. And thank God He also had incited these violent at- as we all know, includes debate and ob- they did because as the call was occur- jections. Some of us disagreed, but we tacks. They were listening to him. He ring, the rioters got closer to the Sen- could have commanded them to leave, came here on January 6 to formally ad- ate Chamber, and as we all know now, but he didn’t. minister the certification process pur- but for the heroism of Capitol Police The first critical hour and a half of suant to our constitutional duties. At this bloody attack, Donald Trump Officer Eugene Goodman and other law the end of it, Congress certified the re- tweeted his rally speech and did noth- enforcement officers who took them in sults to ensure that we continue to be ing else. And we know why. We know a different direction to the police line, a country with leaders who are elected his state of mind that prompted his they very likely would have gotten by the people for the people. utter, complete refusal to defend us. It here. Donald Trump’s objections to the was reported by those around him. Think about that. Armed insurrec- certification are not on trial, but what The President, as reported by sources tionists with guns, weapons, zip ties, is on trial is, while we were under at the time, was delighted. As he brass knuckles, they were coming for armed attack and being evacuated, watched the violence unfold on tele- us. They were inside the United States while our law enforcement officers vision, President Trump was reportedly Capitol, trying to stop the certification were fighting for their lives, our Com- ‘‘borderline enthusiastic because it process. The police were outnumbered. mander in Chief was calling not to de- meant the certification was being de- And but for the grace of God, they termine how to best secure the build- railed.’’ would have gotten us, all of us. ing and the people in it but to continue Senator BEN SASSE relayed a con- And our Commander in Chief makes to pressure Senators to stop the certifi- versation with senior White House offi- a call about an hour after the siege cation process and a peaceful transfer cials that President Trump was ‘‘walk- began, not to preserve, protect, and de- of power, just as he incited the mob to ing around the White House confused fend you and our country and the Cap- do earlier in the day. This was a about why other people on his team itol but to join forces with the mob and breathtaking dereliction of his duty weren’t as excited as he was.’’ pressure a Senator to stop certifi- and a violation of his oath as our Com- Mr. Trump’s reaction to this attack, cation. We just can’t get numb to this mander in Chief. reportedly, genuinely freaked people kind of behavior. Senators, before I hand this over to out. I understand why. We just suffered There can be no doubt as to the pur- Manager CASTRO to walk through the a very serious attack, an attack on our pose of Donald Trump’s call, that he rest of the day, please let me make one country. And we saw them—the people was not calling to assess the security final point. These attackers stood right around him—do it. But when Donald threats or to check on the well-being of where you are. They went through that Trump saw it, he was delighted. you or anyone else. Indeed, later on rostrum. They rifled through your Now, what President Trump did next that evening, while all of the destruc- desks, and they desecrated this place. confirms why he was so delighted, why tion and damage still continued, dozens And literally, the President sat de- he wanted this, because it shows that of officers were being treated for seri- lighted, doing nothing to help us, call- his singular focus that day—the day we ous injuries. Deaths were confirmed. ing one of you to pressure you to stop were attacked—was not protecting us, About 7 p.m., the President’s personal the certification. was not protecting you, was not pro- lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, made a call, and It can’t be that the Commander in tecting the Capitol, but it was stopping just in case you don’t think there was Chief can incite a lawless, bloody in- the certification of the election re- some coordination, he also called Sen- surrection and then utterly fail in his sults. ator LEE’s phone trying to reach Sen- duty as Commander in Chief to defend The evidence is clear. Shortly after 2 ator TUBERVILLE. We don’t have to us from the attack, to defend our law p.m., as the siege was fully under way, guess as to what Rudy Giuliani said in enforcement officers from that attack, then-President Trump made a call. that voicemail because we have it re- and just get away with it. Donald This is the first call that we are aware corded. So let’s listen to what the Trump abdicated his duty to us all. We he made to anyone inside the Capitol President’s personal lawyer said on the have to make this right, and you can during the attack. He didn’t call the night of this attack. make it right. Vice President to ask how he could (Text of audio presentation.) Mr. Manager CASTRO of Texas. My help defend the Capitol. He didn’t call Mr. GIULIANI. Senator Tuberville—or I fellow manager DAVID CICILLINE the next two in line to succession of should say Coach Tuberville, this is Rudy showed you what President Trump did the Presidency to check on their safety Giuliani, the President’s lawyer. I’m calling and did not do in those first critical or well-being. you because I want to discuss with you how hours of the attack.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.041 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S641 He sent a tweet at 1:49 p.m., where he tify or correct a set of facts, not (inaudible) As this was unfolding and the crowd reposted a video of the speech that in- defraud ones or inaccurate ones, which they grew more violent, the President, of cited the attack, and he called a Sen- were asked to previously certify. U.S. de- course, was not alone at the White mands the truth. House, and the people closest to him— ator to ask him to delay the certifi- Unidentified Speaker. Mike Pence, anar- cation as the Senator was being evacu- chist. Mike Pence, anarchist. his family and advisers—who saw this ated for his own safety. Unidentified Speaker. (Inaudible.) Can I unfolding in realtime, begged him, im- We left off around 2:15 p.m. At this speak to Pelosi? Yeah, we’re coming, bitch. plored him to stop the attack. point, insurgents were inside the Sen- Oh, Mike Pence, we’re coming for you, too, An aide to MARK MEADOWS, the Presi- ate and the House, and the Senate had fucking traitor. dent’s Chief of Staff, urged his boss to been evacuated for everyone’s safety. Unidentified Speaker. Donald J. Trump go see the President, saying: ‘‘They are As you saw, Vice President Mike Pence better (inaudible). going to kill people.’’ Unidentified Speaker. Full house. ‘‘They are going to kill people.’’ That and his family even had to be evacu- Unidentified Speaker. (Inaudible) Mike ated for their safety. Pence let us down. Mike Pence let us down, is what those around President Trump Now, you will recall Donald Trump people. If you want to get something done, feared, and still nothing. It wasn’t had made Vice President Pence a tar- you are going to have to do it yourself. until 2:38 p.m., nearly 2 hours after the get. He attacked the Vice President at The insurgents amplified President start of the siege, that Donald Trump the rallies, in speeches, and on Twitter. Trump’s tweet attacking the Vice even acknowledged the attack. And And during President Trump’s speech President with a bullhorn. They were when he finally did acknowledge the that morning of the attack, he ramped paying attention, and they also fol- attack, here is what he said. it up again. After privately pressuring lowed instructions. In fact, the insur- On the right you will see what had Mike Pence in front of thousands in gents were at one point, as you saw, 60 been happening prior to that tweet and the crowd, he called Mike Pence out 11 feet away from the Vice President and as he sent the tweet, and on the left times, including saying: the Vice President’s family. Some of you will see exactly what he tweeted. (Text of video presentation of 1–6– these insurgents were heard saying (Text of video presentation of 1–6– 2021.) ‘‘that they hoped to find Vice Presi- 2021.) Mike Pence, I hope you’re going to stand dent Mike Pence and execute him by Unidentified Speaker. I’m going to stop you there for just one moment because we do up for the good of our Constitution and for hanging him from a Capitol Hill tree as the good of your country. And if you’re not, have some breaking news. We want to bring a traitor,’’ and then they erected a gal- in congressional correspondent Chad I’m [going] to be . . . disappointed in you. I lows with a noose. will tell you right now. Pergram as this is all developing right now. This is what Donald Trump incited. Chad, I understand the Capitol is now on And this was the crowd’s response to Please take a close look at that pic- lockdown? Donald Trump’s days of relentless at- ture. It hearkens back to our Nation’s Mr. Pergram. They’re definitely fired up. tacks on his own Vice President: worst history of lynching. The chant, by the way, I heard the most (Text of video presentation.) A President’s words have the power today was ‘‘fight for Trump,’’ and that’s (People chanting: ‘‘Hang Mike Pence.’’) clearly what many of them feel they’re to move people to action, and these doing. By 2:15 p.m., the crowd was chanting were the results. Unidentified Speaker. Hold the line. in unison ‘‘Hang Mike Pence’’ outside And why did the President incite (People singing: ‘‘O, the land of the free.’’) the very building he had been evacu- such rage against the Vice President? That is what our President saw un- ated from with his family. He was fulfilling his constitutional folding in realtime, broadcast all over Now, even if President Trump didn’t duty, as we all were that day. Vice television, and this is what he tweeted know that his inflammatory remarks Presidents in this country have been at 2:38 p.m.: about his Vice President would result carrying out this constitutional duty— Please support our Capitol Police and Law in chants of ‘‘Hang Mike Pence,’’ by overseeing the certification of election Enforcement. They are truly on the side of 2:15 p.m., he surely knew. The attack results—without incident, without con- our Country. Stay peaceful! was all over television. They were test, without a word, for the entirety of Much has been made of the fact that doing this out in the open. This was a our Nation. It is part of our peaceful in this tweet he says, ‘‘Stay peaceful.’’ Vice President whose life, whose fam- transition of power in the United Senators, ‘‘Stay peaceful’’? Think ily’s life, was being threatened by peo- States. about that for a second. These folks ple whom the President had summoned The Vice President said he reviewed were not peaceful. They were breaking to the Capitol. And what did President the Constitution and he could not windows, pushing through law enforce- Trump do in response? Did he stop? Did block certification, as President ment officers, waving the flag as they he tell his base: No, don’t attack my Trump wanted him and was pressuring invaded this Capitol Building. This was Vice President. Even when President him to do. He told the President in a a violent, armed attack. Trump knew what his words were caus- letter that morning, a few hours before ‘‘Stay peaceful’’? How about: Stop ing, he didn’t do any of those things to President Trump’s tweet: the attack. Stop the violence. stop the crowd. In fact, he did the op- [I will] approach this moment with [a] ‘‘Stay peaceful’’? How about you say: posite. He fueled the fire. sense of duty and an open mind, setting poli- Immediately leave. Stop. At 2:24 p.m., he tweeted: tics and personal interests aside, and do [my] And he said: ‘‘Please support our Law Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do part to faithfully discharge our duties under Enforcement.’’ How about he actually what should have been done to protect our the Constitution. I also pray that we will do support our law enforcement by telling country and our Constitution. . . . USA de- so with humility and faith. these insurgents to leave the Capitol mands the truth. And the President’s response to that immediately, which he never did. He Over an hour and a half into the at- statement was to attack Mike Pence didn’t because, the truth is, he didn’t tack, and this is what he tweeted. And while he was with his family under the want it to stop. He wanted them to he still, even at this point, did not ac- threat of a violent mob. The Vice stay and to stop the certification. And knowledge the attack on the Capitol, President was following his faith, his his failure had grave and deadly con- let alone condemn it. Instead, he fur- duty, and his oath to our Nation. sequences. ther incites the mob against his own The Vice President and I don’t agree By 2:45 p.m., the warnings were trag- Vice President, whose life was being on too much in politics, but he is a ically proven correct. Ashli Babbitt threatened. man who upholds his oath, his faith, was shot by an officer as she tried to Well, some of you may say: Well, who his duty, and most of all upholds the break through a glass door to reach the was paying attention anyway? Well, Constitution. And Mike Pence is not a Speaker’s Lobby. that mob was paying attention. traitor to this country. He is a patriot. At this point, the pleas to Donald (Text of video presentation.) And he and his family, who was with Trump, publicly and privately, grew Unidentified Speaker. Mike Pence didn’t him that day, didn’t deserve this, even more desperate. At 2:54 p.m., have the courage to do what should have didn’t deserve a President unleashing a Alyssa Farah, a former strategic com- been done to protect our country and our mob on them, especially because he munications director, begged the Presi- Constitution, giving States a chance to cer- was just doing his job. dent:

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.043 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S642 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 Condemn this now. You are the only one mander in Chief saw happening, and that brings me to my next point. You they will listen to. For our country! that was his response. heard from my colleagues that when Mick Mulvaney, the President’s You will notice one of the things he planning this attack, the insurgents former Chief of Staff, his right-hand says to his mob, to these insurrection- predicted that Donald Trump would man at one point, tweeted at 3:01: ists, rather than to stop or to leave, command the National Guard to help The President’s tweet is not enough. He was to say thank you. Thank you. them. can stop this now and needs to do exactly Thank you for what? Thank you for There is a lot that we don’t know yet that. Tell these folks to go home. shattering the windows and destroying about what happened that day, but He can stop this now. Tell these folks to go property? Thank you for injuring more here is what we do know: Donald home. than 140 police officers? Thank you for Trump did not send help to these offi- At 3:06 p.m., Representative MCCAR- putting in danger all of our lives and cers who were badly outnumbered, THY appeared on FOX News. Here is the lives of our families? overwhelmed, and being beaten down. what he said. How about, instead of ‘‘thank you,’’ Two hours into the insurrection, by 3 (Text of video presentation of 1–6– Donald Trump, on that day, acted like p.m., President Trump had not de- 2021.) our Commander in Chief and stopped ployed the National Guard or any other Mr. MCCARTHY. I could not be sadder or this, as only he could, and told those law enforcement to help, despite mul- more disappointed with the way our country people to leave. tiple pleas to do so. looks at this very moment. People are get- Here is what former Governor Chris President Donald Trump was at the ting hurt. Anyone involved in this, if you’re Christie, his very good friend, said time our Commander in Chief of the hearing me, hear me very loud and clear: after that tweet. This is not the American way. United States of America. He took a (Text of video presentation of 1–6– solemn oath to preserve, protect, and He is saying on FOX News, which the 2021.) defend this country, and he failed to President watches: This is not the Mr. Christie. It’s pretty simple. The Presi- uphold that oath. In fact, there is no American way. Stop the attack. dent caused this protest to occur. He is the indication that President Trump ever Representative GALLAGHER, at 3:11 only one who can make it stop. What the made a call to have the Guard deployed p.m., while secured in his own office, President said is not good enough. The Presi- or had anything to do with the Guard posted a video to Twitter. dent has to come out and tell his supporters being deployed when it ultimately was. (Text of video presentation of 1–6– to leave the Capitol grounds and to allow the Shortly after 3:04 p.m., the Acting 2021.) Congress to do their business peacefully, and anything short of that is an abrogation of his Defense Secretary announced that the Mr. GALLAGHER. Mr. President, you have responsibility. Guard had been activated and listed got to stop this. You are the only person who the people he spoke with prior to this can call this off. Call it off. He is right. Chris Christie is right. We know how Donald Trump acts on activation, including Vice President And then, when the President didn’t Mike Pence, Speaker PELOSI, Leader answer his pleas on Twitter, Represent- Twitter and otherwise when he has a message to convey. In fact, I asked you MCCONNELL, Senator SCHUMER, and ative GALLAGHER went on live tele- Representative HOYER. But that list vision. to remember those tweets earlier this morning when he yelled on Twitter: did not include the President. This (Text of video presentation of 1–6– omission of his name was reportedly 2021.) ‘‘STOP THE COUNT.’’ When he wanted to incite his sup- not accidental. According to reports, Mr. GALLAGHER. I mean, this is insane. I ‘‘Trump initially rebuffed requests to mean—I—I have not seen anything like this porters to show up on January 6, Presi- dent Trump tweeted 16 times between mobilize the National Guard and re- since I deployed to Iraq in 2007 and 2008. I quired interference by other officials,’’ mean, this is America, and this is what is midnight on January 5 and his noon happening right now. We need—the President rally/speech the next day—16 times to including his own White House Coun- needs to call it off. Like, call it off. Call it get them to do something he wanted. sel. And later, ‘‘as a mob of Trump sup- off. And his message in those 16 times was porters breached police barricades and Representative GALLAGHER, you see clear: ‘‘Fight.’’ ‘‘Stay strong.’’ ‘‘Be seized the Capitol,’’ Trump reportedly there, said he had not seen anything strong.’’ was ‘‘disengaged in discussions with like this since he was deployed in Iraq. But when the violence started, he Pentagon leaders about deploying the The message around the President never once said the one thing everyone National Guard to aid the overwhelmed was clear, from everyone: You need to around him was begging him to say: U.S. Capitol Police.’’ President Trump call this off. Stop it. Stop the attack. He refused to stop it. was reportedly ‘‘completely, totally But does he? No. His next tweet was And as Governor Christie and Rep- out of it. He made no attempt to reach not until about 3:13 p.m. Once again, it resentative KINZINGER and others made [the National Guard.]’’ And it was Vice is important to consider what was hap- clear, only Donald Trump could have President Pence, still under threat for pening between Donald Trump’s 2:38 stopped that attack. his life, who reportedly spoke to the p.m. tweet and his next tweet at 3:13 (Text of video presentation of 1–6– Guard. p.m. 2021.) President Trump’s conduct confirms You will see footage from the attack Mr. KINZINGER. You know, a guy who this too. At no point on January 6 did during that time on the right and Don- knows how to tweet very aggressively on Donald Trump even reference the Na- ald Trump’s tweet on the left. Twitter, you know, puts out one of the weak- tional Guard. The only thing that we (Text of video presentation of 1–6– est statements on one of the saddest days in heard connecting the President to the 2021.) American history because his ego won’t let Guard was from his Press Secretary, him admit defeat. Unidentified Speaker. We’ve been informed who tweeted about the Guard being de- that protesters have penetrated the Capitol. He was not just our Commander in ployed at the President’s direction over Unidentified Speaker. This is my fucking Chief. He had incited the attack. The half an hour later, at 3:36 p.m. building. insurgents were following his com- We have seen what Donald Trump Unidentified Speaker. I tell ya, the senti- mands, as we saw when they read aloud does when he tries to take credit for ment in the streets is really getting to a dif- the tweet attacking the Vice Presi- something, and yet, even when the Na- ferent level. This is spinning out of control. dent. They confirmed this during the tional Guard was finally deployed, he This is turning violent. This is getting dan- attack too. didn’t even acknowledge it. In fact, he gerous. Unidentified Speaker. Stand up for Amer- (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) didn’t say a word about the National ica. Senators, ask yourselves this: How Guard the entire day. Think about Unidentified Speaker. Don’t touch me. easy would it have been for the Presi- that: the bloodiest attack we have seen Unidentified Speaker. Don’t get in his way. dent to give a simple command, a sim- on our Capitol since 1812 and our Presi- Unidentified Speaker. Get the fuck out of ple instruction, just telling them: Stop. dent couldn’t be bothered to even men- here. Leave. tion that help was on its way. This isn’t 10 minutes into the insur- This was a dereliction of duty, plain These insurgents had been attacking rection. This isn’t just after his speech and simple, and it would have been for our government for over 4 hours by earlier that day. That is what our Com- any President who had done that. And that point. And we may have been the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.044 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE February 10, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S643 target, but it was the brave men and Even after all the things we wit- foreseeable. He is saying: I told you women who protect our Capitol who nessed, even after all of that carnage, this was going to happen if you cer- were out there combating thousands of he goes out and tells the same big lie, tified the election for anyone else, and armed insurgents in a fight for their the same big lie that enraged and in- you got what you deserved for trying lives, and that is who Donald Trump cited the attack. He repeated this to take my power away. left entirely unprotected. while the attack was ongoing and while [G]reat patriots. . . . Go home with love & (Video presentation of 1–6–2021.) we were still under threat. in peace. Remember this day forever! This is hard to watch, but I think it And here is what else he said: He is saying to them: You did good. is important to understand what the Go home in peace. He is not regretful. He is not grieving. Capitol Police were facing, how se- We love you, you’re very special. He is not sad. He is not angry about the verely they were outnumbered while Senators, you were here. You saw attack. He is celebrating it. He is com- our Commander in Chief, whose job it this with your own eyes. You faced memorating it. was to protect and defend them, was that danger. And when President This is the entirety of what Presi- just watching, doing nothing for hours, Trump had an opportunity to confront dent Trump said to the public once the refusing to send help. If he wanted to them as the leader of us all, as our attack began—five tweets and a protect these officers, if he cared about Commander in Chief, what did he tell prerecorded video. On the day of the their safety, as he tweeted about, he them? most bloody insurrection we faced in would have told his supporters to We love you, you’re very special. generations, our Commander in Chief, leave. He would have sent help right This was not a condemnation; this who is known for sending 108 tweets in away. was a message of consolation, of sup- a normal day, sent 5 tweets and a One brave officer was killed. Others port, of praise. And if there is any prerecorded video. That is the entirety took their lives after the attack. More doubt that his supporters, these insur- of President Trump’s public statements than 140 police officers were injured, gents, took this as a message of sup- from when the attack began until he including cracked ribs, smashed spinal port and praise, watch for yourselves. went to bed on January 6. That is all discs. One officer will lose an eye. An- (Text of video presentation.) he did despite all the people we know other was stabbed with a metal fence Mr. Angeli. Donald Trump asked every- who begged him to preserve, protect, stake. They were completely and vio- body to go home. He just said—he just put and defend. That was our Commander lently overwhelmed by a mob and need- out a tweet. It is a minute long. He asked ev- in Chief’s response. ed help, and our Commander in Chief, erybody to go home. He began the day with ‘‘Our country President Trump, refused to send it. Unidentified Speaker. Why do you think has had enough, we will not take it Senators, you have seen all the evi- so? anymore, and that’s what this is all dence so far, and this is clear: On Janu- Mr. Angeli. Because we won the fucking about,’’ and he ended the attack with ary 6, President Trump left everyone in day. We fucking won. Unidentified Speaker. How did we win? letting us know that we got what he this Capitol for dead. For the next hour Mr. Angeli. Well, we won by sending a mes- forewarned that morning. after President Trump’s 3 p.m. tweet, sage to the Senators and the Congressmen, We will, of course, each of us, remem- he still did nothing. Not until 4:17 p.m., we won by sending a message to Pence, OK, ber that day forever, but not in the over 31⁄2 hours after the violence start- that if they don’t do as—as it is their oath way that President Trump intended, ed, did our President send a message fi- do, if they don’t uphold the Constitution, not because of the actions of these vio- nally asking the insurgents to go then we will remove them from office, one lent, unpatriotic insurrectionists. I home. way or another. will remember that day forever be- On the right, you will see what hap- I suspect you recognize that man. cause despite President Trump’s vi- pened that day in the hours leading up You will hear him say that ‘‘we won cious attempts throughout the day to to his prerecorded video. On the left, the day.’’ Who won the day? We know encourage the siege and block the cer- you will see his message. Let’s watch. that at least five people lost their lives tification, he failed. At 8:06 p.m., the (Text of video presentation.) that day. The House and the Senate Senate gaveled into session, and the President TRUMP. I know your pain, I were in life-threatening danger, and so counting of the electoral votes contin- know you’re hurt, we had an election that was the Vice President, and think of ued. About an hour later, the House was stolen from us. It was a landslide elec- everyone else here as well. Who won on followed suit. And close to 4 a.m., after tion and everyone knows it, especially the January 6? That is not a win for Amer- other side. But you have to go home now. We spending a significant part of the day ica, but it is a win for Donald Trump evacuated or on the floor or hiding, have to have peace. We have to have law and unless we hold him accountable. order. We have to respect our great people in this great body fulfilled the will of the law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt. Now, a little over an hour after that people and certified the electoral col- It’s a very tough period of time. There’s video, the brave members of law en- lege vote. never been a time like this, where such a forcement secured the Capitol, and we And I am proud to be part of Con- thing happened, where they could take it as a Congress got ready to continue gress. I am proud that we ensured that away from all of us. From me, from you, certifying the results of our free and the will of the American people finally from our country. This was a fraudulent fair election. election, but we can’t play into the hands of prevailed on that day. And I am proud A half hour after that, President that I and everyone in this room abided these people. We have to have peace. So go Trump issued another tweet. In case home. We love you, you’re very special. by our oath of office even if the Presi- We’ve seen what happens, you see the way there was any doubt as to whether he dent didn’t abide by his. others are treated that are so bad and so was happy with the people who did President Trump, too, took an oath evil. I know how you feel. But go home and this, as to whether he had incited this, as President. He swore on a Bible to go home in peace. he commemorated what happened on preserve, protect, and defend. And who This is the first time our Commander January 6. among us can honestly say they believe in Chief spoke publicly at all since the At 6:01 p.m. on January 6, he tweeted: that he upheld that oath? Who among attack began, over 31⁄2 hours after it These are the things and events that hap- us will let his utter dereliction of duty started, and these are the entirety of pen when a sacred landslide election victory stand? the words the President spoke out loud is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped Mr. Manager RASKIN. Mr. President, away from great patriots who have been to the American people or to the badly & unfairly treated for so long. the managers are prepared to recess for attackers that entire day. the evening and to finish our opening Ending with: Nowhere in that video, not once did statement tomorrow. he say: I condemn this insurrection. I Remember this day forever! Mr. LEE. Mr. President. condemn what you did today. My colleague Manager CICILLINE Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President. Nowhere did he say: I am sending started with this tweet because this The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The help immediately. Stop this. tweet shows exactly how Donald majority leader is—— Here is what he said instead: Trump felt about what happened on Mr. LEE. Pursuant to impeachment I know your pain, I know you’re hurt. We January 6. ‘‘These are the things . . . rule XVI, I make a motion. Statements had an election that was stolen. that happen.’’ He is saying this was were attributed to me moments ago by

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:10 Feb 11, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G10FE6.046 S10FEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE S644 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 10, 2021 the House impeachment managers, rect; that the party’s presentations are Mr. LEE. I ask unanimous consent to statements relating to the content of not limited to the record provided in vitiate the appeal—the request that I conversations between—a phone call section 1 of that resolution. made. involving President Trump and Sen- Mr. LEE. Mr. President, that is not I withdraw the request for the yeas ator TUBERVILLE—were not made by my motion. You have ruled on a mo- and nays. me, they are not accurate, and they are tion—you ruled on something that was The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- contrary to fact. I move, pursuant to not what I moved. What I asked was, out objection. rule XVI, that they be stricken from statements were attributed to me, re- Mr. SCHUMER. I withdraw the the record. peatedly, as to which I have personal quorum call and call on the manager, UNIDENTIFIED SENATOR. Second. knowledge because I am the source. Mr. RASKIN, for a brief statement. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Pur- They are not true. I never made those Mr. Manager RASKIN. Thank you, suant to S. Res. 47, section 4, parties’ statements. I ask that they be strick- Mr. SCHUMER. presentations are not limited to the en. This has nothing to do with wheth- The impeachment manager, Mr. record provided for in section 1 of that er or not they are based on depositions, CICILLINE, correctly and accurately resolution. which they are not. It is simply based quoted a newspaper account, which the Mr. LEE. I appeal the ruling of the on the fact that I am the witness. I am distinguished Senator has taken objec- Chair. the only witness. Those statements are tion to, so we are happy to withdraw it. Mr. PAUL. I second. not true, and I ask that you strike Mr. LEE. Because it is not true. I ask for the yeas and nays. them. Mr. Manager RASKIN. On the Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, we The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The grounds it is not true, and we are—— might as well hear clearly what the yeas and nays were asked for. The yeas Mr. LEE. CASTRO repeated it too. ruling of the Chair was, so if you would and nays are requested. Mr. Manager RASKIN. We are going repeat that, sir. Mr. MANCHIN. Please let him ex- to withdraw it this evening without The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Of plain, Mr. President. Why was it false? any prejudice for the ability to resub- course, I will. And pursuant to S. Res. What was false about it? mit it, if possible. This is much ado 47, section 4, the party’s presentations The PRESIDENT pro tempore. It is about nothing because it is not critical are not limited to the record provided not in order—under S. Res. 47, section in our case. for in section 1 of that resolution. 4, the party’s presentation is not lim- Mr. LEE. You are not the one being The Senator from Utah has appealed ited to the record provided for in sec- cited as a witness, sir. that ruling; is that correct? tion 1 of the resolution, and that has Mr. SCHUMER. So the managers’ Mr. LEE. Yes, I have. been appealed. issue stands. Mr. LEE has withdrawn Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask The clerk will call the roll. his request, and we may relitigate it for the yeas and nays. Mr. SCHUMER. Point of clarifica- tomorrow if we have to. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The tion. yeas and nays have been requested. What is the question? f Is there a sufficient second? Mr. President, I suggest the absence Mr. WICKER. What is the question? of a quorum while we work this out. ADJOURNMENT UNTIL TOMORROW Is it, Shall the ruling of the Chair be The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- sustained? Is that the question? out objection. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Yes. The clerk will call the roll. unanimous consent the trial adjourn Mr. LEE. What may I ask is the rul- The senior assistant legislative clerk until 12 noon tomorrow, Thursday, ing of the Chair? My point is not proceeded to call the roll. February 11, and that this order also whether it is appropriate to make char- Mr. LEE. I ask that the order for the constitute the adjournment of the Sen- acterizations; my point was to strike quorum call be rescinded. ate. them because they were false. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, we There being no objection, at 7:40 The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The need order. p.m., the Senate, sitting as a Court of question is, whether the interpretation The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Impeachment, adjourned until Thurs- that S. Res. 47, section 4 applies is cor- Senate will be in order. day, February 11, 2021, at 12 noon.

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