Stacey Plaskett has made history. She has become the first black woman and the first non-voting delegate of the U.S. House of Representatives, to serve as an impeachment manager. She represents the U.S. Virgin Islands that has no votes in Congress, yet she made an argument with regards to the impeachment of former President Donald Trump.
Plaskett is currently the only black woman in the chamber as well. She was introduced to the House by lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin, who was also her teacher at the law school. He called it a moment of special pride for him to announce his former student as an impeachment manager.
She presented the Democrats’ motive in the House and argued that Trump was the mastermind behind the 6 January incident. She held him responsible for orchestrating the riots.
She exclaimed that the former President took months to cultivate the plan and played a pivotal role in instigating violence through his aggressive and hateful speeches, in the wake of his defeat in the Presidential elections in November 2020.
She also presented evidence about controversial tweets of Donald Trump. She also highlighted his December 12 rally in Washington D.C. where his supporters clashed with the protestors resulting in dozens being arrested.
She exclaimed that the difference between December and January’s incidents was Trump learning from the aftermath of the December rally, and going a step ahead to push the crowd. Plaskett also highlighted the Presidential debate in September 2020 where the former President had refused to denounce the Proud Boys – a far-right group that was also prominent among the rioters involved in the Capitol Building carnage.
On the other hand, the team representing the former President Trump began their arguments by stating that the trial is unconstitutional, and the Democrats were trying to convict Trump because they are afraid of facing him again in the 2024 Presidential elections.
The defense attorneys further argued that Trump’s speech at ‘Save America Rally’ was protected under the First Amendment, so the remarks against his January 6 speech are ‘invalid’. They also claimed that Trump was NOT responsible for the deadly attack on the Capitol Building.
