Accountability is on trial
We must hold Donald Trump accountable in his impeachment trial. Call your Senators now.
Trump’s impeachment trial is about accountability
Just over a month ago, insurrectionists led a horrifying, deadly attack on our nation’s Capitol building. Their actions were the result of the former president’s consistent undermining of our election and refusal to accept the results of our democratic process.
This week, the Senate will begin their trial for Donald Trump’s incitement of the January 6 insurrection. Even though Trump is no longer in office, he needs to be held accountable. If senators vote to impeach Trump, they could also vote to disqualify him from holding federal office in the future. This is a crucial moment. We need to speak out.
This is about accountability. It’s about ensuring that people who encourage violence and sow division are held responsible for their actions. And, it’s about making sure they are no longer allowed in positions of power.
Read on to learn more about what to expect in the impeachment trial, and how you can take action.
Raise your voice
Just before Trump left office, the House voted to impeach him for his role inciting the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. Now, the Senate has started the trial to convict him. Nobody is above the law, and it’s Congress’ duty to hold Trump accountable. And, it’s up to us to hold our members of Congress accountable to do the right thing – the integrity of our democracy is on the line.
Step 1: Call your Senators
Call both of your U.S. Senators to make sure they will vote to hold Trump accountable for undermining our election and inciting insurrection. You can find the contact information for your U.S. Senators here. You can also call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your members of Congress by an operator.
Here’s what you can say:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, STATE].
I’m calling today to ask you to hold Donald Trump accountable for undermining our election and inciting insurrection.
The January 6 attack at the Capitol was horrifying and deadly. For our country to heal and truly unify, and to prevent more harm, those who led these acts of violence and sedition against our country must be held accountable. We need leaders who will defend our democracy, and who will not stand for violent attacks on our government.
Will [SENATOR NAME] be voting to convict Trump and disqualify him from holding federal office in the future? I’ll be watching closely to see how they vote on this important issue.
Step 2: Reach out to friends in key states
Unfortunately, the reality is that the conviction vote in the Senate could most likely be split by party lines. If you live in a blue state and your Senator is already voting to convict Trump but still want to have an impact in this fight—you can! Reach out to your friends and family members who live in a state where one (or both) of their Senators may vote to hold Trump accountable, and ask if they’d be willing to call their representatives. Feel free to pass along the script above, so they’re prepared when they get on the phone.
Below are some states where senators could have a key vote. If you have friends in these stays see where they stand on this issue and encourage them to make their voice heard.
Alaska, Maine, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Utah, Kentucky, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Alabama, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
Here’s what you can expect:
On Feb. 8, House impeachment managers & Trump's lawyers file briefs.
Trump's team is scheduled to file its pre-trial brief Monday morning, which will be a more detailed account of the former President's defense. The House managers will file a response to Trump's initial filing Monday afternoon, giving them an opportunity to push back on the claims that both Trump and most Senate Republicans are making that the trial itself is unconstitutional.
Starting Feb. 13th, both sides will begin presenting their case.
Starting Wednesday at noon ET, expect up to 16 hours per side for presentations. This case will be the first detailed public account of how insurrectionists temporarily halted Congress from certifying President Biden's win, violently attacked police officers, and actively sought out then-Vice President Pence and House Speaker Pelosi as they ransacked the Capitol. Trump's legal team plans to argue that Trump did not incite the rioters, and that the trial of a former president is unconstitutional.
There will then be a debate and vote on calling witnesses.
If the impeachment managers want they will hold a debate to vote on whether or not to call witnesses to testify. The trial will continue with witness testimony or further deliberations throughout the week and weekend, pausing on Saturday Feb. 13th in observance of the Sabbath. There will be equal time for each party to ask questions and deliberate.
It will require two-thirds of Senators to convict Trump.
The Senate is largely split by party, and it would take 17 Republican Senators to vote for conviction to reach the two-third threshold, which is not likely.
This will not be a normal courtroom or unbiased jury.
The judges and jurors are the Senators -- essentially the same people that chose to ignore Trump's refusal to accept Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and his attempts to pressure Ukraine's leader to dig up damaging information on then Vice-President Biden.
The senate will vote to convict or not to convict Trump.
After hearing case presentations, debate, and witness testimony, the Senate will vote whether or not to convict Trump. If two-thirds of Senators vote to convict, they can then vote on other articles to prevent him from holding elected office in the future.