Donald Trump speaks at the Treasure Island hotel and casino in Las Vegas. June 18, 2016.
The Associated Press
Donald Trump has a years-long pattern of inciting political violence, Democratic lawmakers argued at his impeachment proceedings, and remains a threat to democracy who could provoke a repeat of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot unless he is convicted and barred from running for office again.
Closing their case on the third day of the former U.S. president’s trial before the Senate, the Democratic members of Congress, serving as prosecutors, tried to show that the mob believed they were storming the Capitol “at the president’s orders” to overturn his election loss to Joe Biden.
And they contended that not holding Mr. Trump responsible would open the door for him or other politicians to use political violence to get their way.
“What makes you think the nightmare with Donald Trump and lawbreaking and violent mobs is over?” said Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, the lead impeachment manager. “If you don’t find this a high crime and misdemeanor … you have set a terrible new standard for presidential misconduct in the United States of America.”
The Senate is unlikely to convict Mr. Trump, which would require 17 members of his still-loyal Republican caucus breaking ranks to vote against him. But the Democrats have used the trial, including hours’ worth of harrowing video, to create a comprehensive public record of the riot and tie Mr. Trump’s incendiary political rhetoric to it, in the very Senate chamber that the mob overran that day.
The former president’s legal team is set to start its defence presentation on Friday. He faces a single count of incitement of insurrection over the first breach of the Capitol since the War of 1812.
The Democrats on Thursday depicted the riot as the culmination of a violent history going back to the 2016 election campaign. They showed video of Mr. Trump’s supporters beating up protesters at his rallies, intercut with clips of Mr. Trump encouraging them. In one, Mr. Trump told supporters to “knock the crap out of” protesters and promised to pay any resulting legal fees.
They also showed Mr. Trump praising Greg Gianforte, now Montana’s governor, for body-slamming a reporter in 2017; arguing that there were “very fine people” among a violent mob of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va.; and musing that “maybe it wasn’t” a problem that Michigan militia members had planned to kidnap the state’s governor last year.
In one video montage shown at trial, rioters repeatedly asserted that Mr. Trump had told them to storm the Capitol. “We are listening to Trump – your boss,” a member of the mob told police. “Trump sent us. He’ll be happy,” said one rioter as he livestreamed himself breaking into a legislator’s office. “We were invited here by the president of the United States,” another man shouted.
“The whole intrusion was at the president’s orders,” said Congresswoman Diana DeGette of Colorado. “The president told them to be there.”
Ahead of the riot, Mr. Trump called on supporters to come to Washington for a “wild” time. Then, at a rally that morning, he urged people to descend on the Capitol to “show strength.”
Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas read out Justin Trudeau’s comments on the riot – the Prime Minister described it as “an assault on democracy” that was “incited” by Mr. Trump – to argue that the U.S.’s international democratic reputation was at stake.
“The world is watching, and wondering if we are what we say we are,” Mr. Castro said. “To fail to convict a president of the United States who incited a deadly insurrection would be to forfeit the power of our example as a north star on freedom, democracy, human rights and, most of all, on the rule of law.”
Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville revealed Wednesday night for the first time that he informed Mr. Trump that then-vice-president Mike Pence was in danger during the early stages of the riot. But Mr. Trump continued to attack Mr. Pence on Twitter for not helping him overturn the election.
“I said ‘Mr. President, they just took the vice-president out, I’ve got to go,’ ” Mr. Tuberville told the news website Politico.
The Democrats warned that Mr. Trump’s complete lack of remorse for his actions that day made him a continuing danger if he is not barred from mounting a comeback attempt in 2024.
“I’m afraid he’s going to run again and lose,” said Ted Lieu, a Congressman from California. “Because he can do this again.”
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
