Today, Senator Casey released a statement following the Senate trial of former President Trump:
“This past week, the House Managers put forward a compelling case based upon irrefutable facts against the former President of the United States. For months after the election, we all witnessed the former President’s “Big Lie” when he repeatedly claimed—without any evidence—that the 2020 general election was stolen from him. This lie was roundly dismissed by more than 60 judges across the Nation—including in Pennsylvania. After losing in federal and state courts, he then tried to pressure state and local elections officials to overturn the election, and even attempted to pressure his Vice President to violate the Vice President’s Constitutional duty. After repeatedly failing to overturn the election, the former President summoned his mob of insurrectionists to Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 for one more attack on American democracy. He invited them. He incited them. And he directed them to the Capitol to prevent Congress from conducting its constitutional obligation to count the presidential electoral votes.
This case was not merely about the former President’s speech on January 6. This was about a pattern of conduct. It was about the former President’s autocratic leadership and calls for political violence throughout his presidency. It was about a President who regularly condoned or encouraged violence at political rallies against protestors and members of the press. It was about a President who once bragged: “I have the tough people [supporting me], but they don’t play it tough until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.”
There is no way that a reasonable person could dispute that the former President knew exactly what he was doing by perpetuating the “Big Lie,” summoning his crowd of insurrectionists on January 6 and telling them: “[I]f you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” The former President led his supporters to a breaking point and as he had predicted in the past—it was “very bad, very bad.” He did not merely endanger another branch of government and the presidential line of succession. His actions led to at least five deaths, injuries to nearly 140 members of law enforcement and untold collateral damage resulting from the carnage of that day. He endangered the lives of countless Congressional staffers and employees, members of the press and members of Congress. He put a target on the back of his own Vice President and his Vice President’s family. And he has shown no remorse for any of it.
The former President attacked the foundational principles of our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. He violated his oath of office and he committed a high crime against our Constitution. I voted to convict the former President in the most bipartisan presidential impeachment proceedings in our Nation’s history.”
