Behind Trump’s Words, A Criminal State Of Mind

For the senators who will sit in judgment of Donald Trump’s second impeachment a crucial question will be his state of mind on his day of rage, January 6, and his weeks of rage leading up to the attack on the Capitol. 

Trump’s defense cherry-picks a few of his words on that day, pointing out that he used the word “peaceful” while speaking to the White House rally that preceded the insurrection. They ignore that he told them to “fight.” Immediately after a Proud Boys rally in Washington that ended with knifings and beatings in the streets, he urged his rabble to come to Washington for a “wild” demonstration to prevent the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College.

Proving his culpability, however, will depend on more than just his words before the insurrection. Continue reading.