Trial leader has 'no regrets' on Trump impeachment case

WASHINGTON — House impeachment managers who prosecuted the case against former President Donald Trump defended their work on Sunday, arguing that despite Trump’s acquittal a day earlier he will ultimately be convicted "in the court of public opinion."

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the lead impeachment manager, told NBC’s "Meet the Press" he had "no regrets at all" on the case he and eight other House Democrats laid out to U.S. senators serving as jurors.

"I think that we successfully prosecuted him and convicted him in the court of public opinion and in the court of history," Raskin said of Trump. "He's obviously a major political problem for the Republican Party, and as long as he's out there attempting to wage war on American constitutional democracy he’s a problem for all of us."

Trump who was impeached by the U.S. House last month on a charge of incitement of insurrection for his role in the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, was acquitted of the charge Saturday after a majority of Senate Republicans sided with Trump. Seven Senate Republicans crossed party lines and voted in favor of impeachment, a departure from Trump’s first impeachment trial last year, where only one Senate Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), voted for impeachment.

Republican lawmakers making the Sunday political talk show rounds offered opposing views about the future direction of the GOP with Trump now out of office.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trump’s most loyal defenders, appearing on "Fox News Sunday" argued that Trump remained the Republican Party’s standard-bearer.

"He’s ready to move on and rebuild the Republican Party; he’s excited about 2022," Graham said.

Graham, asked about Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, said Trump "bears responsibility of pushing narratives about the election that I think are not sound and not true," but argued Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud were "politically protected speech."

Stacey Plaskett, the Democratic delegate representing the Virgin Islands, appearing on CNN’s "State of the Union," defended the decision not to bring witnesses to testify before senators. Instead the team relied heavily on video footage captured on the day of the attack and subsequent news reports.

"I know that people are feeling a lot of angst and believe that maybe, if we had this, the senators would have done what we wanted, but listen, we didn't need more witnesses, we needed more senators with spines," Plaskett said.

Plaskett accused Republicans who publicly condemned Trump’s actions leading up to Jan. 6, but voted against his impeachment, of being "afraid" of Trump’s base of supporters.

"It's clear that these individuals were hardened, that they did not want to let the president be convicted or disqualified," Plaskett said. "They are afraid of his base. They are afraid of losing power, of losing their seats."

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) told CBS’ "Face the Nation" that time was a consideration in the decision not to call witnesses, noting that House Democrats are continuing to fight in court to compel Trump’s former White House counsel to comply with a subpoena issued two years ago.

"Whether it was five more witnesses or 5,000 witnesses, it is very clear that the senators who voted to acquit on a technicality ... it would not have made a difference to those senators," Neguse said.

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) said she supported bipartisan calls to establish an independent commission, similar to the 9/11 Commission, to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on Congress.

"For the first time in however many years, we had an insurrection incited by the president of the United States," Dean said. "The House was desecrated, the Capitol was desecrated. People were terrorized. This was incited by the president of the United States. Of course, there must be a full commission and impartial commission, not guided by politics, but filled with people who would stand up to the courage of their conviction."

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), one of seven Senate Republicans who crossed party lines Saturday to vote in favor of Trump’s impeachment, told ABC’s "This Week" he believes that Trump’s "force wanes."

"The Republican Party is more than just one person, the Republican Party is about ideas," Cassidy said.

Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan told CNN’s "State of the Union" if he were a senator he would have voted to impeach Trump, and said he believed Trump is "still going to face criminal courts and the court of public opinion."

"I think the final chapter of Donald Trump and where the Republican Party goes hasn't been written yet," Hogan said. "I think we're going to have a real battle for the soul of the Republican Party over the next couple of years."