Democrats have been trying the impeachment of former President Trump in the U.S. Senate for days, airing a film of Trump fans breaking into Congress on Jan. 6 as evidence to convict him. Many Republican critics argue that Democrats tried to use the film to make it appear that Trump was directly inciting lawlessness and deliberately left out key parts of his speech, including a plea for supporters to “peacefully and patriotically” make their voices heard. Republican former Utah U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) questioned the Democrats’ manipulative editing of the protest video, which violated House rules.
Chaffetz tweeted that the video that Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, the House’s chief impeachment manager, showed on the first day of the impeachment trial during a debate on the constitutionality of the process was a so-called “cherry-picked clip. clips. “Cherry-picking” refers to unilateral arguments or concealment of evidence, in which only the arguments in support of an argument are presented, while the arguments against are ignored. Like cherry-picking, the fruit picker only picks out the good fruit.
Chaffetz reminded that according to page 34 of the House Rules, any image, audio or video file that is distributed through electronic means, including through social media, with the intent to mislead the public and is distorted or manipulated, may be subject to House disciplinary action.
The film cut out by Democrats shows Trump telling the public, “We’re going to walk through it, and I’m going to be with you. We’re going to walk over there…to the Capitol.” The video shows people shouting, “Let’s occupy the Capitol!” The footage also shows demonstrators trying to break through barriers.
Democrats assert in the film, “President Trump ends his speech and urges the mob to go to the Capitol.”
In reality, however, not once in his speech did Trump encourage people to go to the Capitol to commit acts of violence or lawlessness. Trump tweeted after 3 p.m. on Jan. 6, “I ask everyone at the Capitol to keep the peace. No violence! Remember, we are the party of law-abiding people who respect the law and our great people. Thank you!”
Later in the speech on Jan. 6, Trump also urged protesters to go Home “in love and peace.
Chaffetz, 53, who is now a contributor to Forsyth News, served as a Utah U.S. Representative for the 3rd Congressional District from Jan. 3, 2009, to June 30, 2017. Chaffetz, whose father is Jewish, was a member of the Democratic Party during college but converted to Mormonism and joined the Republican Party instead.
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