I’m no fan of Donald Trump. He absolutely is culpable for the riot on the capitol building. But he will not be convicted or impeached by the Senate thanks to one word inserted into his speech the day of the riot.
Anytime you hear President Trump say something that sounds cogent and rational, it’s not him. It’s a speechwriter. That last video he put out where he said he was going to be focused on a peaceful transfer of power, that wasn’t coming from him. As one person described it, that was Trump making a hostage video. Trump can’t make an intelligible speech. Even at his rallies, which consists of him airing his many grievances, even those speeches are delivered mostly by him reading from a teleprompter. Don’t believe me? Just watch him. He turns from side to side, his gaze never leaving the teleprompters. That’s why all of his speeches sound like a fifth-grader forced to speak in front of the class.
In order for Trump to be criminally liable for what took place at the capitol, you have to show that he knew that a riot would ensue. For all the nonsense about how the election was stolen from him, there was nothing in his speech that even hinted at an insurrection. In fact, his speech contained one word that will ultimately save him. At one point in his speech, he said the following (I’m paraphrasing): “We’re going to march down Pennsylvania Avenue peacefully and have our voices heard.”
That’s it, folks. You can’t say that he incited a riot when you have him on tape encouraging his supporters to act peacefully. Now the same can’t be said about Trump Jr. and Rudy Giuliani. Their speeches were done without a teleprompter.
So here is an example where Trump’s reliance on the teleprompter will ultimately save him. Congress may vote to impeach him. He still may be removed by the 25th amendment. But he will not be convicted in any Senate hearing.