Schumer says impeachment managers will present "new" evidence at trial

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) promised Tuesday that House impeachment managers will present some "new" evidence as the Senate begins proceedings for Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial.

Why it matters: With enough Republicans already signaling they won‘t vote to convict the former president due to procedural concerns, the Senate majority leader is trying to do all he can to focus public attention on the House managers’ case that the former president incited the Jan. 6 insurrection.

• "I believe the managers will present a very strong case," Schumer said during a news conference. "The evidence will be powerful. The evidence, some of it will be new."

Schumer also dismissed calls by some Republicans to move on from the Jan. 6 violence in the Capitol. Some argue Trump is being persecuted because of lingering Democratic opposition to the policies he pursued as president.

• “The Senate has to find his guilt in inciting the violence,” Schumer said. ”When you have such a serious charge, sweeping it under the rug will not bring unity. It will keep the sore open, the wound open. You need truth and accountability.”

The big picture: The majority leader appeared with 10 of his party’s new Senate committee chairs, a turnover from minority status after the Democrats won two critical election runoffs in Georgia last month.

• One by one, the chairs told reporters they could successfully try the case while making a multipronged effort to bring COVID relief to all sectors and facets of the U.S. economy.
• “The bottom line is simple: The Senate is moving full steam ahead on bold planning to get this country out of the crisis,” Schumer said.