Abortion protester briefly interrupts impeachment trial
An abortion protester briefly interrupted the Senate impeachment trial on Wednesday.
The man appeared to try to burst into the public gallery overlooking the chamber before quickly being dragged out.
He could be overheard yelling for several minutes on the third floor of the Capitol a slew of abortion- and impeachment-related phrases, including “dismiss the charges,” “impeachment” and “abortion,” while also calling Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) “the devil.”
The disruption came more than five hours after the impeachment trial started on Wednesday. House managers are currently making their arguments in support of convicting and removing Trump from office.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was speaking on the floor at the time, describing the July 25 phone call during which President Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Jeffries appeared to make a quip as the protester was removed, telling senators before turning to the description of the call, “And the scripture says for the Lord loves justice and will not abandon his faithful ones.”
Chief Justice John Roberts then called for order: “There will be order. The sergeant-at-arms will restore order in the gallery.”
Corrects previous version of the story to note Rep. Hakeem Jeffries was speaking on the floor when the protester interrupted the trial.
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