Impeachment trial: Harrowing footage and Trump’s rhetoric take centre stage

Security video is shown to senators at the second impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump in the Senate at the US Capitol in Washington (Senate Television via AP)

Democrats opened their first day of arguments in former president Donald Trump’s impeachment trial with searing footage of the US Capitol riot.

They painted Mr Trump as an “inciter in chief” who systematically riled up his supporters and falsely convinced them the election had been stolen, culminating in the deadly attack.