The Latest: Prosecutors trace Trump's inflammatory rhetoric

House Democrats prosecuting Donald Trump’s impeachment trial are methodically tracing his monthslong effort to undermine his supporters’ faith in the election results

Trump Impeachment

The Latest on former President Donald Trump s second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):

1:25 p.m.

House Democrats prosecuting Donald Trump's impeachment trial are methodically tracing his monthslong effort to undermine his supporters’ faith in the election results They say they will show he is responsible for last month’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.

During arguments Wednesday, impeachment managers showed a flurry of excerpts from Trump speeches in which the then-president told supporters the only way he could lose is if the election results were rigged.

The effort to challenge the results continued after the election, with Trump telling his supporters the election had been stolen and that they shouldn’t accept the results.

Impeachment managers also pushed back at defense team arguments that Trump’s words were protected by the First Amendment. They said the case was not about protected political speech but rather about Trump’s incitement of violence.

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SECOND SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL:

Opening arguments begin in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, with prosecutors saying they'll prove Trump was no “innocent bystander” but the “inciter in chief” of the deadly attack at the Capitol aimed at overturning his election loss to Joe Biden.

Read more:

— What to Watch: Democrats to argue Trump alone incited mob

— Rep. Jamie Raskin links impeachment with personal tragedy

— AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s lawyers and the Constitution

— Trial highlights: History lessons, Trump tweets and more