Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Stacey E. Plaskett captivates America @ Impeachment Trial

Stacey E. Plaskett captivates America @ Impeachment Trial

The nine House Democrats serving as impeachment managers in the case against former President Donald J. Trump delivered their most gripping evidence for convicting Mr Trump in the Senate chamber Wednesday, February 10, 2021.

Never-before-seen video footage of the siege on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, that left multiple people dead, captured America's attention as millions watched in shock.

Emotions ran high in the chamber and across America and its territories, as footage showed employees of the Senate and House being whisked away to safety; footage also showed the heroism of Capitol Hill police; and, terrifyingly, the insurrectionists' storming of the nation's most sacred halls of democracy.

Never-before-seen video footage of the siege on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, that left multiple people dead, captured America's attention as millions watched in shock.


Captivating presentation


Standing out among the Democrats leading the impeachment charge was Delegate to Congress Stacey E. Plaskett, the congresswoman hailing from the US Virgin Islands. Her sharp delivery, no-nonsense demeanour accompanied by raw video footage of the attack on the Capitol, captivated America. Ms Plaskett's rebuke of Mr Trump was unequivocal and damning; her expression also matched the seriousness of the moment.

"Mr President, distinguished senators, I am Stacey Plaskett, I represent the people of the Virgin Islands of the United States," Ms Plaskett stated proudly as she readied herself to deliver. The congresswoman tailored her presentation to include video footage of the attack followed by biting condemnation of the former president. She spoke of the insurrectionists who broke through the Capitol in hunt of the powerful House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Vice President Mike Pence, both performing their Constitutional duty to ascertain that the 2020 General Election was certified.

"They were put in danger because President Trump put his own desires, his own need for power, over his duty to the Constitution and our democratic process," Ms Plaskett condemned. "President Trump put a target on their backs and his mob broke into the Capitol to hunt them down."

The congresswoman recalled the 9/11 attack on America, particularly when the crew of Flight 93 sought to takeover the plane that was being controlled by terrorists, in an effort to foil an attack on the Capitol. “Those Americans sacrificed their lives for love of country, honour, duty—all things that America means. The Capitol stands because of people like that,” she said. “This Capitol that was conceived by our founding fathers, that was built by slaves, that remains through the sacrifice of servicemen and women around the world, and when I think of that, and I think of these insurgents, these images incited by our own president of the United States.”

The nine House Democrats serving as impeachment managers in the case against former President Donald J. Trump delivered their most gripping evidence for convicting Mr Trump in the Senate chamber Wednesday, February 10, 2021.


Plaskett the breakout star?


The delegate to Congress's performance catapulted to the forefront of some of America's top media houses, among them the Washington Post, which in a story titled, 'Stacey Plaskett, a House Delegate Who Couldn't Vote to Impeach Trump, is Using Her Prosecutorial Background to Try to Convict Him', wrote, "The chilling, unseen footage of a riotous mob storming through the US Capitol intent on killing Vice President Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was presented to senators by a nonvoting member of Congress from the Virgin Islands."

Vogue wondered whether Ms Plaskett was the "breakout star" of the impeachment trial; NPR recognized the congresswoman's limited power in Congress and wrote that she made history Wednesday when she became "the first nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as an impeachment manager." Occupy Democrats, a Facebook page with nearly 9 million followers, praised Ms Plaskett's performance and included an image of the congresswoman on its platform that has since gone viral with over 3,700 shares. A post accompanying the image read, "BRAVO! Delegate Stacey Plaskett did an AMAZING job of laying out a POWERFUL case for Trump's impeachment today!"

In this image from video, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who is presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol.


USVI proud!


The praises and sense of pride were loud at home as well. If you're on social media, more pointedly Facebook, you couldn't scroll too far before seeing a friend, acquaintance or politician lauding Ms Plaskett.

"Women it’s okay to celebrate other women. Madam Delegate you did an awesome job! We are proud to call you ours!," wrote Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory.

Governor Albert A. Bryan Jr also commented. "Represent! Awesome job Delegate!! We are proud!," he wrote, sharing a screenshot of the delegate's performance.

Ms Plaskett's delivery was one of someone who knew the importance of the moment. As a delegate to Congress, she has no voting power, and the people she represents — many of whom have served in the Armed Forces and have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country — cannot vote for president, and do not enjoy the wide range of benefits as Americans living in the states. Ms Plaskett has long advocated for parity, with her most recent engagement on the matter being an Op-Ed released to local media titled, "Disenfranchisement on Display". In it, she said, "There is, however, still a very troubling reality that continuously exist for the 4 million Americans who live in US territories—second-class citizenship and the lack of the right to vote for the US President. Deeply rooted in the fabric of the stilted development of territories like my home, the US Virgin Islands, are a series of decisions made by the US Supreme Court between 1901 and 1905, known as the Insular Cases."

But there she was on Wednesday, delivering a stinging rebuke against a former president while millions of Americans watched, her title emblazoned on screens as the Congresswoman from the US Virgin Islands.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×