Senate chaplain invokes Kobe Bryant and daughter in opening prayer of impeachment trial

Senate Chaplain Barry Black opened the second week of arguments in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump by invoking NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his daughter, who died in a helicopter crash Sunday in California.

“As millions mourn the deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant and those who died with them, we think about life’s brevity, uncertainty and legacy. Remind us that we all have a limited time on Earth to leave the world better than we found it,” Black said during his opening prayer on Monday.

He continued, “As this impeachment process unfolds, give our senators the desire to make the most of their time on Earth. Teach them how to live, O God, and lead them along the path of honesty.”

Bryant, 41, was one of nine people who were killed when their helicopter crashed into a Calabasas, California, hillside Sunday morning. He was traveling with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, whom he had previously said wanted to follow in his footsteps as a professional basketball player.

The prayer comes on the second day of presentations from Trump’s legal defense team.