Rep. Adam Schiff began three days of opening arguments for House Democrats, appealing to Senators as impartial jurors and laying a roadmap for the Democrats' case in the impeachment trial. Catch up on what you missed:
"Since the House voted on these articles, evidence has continued to come to light related to the president's corrupt scheme," Schiff said.
Senate floor during the impeachment trial for President Donald Trump, Jan. 22, 2020, in Washington, DC. "It breaks our word and to do it in the name of these corrupt investigations. It is also contrary to everything we espouse around the world," he said.- ABC News' Benjamin SiegelSen. Ted Cruz told reporters that Adam Schiff's presentation today made Hunter Biden's testimony"critical" to the trial.
Democratic House Manager Rep. Jerry Nadler speaks during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Jan. 22, 2020, at the Capitol in Washington.After being admonished by the chief justice last night, Nadler begins by striking an apologetic tone. "The truth is that Ambassador Yovanovitch was the victim of a smear campaign organized by Rudy Giuliani, amplified by President Trump's allies, and designed to give President Trump the pretext he needed to recall her without warning," Nadler says.
A little later, Paul had left the chamber but was soon spotted him through the doors of the GOP cloakroom, where he had kicked back in a leather chair and seemed to be watching the trial on television.Republicans and Democrats -- except Rand Paul, that is -- seemed to be following Schiff’s presentation closely, with Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee taking meticulous notes that filled the page from margin to margin.
During the first hour of Schiff's presentation, the chamber appeared almost filled. But toward the end of his two-hour argument, several senators stood to take bathroom breaks. At this point, I counted 26 senators not at their desks, whereas the previous hour it was rare to find an empty seat. Score one for the Senate pages.4:15 p.m.
Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming offered a similar argument, saying the longer the impeachment trial goes on the less time the Senate spends on other issues. "I chair the committee that oversees infrastructure roads, bridges.
Four key GOP moderates -- GOP Sens. Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Gardner -- are all taking diligent notes, especially when Schiff discusses the need for witnesses and evidence. Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, also a lead manager, has been absent for most of Chairman Schiff's presentation. The reason is unclear but it could be that he is prepping for the Judiciary portion of the arguments given that the House Intelligence lawyers have a larger presence at the House impeachment managers table currently.It's interesting to note the video clips Schiff and the Democrats are playing thus far.
Another example: clips of Mulvaney's infamous exchange with ABC Chief White House Correspondent Jon Karl on Oct. 17, admitting on camera what he completely reversed hours later in a paper statement denying he said anything of the sort. "This quid pro quo was negotiated between the president's agents, Rudy Giuliani and Ukrainian officials throughout the summer of 2019 in numerous telephone calls, text messages and meetings including during a meeting hosted by then national security adviser John Bolton on July 10th.
"President Trump withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to a strategic partner at war with Russia to secure foreign help with his re-election. In other words, to cheat," he says. "The House believes that an impartial juror upon hearing the evidence that the managers will lay out in the coming days will find that the Constitution demands the removal of Donald J. Trump from his office as president of the United States. But that will be for you to decide. With the weight of history upon you and as President Kennedy once said""A good conscience is your only sure reward," he says.
"Over the coming days you will hear remarkably consistent evidence of President Trump's corrupt scheme and cover-up," Schiff says.Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead House manager, begins to make the House case, arguments that could go as long as 24 hours over the next three days.Lead House Manager Rep. Adam Schiff delivers his opening argument in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump, Jan. 22, 2020, at the Capitol.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts addresses the Senate on the second day of the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump at the Capitol, in Washington, Jan. 22, 2020.Schiff then outlines the history of why he says the framers included the power of impeachment in the Constitution.
Sen. Ron Johnson says,"I thought Chairman Nadler was, certainly didn’t help the case, accusing Republican senators of complicity in some kind of cover up. That's not helpful. I think the chief justice was very wise to try and bring them back into little, little more appropriate decorum." Noting the party-line votes in which Republicans repeatedly rejected Democratic amendments to call witnesses and subpoena documents now from the White House, State Department, Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget, Schumer calls Tuesday"a dark day and dark night for the Senate."
And the bottom line is this: We don't know what these witnesses and documents will reveal. They could be exculpatory of the president. They could be incriminating of the President. These are certainly not Democratic witnesses or Democratic documents. We want -- as both of my colleagues said -- the truth. And that's what we're going to focus on," he says.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives during the Senate impeachment trial at the Capitol against President Donald Trump, Jan. 22, 2020.11 a.m. Senate set to hear opening arguments, Trump calls trial 'a disgrace'’s impeachment trial, following a marathon opening day of acrimonious debate over the rules for the trial.
Neither side filed motions ahead of proceedings Wednesday morning, clearing the way for House managers to begin their arguments after 1 p.m.
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