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HOUSE DEMOCRATS HAVE opened arguments in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, appealing to Republican senators to vote to remove the US president from office to “protect our democracy”.
Trump’s lawyers sat by, waiting their turn, while he blasted the proceedings from afar, threatening jokingly to face off with the Democrats by coming to “sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces”.
Democratic accusers say Trump was the one with the “corrupt scheme” to abuse his presidential power and then obstruct Congress’ investigation.
The challenge before the House managers is clear. Democrats have 24 hours over the next three days to prosecute the charges against Trump, trying to win over not just senators sitting silently in the chamber but an American public, deeply divided over the president and his impeachment.
Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, appealed to senators not to be “cynical” about the politics of impeachment, asking them to draw on the intent of the nation’s Founding Fathers who provided the remedy of impeachment.
“Over the coming days, we will present to you – and to the American people – the extensive evidence collected during the House’s impeachment inquiry into the president’s abuse of power,” said Schiff, standing before the senators.
You will hear their testimony at the same time as the American people. That is, if you will allow it.
“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,” he said. “In other words, to cheat.
The proceedings are unfolding at the start of an election year and there are few signs that Republicans are interested in calling more witnesses or going beyond a fast-track assessment to bring a quick vote on charges related to Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
The trial marks just the third time the Senate has weighed whether an American president should be removed from office.
Democrats argue Trump abused his office by asking Ukraine to investigate political rivals while withholding crucial military aid, and also obstructed Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to give evidence in the House probe.
Republicans have defended Trump’s actions and cast the process as a politically motivated effort to weaken the president in the midst of his re-election campaign.
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research shows the public is slightly more likely to say the Senate should convict and remove Trump from office than to say it should not at 45% to 40%. But a sizeable percentage, 14%, say they do not know enough to have an opinion.
But there is wide agreement that Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses at the trial. About seven in 10 said so, including majorities of Republicans and Democrats, according to the poll.
The idea over witnesses, though, seems all but settled after wrangling over rules for the trial stretched late into the previous night, with Republicans shooting down one-by-one Democratic efforts to get Mr Trump’s aides including former national security adviser John Bolton, secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, to give evidence as witnesses.
Senators are likely to repeat those rejections next week, shutting out any chance of new evidence.
Chief Justice John Roberts opened today’s session as senators settled in for the long days ahead.
Trump, who was in Davos, Switzerland, attending a global economic forum, praised his legal team, and suggested he would be open to his advisers giving evidence, though that seems unlikely.
He said there were “national security” concerns that would stand in the way.
After the House prosecutors present their case, the president’s lawyers will follow with another 24 hours over three days to mount a defence. They are expected to take only Sunday off.
Then there will be 16 hours for senators, who must sit quietly at their desks, no speeches or mobile phones, to ask written question, and another four hours for deliberations.
By the end of next week there is expected to be one last vote on whether or not they want to hear from more witnesses, and it appears increasingly likely that will be the end.
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As someone else said, the Democrats haven’t been this outraged since the Republicans freed their slaves.
(The journal informs me this comment may be perceived as toxic)
@Lester Jeffcoat: “(The journal informs me this comment may be perceived as toxic)”
Probably because it does nothing to contribute to the actual discussion, which is Donald Trump abusing his position of power – threatening to withhold aid from an ally unless they helped him get a one up on a political opponent. All of which we have mass amounts of evidence for.
@Seán Ó Briain: That’s enough spoofing for one day “Sean”, now off to bed.
@JackSimpson: Everything I said is factual and is based in evidence. You literally have nothing of substance to add to the discussion instead of deflection.
And LOL @ you accusing me of having a fake name. You’ve a 2 month old profile with no followers. I’ve an 11 year old profile with over 1000.
You don’t have the courage to post on here with a real account. Like 99% of Trump “supporters” on here.
@JackSimpson: what’s he spoofing about?
@Seán Ó Briain: 1) “Everything I said is factual” – Is that a joke?!
2) “Nothing of substance to add” – And you do?! You are just parroting off CNN/msDNC sound bites. I’ve called you out on this x times but you just accuse me of being a “Russian puppet”. You can’t cope with being called out.
3)”11 year old profile with over 1000″ – So you were spreading manure on this forum for 11 years?! I couldnt care less if you have 1 or 1 billion followers. I’m still going to call you out for talking garbage!
4) “Post on real account” – this is my only account!
@Seán Ó Briain:
Withholding aid? Do you mean Peurto Rico? That was Democrats ;0
@Lester Jeffcoat: That old chestnut. Imagine a party not changing their stances over centuries. That is unheard of. The Republican and Democratic parties are fundementally different beasts than they were at the time when slavery was abolished. Hell, they are different from what they were in the 1950′s.
Please please let him be removed, I know its virtually impossible but please get rid of him and I won’t ask for anything else this year….
It can be my birthday AND my Christmas present..
@Mel Fitzpatrick: did you say the same about GW Bush? He was horrific!
@523StarBar: ooh at the speed they’re heading down this slope imagine who the GOP will pick next time! Kid Rock? Yer man from Duck Dynasy? David Duke? So many options….
@Mel Fitzpatrick: why, what’s it have to do with you, your just a snowflake
@gm_cmanning: well he’s doing a better job than Obama ever did in two terms, snowflakes everywhere in this comment section,,your so stupid u fall for the media spin
@RAYZ88: always interesting how the right term liberal people as snowflakes though I think it’s actually a great description of those on the right. “Can’t get no job at the plant” “They’re taking our guns away” “Damn immigrants” “This country’s goin’ to hell”
Stop whining right wing snowflakes.
@Mel Fitzpatrick: it’s more like the Democrats are cheating to stop president Donald Trump getting reelected. Because the democrat are trying to overrule the American voters, when they voted Donald Trump in as president of America in 2016.
@RAYZ88: he’s objectively not but objectivity isn’t a strong point for Trumpy fans. And your whining seems v snowflakey, should be careful in case someone confuses you with a decent person.
@RAYZ88: “you’re”…. Tw@t
It’s not a trial …. it’s a farce ! It’s an insult to anyone’s intelligence . Trump will be acquitted by Republican Majority and will brag about it until the end of time . The only chance you will get of getting rid of Trump is by voting Blue !
@Mary Mc Carthy: I certainly won’t be voting blow ;)
@Mary Mc Carthy: in other words the Republicans will be declaring that their president is indeed above the law. Anerica is well and truly broken.
@Paul Furey: you’re losing it, it was a complete Shiff show from the beginning.
@Paul Furey:
What crimes did he commit? No spoof stories now pal.
It says a lot that they can’t nail him! They are all the same. Hillary is vile and corrupt and her husband had his own seat on Epstein’s plane. He also boarded Loretta Lynch’s plane when he shouldn’t have. They’ve done stuff Trump wouldn’t get away with. They’re all toxic! But it’s fashionable to hate the vile orange man. Some of the people who would sneer at Trump would fawn at Clinton. It’s ‘vogue’ and ‘woke’ to hate him and yet acquiesce to his predecessors! There’s less on Trump than you could dig up on many of them! The fact Trump is so ‘Hated’ where his peers get away with stuff.. makes me wonder!
@523StarBar: it says the GOP put their own interests ahead of their country and that’s about it. The rest of your false equivalency waffling diatribe says more about yourself really.
@523StarBar: Yes Hillary And Bill seems crooked but it’s looking that Donal is als not to be trusted .2 wrongs doesn’t make a right.
@523StarBar: Hillary was investigated for 3 years by Republican led Committees. She turned up in person, unlike Trump, and give 16 hours of testimony and answered questions. The investigations ended with no charges or wrongdoing against her. The Clinton foundation was audited and investigated. Again no wrongdoing found. Unlike Trump who had to close down his “charitable” foundation late last year and pay a 20 million dollar fine because of financial mismanagement. You Trumpkins are beyond sad and stupid.
@523StarBar: Joined January 2020
@523StarBar: Hope you’re well wrapped up, it’s probably really cold this time of year there in St. Petersburg
@gm_cmanning: it doesn’t say more about me. It says more about the injustice in the world that has gone on for too long
@Hans Vos: Yes, I agree Hans, that was the point I was trying to make.
@Ger: I’m not a Trump fan. and I meant it in a more playful way than it would seem it was written. There is no tone in written text so sometimes an intended message isn’t out across properly by the writer.
@brefanlfc: jaysus :-) I actually meant it more playfully than that. Maybe watching the leaders debate sucked the joy out of me last night :-)
@523StarBar: great comeback. May as well have said “no you are”
@gm_cmanning: no you are ;-)
@523StarBar: originality is hard.
Dems are heading for huge embarrassment
“Hoax, witch-hunt, Hillary did it, read the transcript, perfect phone call” etc etc screamed over a backdrop of fields of GOP bent over with their heads in the sand guns in one hand, bottles of Trumpy vodka in the other with the orangutan in chief behind them.
@gm_cmanning: Is that you Shifty Schiff?! Looking forward to the dims next hoax, when this one runs out of road! Makes for great TV.
@JackSimpson: ah come on I used hoax, think up of your own imaginary accusation
@JackSimpson: you can’t fix stupid.
@gm_cmanning: I’ll leave the imaginary accusations to you Schiff
@JackSimpson: well I did start above with 5 but Trumpys chucked out so many more for you to choose from
@SF Knee Knockers: guess you and Jack are banjaxed so…
@JackSimpson: Are you 12?
@gm_cmanning: How about IrelandGate, shifty?! Collusion between Leo and DT to get DT elected for a 2nd term. It’s similar to the RG hoax but nobody expects you to be imaginative or anything!..
@gm_cmanning:
Orange Man Bad, Deplorables etc, & you wonder why Trump is in the WH.
It didn’t work last time & it won’t work this time around.
He doesn’t need to cheat, going by the democrat candidates that are in the running, Trump is going to romp home in the elections
He won’t be kicked out. Another 4 years of Trump.
have your say