Impeachment

Just in from the House Judiciary Democratic Press: Today, Managers for the U.S. House of Representatives filed a 28,578-page trial record with the Secretary of the Senate for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The trial record serves as the evidentiary foundation informing the Senate impeachment trial and provides a permanent accounting to the Senate and the public of …

NBC News reports: President Donald Trump’s lawyers will begin to make their case in his defense on Saturday as the Senate impeachment trial concludes its first week of arguments. The defense phase of the trial follows three days of arguments against the president from House impeachment managers. Trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow said on Friday that Saturday’s arguments, which are expected …

Talking Points Memo reports: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) pledged Friday to release the trove of impeachment-related documents that the White House has barred, should she become president. The remarks come as Senate Democrats push for the chamber to vote next week to allow a slate of witnesses and documents be made available in its impeachment trial. It is unclear if …

ABC News reports: Two-thirds of Americans in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll say the U.S. Senate should call new witnesses at Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, and the public is divided on his removal from office – even as Trump’s approval rating has rallied to match his career high. Forty-four percent now approve of Trump’s performance in office; 51% disapprove, …

The Washington Post reports: House managers plan Friday to turn their attention to the obstruction-of-Congress charge against President Trump on their third and final day of opening arguments in the historic impeachment trial focused on the president’s conduct toward Ukraine. After the managers, led by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), wrap up their presentation, lawyers for Trump will get an …

Raw Story reports: Republican senators received a violently metaphorical threat before the impeachment vote. One of President Donald Trump’s confidantes said GOP senators were warned not to vote for impeachment — or else, reported CBS News. “Vote against the president and your head will be on a pike,” senators were told, according to the confidante. It’s not clear who delivered …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump, flashing the fixation of a former reality television showman, lamented Friday that his impeachment defense team was being forced to present its case during the “Death Valley” of broadcast time slots. The president’s complaint represents yet another indication of his eagerness for a captivating, media-minded showing by the squad of conservative attorneys arguing against his …

The Hill reports: Republicans are using the threat of a protracted executive privilege battle as a cudgel to dissuade their colleagues from calling former national security adviser John Bolton to testify at President Trump’s impeachment trial. As the Senate barrels toward a make-or-break moment on witnesses next week, Trump allies and members of leadership are warning that calling Bolton, or …

Is a book by a Trump cultist better than a fidget spinner? Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said she read a book during the third day of proceedings of President Trump’s impeachment trial in the upper chamber on Thursday. “First – I’m reading Resistance (At All Costs) by Kim Strassel. Read the chapter on obstruction. It provides good insights into today’s …

“The House of Representatives — in proceedings in which the president chose not to participate — impeached Trump for abuse of power and contempt of Congress. Where does all this leave us at the outset of Trump’s Senate trial? It leaves us with valid, lawful, constitutional arguments for Trump’s impeachment that he ought to take seriously. “That is, unless he …

Roll Call reports: Sen. Richard M. Burr is trying to help out his antsy Senate colleagues. The North Carolina Republican is providing an assortment of fidget spinners and other gizmos to his GOP colleagues at this week’s Thursday lunch. Senators have been restless in the hours and hours they’re spending at their desks on the Senate floor during the impeachment …

The New York Times reports: What we’re expecting to see: The seven members of the House will continue delivering their opening arguments, building on the case against the president that they began on Wednesday. After spending about eight hours in session on Wednesday, of a maximum of 24, they have time to flesh out their case on Thursday. When we’re …

Variety reports: The opening day of President Trump’s senate impeachment trial drew a substantial amount if viewers across the three cable news and major networks that broadcast the proceedings. In total, around 11 million people tuned in to see prosecutors and attorneys for the White House argue. Fox News led the way with 2.65 million viewers (from 12:30 p.m. to …

USA Today reports: Republican senators’ rejection of Democrats’ requests for additional evidence and witnesses have cast a pall on the impeachment trial, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. charged Wednesday. “It was a dark day and a dark night for the Senate,” Schumer told reporters at a Capitol Hill News Conference following the marathon session Tuesday to debate the rules …

The New York Times reports: Senator Mitch McConnell has proposed rules for President Trump’s trial that will be debated when the proceedings open at 1 p.m. His plan makes meaningful changes from the precedent in President Bill Clinton’s trial, such as making the trial faster. The impeachment managers from the House, all Democrats, accused Mr. McConnell of doing the president’s …

Bloomberg News reports: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced an amendment that would order the White House to produce what could be thousands of pages of documents related to the charges against Trump, including material from Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. That includes any records related to meetings or calls between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, …

Roll Call reports: The rules of decorum state that senators can’t use phones or electronic devices in the chamber during President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, but what about Apple Watches? At least eight senators had them strapped on their wrists in the chamber at the start of the trial Tuesday, despite guidelines from Senate leadership that all electronics should be …

CNBC reports: Senate Democrats won two key changes to the rules of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial as proceedings kicked off Tuesday afternoon. The changes will permit each sides’ opening arguments to span three days, instead of two, and will also admit materials into evidence from the House investigation into Trump last fall. The surprise last-minute changes were revealed Tuesday …

Just in from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “Leader McConnell’s plan for a dark of night impeachment trial confirms what the American people have seen since Day One: the Senate GOP Leader has chosen a cover-up for the President, rather than honor his oath to the Constitution. Shamefully, this sham proposal does not even allow for admitting the House record into …

Just in via press release from the White House: Today, President Donald J. Trump announced that the following Members of the House of Representatives will serve as part of his team working to combat this hyper-partisan and baseless impeachment. This initial list includes the following Members: Congressman Doug Collins Congressman Mike Johnson Congressman Jim Jordan Congresswoman Debbie Lesko Congressman Mark …