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| Trump impeachment live updates: McConnell, Schumer to address Senate amid impasse over trial | Trump impeachment live updates: McConnell, Schumer to address Senate amid impasse over trial |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) chided the Democratic-led House on Friday for a delay in transmitting articles of impeachment against President Trump and said his chamber would continue with “ordinary business.” | |
| Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) was expected to speak shortly after McConnell. Their addresses come on as the U.S. drone strike authorized by Trump that killed Iran’s most powerful military commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, dominates headlines. | |
| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has held off sending articles of impeachment — alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — to the Senate as Democrats seek guarantees about witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed regarding Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine. | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has held off sending articles of impeachment — alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — to the Senate as Democrats seek guarantees about witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed regarding Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine. |
| At the heart of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. | At the heart of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. |
| ●Americans roughly divided on whether voters should decide Trump’s fate rather than the Senate. | ●Americans roughly divided on whether voters should decide Trump’s fate rather than the Senate. |
| ●Democrats seize on report to press for key witnesses in Senate impeachment trial. | ●Democrats seize on report to press for key witnesses in Senate impeachment trial. |
| ●Four ways the impasse over a Senate trial could end. | ●Four ways the impasse over a Senate trial could end. |
| Which senators support removing Trump | Which House members voted to impeach Trump | House resolution impeaching Trump | Other key documents | Which senators support removing Trump | Which House members voted to impeach Trump | House resolution impeaching Trump | Other key documents |
| McConnell said Friday that the Senate would continue with its “ordinary business” until the Democratic-led House can “muster the courage” to transmit the articles of impeachment against Trump. | |
| “Their turn is over,” McConnell said during a speech on the Senate floor. “They’ve done enough damage. It’s the Senate’s turn now to render sober judgment as the Framers envisioned. But we can’t hold a trial without the articles. The Senate’s own rules don’t provide for that. So for now, we are content to continue the ordinary business of the Senate while House Democrats continue to flounder. ... If they every muster the courage to stand behind their slap-dash work product and transmit their articles to the Senate, it will then be time for the United States Senate to fulfill our founding purpose.” | |
| Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) suggested Friday the timing of the drone strike directed by Trump that killed Soleimani was related to the impeachment proceedings. | Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) suggested Friday the timing of the drone strike directed by Trump that killed Soleimani was related to the impeachment proceedings. |
| “What I think is going on here, frankly, is this action was taken more in President Trump’s self-interest than our national interest,” Schultz said during an interview on CNN in which she referenced a new report that cited emails that bolster the case that Trump was directly involved in withholding military aid to Ukraine as he was seeking investigations that could benefit his reelection bid. | “What I think is going on here, frankly, is this action was taken more in President Trump’s self-interest than our national interest,” Schultz said during an interview on CNN in which she referenced a new report that cited emails that bolster the case that Trump was directly involved in withholding military aid to Ukraine as he was seeking investigations that could benefit his reelection bid. |
| “We had damning developments in just the last day where emails came out that made it very clear that they covered up the real reason behind the withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars to Ukraine,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Donald Trump was just impeached a week and a half ago, and we need to get to the bottom of how and who helped him carry out this illegal coverup, to allow him to withhold aid, to help him politically and personally, to allow Ukraine to interfere in the presidential election in 2020.” | “We had damning developments in just the last day where emails came out that made it very clear that they covered up the real reason behind the withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars to Ukraine,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Donald Trump was just impeached a week and a half ago, and we need to get to the bottom of how and who helped him carry out this illegal coverup, to allow him to withhold aid, to help him politically and personally, to allow Ukraine to interfere in the presidential election in 2020.” |
| “That’s outrageous, and I think that has a lot to do with what this attack was about,” she added. | “That’s outrageous, and I think that has a lot to do with what this attack was about,” she added. |
| Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) also referenced impeachment as she tweeted about the drone strike on Friday. | Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) also referenced impeachment as she tweeted about the drone strike on Friday. |
| “The Occupant was JUST impeached for abuse of power for political gain & now he is leading us to the brink of war because he believes it will help his re-election,” Pressley said. “We are sick of endless wars. Congress has the sole authority to declare war and we must deescalate.” | “The Occupant was JUST impeached for abuse of power for political gain & now he is leading us to the brink of war because he believes it will help his re-election,” Pressley said. “We are sick of endless wars. Congress has the sole authority to declare war and we must deescalate.” |
| Lawyers for the Trump administration and Pelosi return to court in Washington on Friday in two separation-of-powers lawsuits over testimony and evidence, which the Democrats are requesting in the lead-up to a Senate impeachment trial and “ongoing inquiry into the president’s conduct.” | Lawyers for the Trump administration and Pelosi return to court in Washington on Friday in two separation-of-powers lawsuits over testimony and evidence, which the Democrats are requesting in the lead-up to a Senate impeachment trial and “ongoing inquiry into the president’s conduct.” |
| House lawmakers are seeking testimony from Trump’s former White House counsel Donald McGahn and secret grand jury materials from former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation. | House lawmakers are seeking testimony from Trump’s former White House counsel Donald McGahn and secret grand jury materials from former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation. |
| Even as the timing of an impeachment trial remains uncertain, the House Judiciary Committee is “continuing to conduct its inquiry into whether the president committed other impeachable offenses,” House lawyers said in court filings in advance of oral argument at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. | Even as the timing of an impeachment trial remains uncertain, the House Judiciary Committee is “continuing to conduct its inquiry into whether the president committed other impeachable offenses,” House lawyers said in court filings in advance of oral argument at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. |
| Read more here. | Read more here. |
| In a break with recent days, Trump refrained from comment about impeachment proceedings in morning tweets, focusing instead on the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani early Friday, local time. | In a break with recent days, Trump refrained from comment about impeachment proceedings in morning tweets, focusing instead on the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani early Friday, local time. |
| “General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more...but got caught!” Trump tweeted. “He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number of PROTESTERS killed in Iran itself. While Iran will never be able to properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country. They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe. He should have been taken out many years ago!” | “General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more...but got caught!” Trump tweeted. “He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number of PROTESTERS killed in Iran itself. While Iran will never be able to properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country. They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe. He should have been taken out many years ago!” |
| Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), a Democratic presidential candidate, pressed her argument Friday that impeachment has bolstered the chances that Trump gets reelected and that Republicans regain control of the House. | Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), a Democratic presidential candidate, pressed her argument Friday that impeachment has bolstered the chances that Trump gets reelected and that Republicans regain control of the House. |
| “This impeachment has only proven to further strengthen Trump,” she said during an appearance on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends.” “ It’s increasing the likelihood that it will be harder for us to defeat him. It’s increasing the likelihood that the Republicans take the House and the Senate, which I don’t think is a good thing for the country.” | “This impeachment has only proven to further strengthen Trump,” she said during an appearance on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends.” “ It’s increasing the likelihood that it will be harder for us to defeat him. It’s increasing the likelihood that the Republicans take the House and the Senate, which I don’t think is a good thing for the country.” |
| Gabbard, who voted “present” last month on the two articles of impeachment, said she would prefer to “remove [Trump] from office at the ballot box.” | Gabbard, who voted “present” last month on the two articles of impeachment, said she would prefer to “remove [Trump] from office at the ballot box.” |
| Her comments echoed those in a video she tweeted earlier in the week in which she said impeachment had “greatly increased the likelihood Trump will remain the president for the next five years.” | Her comments echoed those in a video she tweeted earlier in the week in which she said impeachment had “greatly increased the likelihood Trump will remain the president for the next five years.” |
| Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel asserted Friday that backlash against the Democratic-led impeachment of Trump had helped boost fundraising totals for the president and his party. | Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel asserted Friday that backlash against the Democratic-led impeachment of Trump had helped boost fundraising totals for the president and his party. |
| “Democrats’ baseless impeachment charade has only made support for @realDonaldTrump stronger,” McDaniel said in a tweet. “His accomplishments combined with the largest grassroots, data-driven ground game in @GOP history puts us in prime position for victory on Nov 3!” | “Democrats’ baseless impeachment charade has only made support for @realDonaldTrump stronger,” McDaniel said in a tweet. “His accomplishments combined with the largest grassroots, data-driven ground game in @GOP history puts us in prime position for victory on Nov 3!” |
| McDaniel pointed to a Washington Post report that Trump’s political operation headed into 2020 with nearly $200 million on hand, according to party officials, giving him a financial war chest that vastly outstrips the resources of his Democratic opponents. | McDaniel pointed to a Washington Post report that Trump’s political operation headed into 2020 with nearly $200 million on hand, according to party officials, giving him a financial war chest that vastly outstrips the resources of his Democratic opponents. |
| Trump’s reelection campaign, the Republican Party and two joint fundraising committees together raised a record $154 million in the final three months of the year, party officials told The Post. | Trump’s reelection campaign, the Republican Party and two joint fundraising committees together raised a record $154 million in the final three months of the year, party officials told The Post. |
| Trump plans to travel to Miami on Friday afternoon for an event marking the launch of an Evangelicals for Trump Coalition. | Trump plans to travel to Miami on Friday afternoon for an event marking the launch of an Evangelicals for Trump Coalition. |
| The group’s formation comes in the wake of an editorial last month in the evangelical magazine Christianity Today calling for Trump’s removal from office. In the weeks since, Trump has sought to shore up his standing among a group that voted overwhelmingly for him in the 2016 presidential election against Democrat Hillary Clinton. | The group’s formation comes in the wake of an editorial last month in the evangelical magazine Christianity Today calling for Trump’s removal from office. In the weeks since, Trump has sought to shore up his standing among a group that voted overwhelmingly for him in the 2016 presidential election against Democrat Hillary Clinton. |
| Trump has no other public events on his schedule Friday but could address the nation earlier in the day regarding the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani. He has been staying at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where he spent the holidays, and he plans to return there after the event in Miami. | Trump has no other public events on his schedule Friday but could address the nation earlier in the day regarding the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani. He has been staying at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where he spent the holidays, and he plans to return there after the event in Miami. |
| The two leaders did not communicate over the holidays about how to break the impasse on the scope of an impeachment trial, according to congressional aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share the status of private deliberations. | The two leaders did not communicate over the holidays about how to break the impasse on the scope of an impeachment trial, according to congressional aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share the status of private deliberations. |
| Schumer has been pressing for a guarantee that the trial will include subpoenas of certain documents as well as some witnesses who did not participate in the House impeachment proceedings, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton. | Schumer has been pressing for a guarantee that the trial will include subpoenas of certain documents as well as some witnesses who did not participate in the House impeachment proceedings, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton. |
| McConnell has said that the Senate should wait to decide about witnesses until after hearing opening statements from House impeachment managers and Trump’s attorneys, and the senators have an opportunity to submit written questions to both sides. That is the model that was used during the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, and McConnell has argued that there is no reason to deviate from that. | McConnell has said that the Senate should wait to decide about witnesses until after hearing opening statements from House impeachment managers and Trump’s attorneys, and the senators have an opportunity to submit written questions to both sides. That is the model that was used during the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton, and McConnell has argued that there is no reason to deviate from that. |
| McConnell has also said he would be unconcerned if a trial never takes place. | McConnell has also said he would be unconcerned if a trial never takes place. |
| Nearly 6 in 10 Americans think Trump has committed an impeachable offense, but the public is more evenly split on whether voters should decide his fate in this year’s elections rather than have the Senate remove him from office, according to a new poll. | Nearly 6 in 10 Americans think Trump has committed an impeachable offense, but the public is more evenly split on whether voters should decide his fate in this year’s elections rather than have the Senate remove him from office, according to a new poll. |
| The 538-Ipsos poll also finds that congressional Democrats, Republicans and Trump alike get low marks from the public for how they are handling the impeachment process. | The 538-Ipsos poll also finds that congressional Democrats, Republicans and Trump alike get low marks from the public for how they are handling the impeachment process. |
| The poll finds that 57 percent of Americans think Trump has committed an impeachable offense, while 40 percent think he has not. Of those who think he has, 50 percent are “absolutely certain,” while 31 percent are “pretty certain.” | The poll finds that 57 percent of Americans think Trump has committed an impeachable offense, while 40 percent think he has not. Of those who think he has, 50 percent are “absolutely certain,” while 31 percent are “pretty certain.” |
| Meanwhile, 51 percent say voters should ultimately determine Trump’s fate, while 47 percent say he should be removed from office by the Senate. Separately, a Washington Post average of 16 national polls in December found 47 percent supported impeaching and removing Trump, while 48 percent were opposed. | Meanwhile, 51 percent say voters should ultimately determine Trump’s fate, while 47 percent say he should be removed from office by the Senate. Separately, a Washington Post average of 16 national polls in December found 47 percent supported impeaching and removing Trump, while 48 percent were opposed. |
| Read more here. | Read more here. |