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'Take her out': tape appears to catch Trump demanding removal of Ukraine ambassador – live Democrats say impeachment case 'has been proved' as they make final pitch – live
(32 minutes later)
Recording released as House impeachment managers prepare to finish presenting their opening arguments today – follow live updatesRecording released as House impeachment managers prepare to finish presenting their opening arguments today – follow live updates
It appears to be the Tweeting Hour for Donald Trump, who continued on his retweet tirade, who has reposted six more tweets along with two more original tweets hyping up Sean Hannity.
“Give America a fair trial,” impeachment manager Adam Schiff said, wrapping up the Democrats’ opening statements. “She’s worth it.”
And just like that, Senate has adjourned for the night. The impeachment trial continues tomorrow morning.
As impeachment manager Adam Schiff continues to talk, Donald Trump has gone on a retweeting frenzy. He reposted a tweet of his from earlier today, as well as one from the Senate Republicans account, and one each from Republican senators John Barrasso and Marsha Blackburn.
After hours of impeachment trial this week:
Politico is reporting that “a small minority” of Republican senators may “end up mildly criticizing president’s behavior in requesting investigations into Joe Biden and delaying military aid to Ukraine.”
“But any expressions of disapproval are muted, or explained away as an honest mistake by a frustrated president who just wanted to fight corruption in Ukraine.”
“I do things every week that are inappropriate. So no, I’m not going to go down that road,” Senator Roger Wicker told Politico. “This is a constitutional remedy that was designed for the most extreme of cases and we’re just not anywhere in that [ball] park.”
While we were all busy at the impeachment trial, the White House was tweeting about Donald Trump accepting that Russia meddled in the 2016 election.
But the clip tweeted out on the official White House account was from July 2018.
Schiff is now going point by point over what he anticipates the White House will say tomorrow.Schiff is now going point by point over what he anticipates the White House will say tomorrow.
Schiff warned that the legal team will attack the impeachment managers, “those managers are just awful, they’re terrible people, especially that Schiff guy, he’s the worst, he’s the worst.” He warned that they will try to distract with Biden and Burisma, corruption and burden-sharing, and question the motives of the whistleblower.Schiff warned that the legal team will attack the impeachment managers, “those managers are just awful, they’re terrible people, especially that Schiff guy, he’s the worst, he’s the worst.” He warned that they will try to distract with Biden and Burisma, corruption and burden-sharing, and question the motives of the whistleblower.
“Do you want to know why the president is mad at the whistleblower?” Schiff said. “Because but for the whistleblower, he wouldn’t have been caught. And that is an unforgivable sin.”“Do you want to know why the president is mad at the whistleblower?” Schiff said. “Because but for the whistleblower, he wouldn’t have been caught. And that is an unforgivable sin.”
Impeachment manager Adam Schiff read out each allegation laid out against President Trump in the articles of impeachment, ending each statement with, “That has been proved”.Impeachment manager Adam Schiff read out each allegation laid out against President Trump in the articles of impeachment, ending each statement with, “That has been proved”.
“The facts have been proved,” Schiff said. “Those facts are not contested. We have met our burden.”“The facts have been proved,” Schiff said. “Those facts are not contested. We have met our burden.”
This portion of the impeachment trial is winding down, with Schiff taking the floor to lay out the significance of this particular trial. As noted many, many times by the Democrats, this is the first president in history to defy an impeachment inquiry in the way Trump has, by ordering various members of his administration to not comply with congressional subpoenas.This portion of the impeachment trial is winding down, with Schiff taking the floor to lay out the significance of this particular trial. As noted many, many times by the Democrats, this is the first president in history to defy an impeachment inquiry in the way Trump has, by ordering various members of his administration to not comply with congressional subpoenas.
Article 1 of the articles of impeachment focuses on abuse of power, and Article 2 focuses on obstruction of Congress. Schiff said there will be no more Article 1 with no Article 2 this time around - that if the Senate does not hold the president accountable for obstruction of Congress, Congress will never have the power of impeachment again.Article 1 of the articles of impeachment focuses on abuse of power, and Article 2 focuses on obstruction of Congress. Schiff said there will be no more Article 1 with no Article 2 this time around - that if the Senate does not hold the president accountable for obstruction of Congress, Congress will never have the power of impeachment again.
“As I said before, our relationship with Ukraine will survive,” Schiff said. “God willing, our relationship with Ukraine will survive and Ukraine will prosper and we will get beyond this ugly chapter in our history. But if we’re to decide here that a president of the United States can simply say, under Article 2 I can do whatever I want and I don’t have to treat a branch of this government like it exists...that will be an unending injury to this country.”“As I said before, our relationship with Ukraine will survive,” Schiff said. “God willing, our relationship with Ukraine will survive and Ukraine will prosper and we will get beyond this ugly chapter in our history. But if we’re to decide here that a president of the United States can simply say, under Article 2 I can do whatever I want and I don’t have to treat a branch of this government like it exists...that will be an unending injury to this country.”
Senator Tim Kaine gets carded outside the impeachment trial.Senator Tim Kaine gets carded outside the impeachment trial.
While we were watching the impeachment trial, Donald Trump was accepting that Russia meddled in the 2016 election.While we were watching the impeachment trial, Donald Trump was accepting that Russia meddled in the 2016 election.
“I have felt very strongly that while Russia’s actions had no impact at all on the outcome of the election, let me be totally clear in saying, and I’ve said this many times, I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place,” Trump said.“I have felt very strongly that while Russia’s actions had no impact at all on the outcome of the election, let me be totally clear in saying, and I’ve said this many times, I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place,” Trump said.
“There was no collusion,” he added.“There was no collusion,” he added.
Jay Sekulow, attorney for President Trump, addressed the media during the dinner recess: “Look, for whatever reason, the house managers decided to not just open the door, but kick the door open on the Burisma-Biden matter,” he said, hinting at what his focus will be during the impeachment trial.Jay Sekulow, attorney for President Trump, addressed the media during the dinner recess: “Look, for whatever reason, the house managers decided to not just open the door, but kick the door open on the Burisma-Biden matter,” he said, hinting at what his focus will be during the impeachment trial.
In addressing the situation with former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, whom Trump was caught on recording calling to be removed, Sekulow said, “An ambassador serves at the pleasure of the president. You know who said that? The ambassador herself.”In addressing the situation with former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, whom Trump was caught on recording calling to be removed, Sekulow said, “An ambassador serves at the pleasure of the president. You know who said that? The ambassador herself.”
Just before the dinner recess, impeachment manager Hakeem Jeffries spoke about the president’s procedural complaints.Just before the dinner recess, impeachment manager Hakeem Jeffries spoke about the president’s procedural complaints.
“The constitution provides the House with the sole power of impeachment and the sole authority to determine the rules of its proceedings,” he said. “Given the constitution’s priority on this point, the president’s argument that he can engage in blanket obstruction is just dead wrong.”“The constitution provides the House with the sole power of impeachment and the sole authority to determine the rules of its proceedings,” he said. “Given the constitution’s priority on this point, the president’s argument that he can engage in blanket obstruction is just dead wrong.”
Back to the impeachment trial. Impeachment manager Zoe Lofgren is on the floor, talking about precedents set by the impeachment process of Richard Nixon as well as presidents’ general obligation to comply with impeachment inquiries.
“Presidents are still free to raise privacy, national security or other concerns in the course of an impeachment inquiry,” she said. “But when a president abuses his office, abuses his power, to completely defy house investigators’ impeachment inquiry, when he does that without lawful cause or excuse, he attacks the constitution itself. When he does that, he confirms that he sees himself as above the law.”
NPR has posted the transcript to the interview that the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, is reportedly furious about:
Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, was reportedly furious about host Mary Louise Kelly daring to ask him about Ukraine on All Things Considered.
The impeachment manager Jerry Nadler takes the floor to talk about the administration not complying with congressional subpoenas.
“If the president chooses to ignore our subpoena, our power as a branch of government, our ability to do our jobs, our ability to keep an administration in check, our ability to make sure the American people are represented by a congress and not just a president, are diminished,” he said.
“We must act,” he continued. “Is there a consequence for a president that defies our subpoenas absolutely, who says to all branches of the administration, ‘Do not obey a congressional subpoena, categorically’?”
So there’s much to-do over the new logo for the US space force, which for better or for worse, looks an awful lot like the Star Trek Starfleet Command logo.
But it appears the United States has been all about that “live long and prosper” life for a while now.
Hello all, Vivian Ho on the west coast, taking you through all the US politics developments this evening, with the focus on the impeachment trial. I’m taking the baton from my colleagues Joan E Greve and Maanvi Singh, who have been keeping everyone up to date on the drama in the impeachment trial so far this week.
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Vivian Ho, will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
House impeachment managers wrapped up their opening arguments about the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, and are now making their case for the second article, obstruction of Congress. Today is the Democrats’ final day to present opening arguments.
Concluding the managers’ opening arguments about the first article, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff said Trump represented an “imminent threat to the integrity of our democracy.”
ABC News published a report about a 2018 recording appearing to show Trump calling for the removal of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch, whose ouster has become a key issue in the impeachment trial.
The Pentagon confirmed 34 US soldiers suffered concussions or traumatic brain injuries from the Iranian missile strike in Iraq, contradicting Trump’s earlier statements that there were no casualties.
Trump unveiled the new logo for the US Space Force, which prompted instant comparisons to the “Star Trek” logo.
Vivian will have more updates and analysis as the impeachment trial continues, so stay tuned.
Concluding her presentation about Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress, impeachment manager Sylvia Garcia said Trump’s actions were “beyond comparison.”
“This president should be removed,” Garcia said.
She then ceded the floor to fellow impeachment manager Zoe Lofgren, who has jumped into a presentation about Trump’s efforts to keep administration officials from cooperating with the House impeachment inquiry.
Almost immediately after Trump unveiled the new logo for the US Space Force, Twitter pointed out its many similarities to the logo for a certain fictional space fleet.
George Takei, one of the stars of “Star Trek,” quickly jumped into the conversation to suggest the Trump administration pay the cast “royalties.”
As impeachment managers accuse his of orchestrating a cover-up to conceal his impeachable actions toward Ukraine, Trump is busy unveiling the new logo for the US Space Force.
The massive defense spending bill Trump signed last month created the Space Force, which he has been pushing for since early 2018.
Trump’s signature made the Space Force the sixth branch of the US military, the first new service since the creation of the Air Force in 1947.