The Senate Impeachment Trial of US President Donald Trump will resume later on Saturday in Washington after a blistering and at times emotional closing argument by the Democratic Lead Impeachment Manager on Friday night.
Trump’s Defence is expected to spend just a “couple” of their 24 hours of opening arguments in the Chamber on Saturday saving the majority of their speaking time for Monday when the television audience is expected to be larger.
This is after lead prosecutor Adam Schiff made an impassioned closing argument for the Senate to remove the President from office for alleged abuse of power and obstruction of congress.
“Whether you like the president or dislike the president is immaterial. It’s all about the Constitution and his misconduct. If it meets the standard of impeachable conduct as we have proved, it doesn’t matter if you like him, it doesn’t matter if you dislike him. What matters is whether he is a danger to the country because he will do it again. And none of us can have confidence based on his record that he will not do it again because he is telling us every day that he will.”
Schiff used his closing to pre-empt various defence arguments that would likely be used to counter the evidence in the case, including invoking Executive Privilege for the White House or slamming the House investigation as unfair among others.
But he has again urged the Senators to call witnesses and to subpoena documents that would likely bolster the case he and his democratic impeachment mangers have tried to make over the last three days.
“So, let us not be fooled by the argument that it will take too long or persuaded that the trial must be over before the State of the Union (address in February). This is no parking ticket we are contesting. No shoplifting case we are prosecuting. It is a matter of high crimes and misdemeanours. How long is too long to have a fair trial, fair to the president and fair to the American people? The American people do not agree on much but they will not forgive being deprived of the truth and certainly not because it took a back seat to expediency. And so I ask you, I implore you, give America a fair trial. Give America a fair trial. She’s worth it.”
Click below for more on the story:
