The second day of the question and answers in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial commences Thursday. House managers led by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) will duel with Trumps legal team on the Senate floor.
Refresh for updates.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faEvBeDapac?wmode=transparent&wmode=opaque&w=671&h=377]
Trump Lawyer: Asserting Not a Sign of Guilt
Patrick Philbin, a Trump attorney, told senators that Trump had the right to block documents and witnesses and said its not an admission of guilt, as some Democratic managers have suggested.
He asked: “Is the president the first innocent defendant not to waive his rights?”
“Only the guilty dont respond to subpoenas” and “this is not the way innocent people act” is what he claimed the Democrats said.
Philbin continued: “Well, of course, thats contrary to the very spirit of our American justice system where people have rights, and asserting those rights cannot be interpreted as an indication of guilt.”
He termed the Democrats accusations as “shocking.”
CSPAN noted that more than 110 questions have been asked by senators over the past two days.
Roberts Wont Read Sen. Pauls Question
Chief Justice John Roberts said he will decline to a read a question from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) about the whistleblower.
“The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted,” Roberts said.
Paul on Twitter confirmed that he wanted to ask about the whistleblower at the center of the impeachment inquiry. Some GOP allies of Trump have accused the whistleblower of colluding with Rep. Schiffs office before submitting his complaint to the Intelligence Community Inspector Generals office.
“My question today is about whether or not individuals who were holdovers from the Obama National Security Council and Democrat partisans conspired with Schiff staffers to plot impeaching the President before there were formal House impeachment proceedings,” he wrote. “My question is about the actions of known Obama partisans within the NSC and House staff and how they are reported to have conspired before impeachment proceedings had even begun,” he said.
Graham: 53 GOP Votes for Hunter Biden
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) claimed there were 53 senators who would be willing to vote for testimony from former Vice President Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden, a central impeachment figure.
Graham told reporters Wednesday: “If theres going to be one witness, there will be more. And theres 53 Republican votes to call Hunter Biden, not 51, not 52. Because all of us believe that if this trial goes on, Hunter Biden is a very relevant witness.”
Democrats have said they want to call several current and former White House officials, including former national security adviser John Bolton.
McConnell: No Update on Witnesses
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) did not comment when asked about whether he had the 51 votes needed to block calling witnesses in the trial.
“We will see what tomorrow brings,” he told reporters.
Democrats have said they need four Republicans to join them in voting to call up witnesses.
Dershowitz: News Outlets Distorted Argument
Trump lawyer Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor emeritus, said newRead More – Source
[contf]
[contfnew]
The Epoch Times
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]
