Trump impeachment: looming Senate acquittal threatens to overshadow Iowa

As a growing number of Republican senators confirmed they will vote to acquit Donald Trump at the conclusion of his impeachment trial on Wednesday, the saga threatened to overshadow the first contest of the Democratic primary season in Iowa on Monday.

Related: 'My party is a cult': Republican Joe Walsh on his Iowa challenge to Trump

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Trump impeachment: Republican Senate ‘coverup’ prompts backlash

Outraged by what they see as a coverup in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, grassroots activists are planning a massive “payback project” designed to punish Republican senators at the ballot box.

Related: By denying witnesses, Republicans made clear even a smoking gun would not be enough

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Senators vote against hearing witnesses, paving way for Trump acquittal

Senate voted 51-49 to block witnesses, with Republicans Mitt Romney and Susan Collins joining Democrats

The US Senate voted against hearing witnesses in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on Friday, paving the way for Trump’s acquittal on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

The Senate voted 51-49 to block witnesses, with only two Republicans, Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, crossing party lines to support the Democratic call for witnesses.

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Trump impeachment trial: key Republican senator says she will oppose witnesses – live

  • Lisa Murkowski says she will vote against calling witnesses
  • Book says Trump told Bolton to help pressure Ukraine
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The impeachment trial has resumed, and Trump’s legal team will now have two hours to address the debate over calling witnesses to testify in the trial.

Deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin has taken the podium to argue against witnesses, claiming the senators have heard enough testimony from the officials who participated in the public hearings of the House impeachment inquiry.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell was hosting some of his Republican colleagues in his office during the break, likely working through the logistics of the trial’s conclusion, but he is now headed back to the chamber.

So far senators Thune, Tillis, Romney, Alexander and Murkowski have emerged from McConnell's office. I frankly have no idea whether they want to push this through late tonight or punt it to next week.

Aaaand McConnell just emerged to head back to the Senate floor

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Trump lawyers: ‘puritanical rage’ driving impeachment trial – video

The to and fro continues in the Trump impeachment trial as the prosecution and defense continue to debate subpoenaing witnesses. The White House lawyer Pat Cipollone accused the House impeachment managers of being driven by 'puritanical rage' while the Democratic congressman Hakeem Jeffries criticised the defense for raising 'conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory'

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Trump impeachment trial: Democrats in final push for witnesses – live

  • Republicans seem increasingly confident they can block witnesses
  • John Roberts insists he will not say alleged whistleblower’s name
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The Senate is back in session, and House managers and Trump lawyers are back to fielding questions.

GOP Senators found a new way to raise the topic of the Bidens and Burisma: “Do you agree with John Kerry’s stepson that Hunter Biden working with Burisma was unacceptable?”

When then-Vice President Joe Biden’s son joined the board of an obscure Ukrainian gas company half a decade ago, it was a stunning coup for its owner, a former Ukrainian minister working to remake the company’s image as he faced a money-laundering investigation.

For Hunter Biden, the job came with risks: Ukraine was in the throes of political upheaval, and there was building scrutiny of former government officials profiting in the lucrative gas industry. His father was the face of the Obama administration’s effort to get Ukraine to crack down on corruption.

Before the break, House manager Adam Schiff even more directly reassured senators concerned about “endless delays”, once again suggesting a one-week period for deposition and “limited” time for witnesses. Chief Justice John Roberts could quickly resolve disputes, he said.

Lawmakers and journalists have been speculating all day about how the upcoming votes on witnesses could fall. Republican Senators Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski were spotted together during the dinner break. Both are potential swing votes, and have told reporters they remain undecided.

Key swing vote Sen. Lamar Alexander told me he's going to announce his decision on witnesses TONIGHT, a decision that will make clear whether the Senate trial will come to a swift conclusion or if it will lead to a new phase over witnesses and documents.

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Impeachment: GOP leaders reportedly say they lack votes to block witnesses – live

  • Republican Collins: ‘There’s some gaps that need to be cleared up’
  • White House counsel to senators: reject articles of impeachment
  • Schiff says Trump’s lawyers ‘cannot defend president on facts’
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Though Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has reportedly told senators privately that he doesn’t have votes to block new witnesses in the impeachment trial, per multiple reports, there are still several days till senators would vote on the matter.

Senate Republicans may still block witnesses, and some GOP lawmakers are confident they’ll be able to do so, according to CNN.

While the votes aren't secured yet, GOP leaders are growing confident they can defeat a vote on witnesses following the initial alarm the Bolton book caused among Senate Rs. Many Rs amenable to argument that witnesses would drag it out with no clear end https://t.co/LKsAaRHEaS

Lev Parnas’ lawyer is expected to attend the Senate trial tomorrow.

Joseph Bondy asked Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer for gallery tickets, according to The Daily Beast, which first reported the news. Bondy’s co-counsel Stephanie Schuman is also expected to appear. Parnas himself may not be able to, as he wears an ankle monitor and electronics are banned in the trial chamber.

Lev Parnas attorney on attending Senate trial: “We are attending the trial w/ or w/o Mr. Parnas bc we believe our presence is important in reminding senators that indeed there should be witnesses heard and evidence taken and that anything short of that would not be a fair trial”

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Trump’s impeachment defense team glosses over new Bolton allegations

The ex-national security adviser’s book, which reportedly implicates the president over Ukraine, is hardly mentioned as trial continues

Lawyers for Donald Trump opted for a high-risk strategy in the sixth day of the president’s impeachment trial on Monday, avoiding mention of a major new development in the case even as Trump tweeted about it and some Republican senators told reporters that the tide against calling witnesses may have shifted.

On Sunday night, news broke that the former national security adviser John Bolton had written a book undermining the central claim of Trump’s defense, that Trump had never conditioned military aid for Ukraine on an announcement of investigations tied to his political rivals.

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‘The president did nothing wrong’: key takeaways from Trump defense’s opening arguments

President’s defense repeatedly came around to a basic argument: nothing Trump did in withholding aid to Ukraine was unusual

Donald Trump’s legal defense team began their argument Saturday during a three-hour session of the impeachment proceedings against the president.

Here are the five key takeaways:

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Welcome to the Trump show: defense argues president is a victim and Democrats are villains

White House counsel says prosecution aims to pull off ‘the most massive interference in an election in American history’

Welcome to Day One of the Trump Show.

It was, admittedly, an inauspicious start to what was teased as a “trailer” for the rollicking show to come next week in the historic impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

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Trump team begins argument president broke no laws at impeachment trial

Donald Trump’s lawyers began making their case Saturday, with a longer, more meaningful session expected for Monday

Donald Trump’s legal team on Saturday argued that Donald Trump broke no laws and Democrats’ move to impeach him was simply an attempt to delegitimize Trump’s presidency.

Related: The key takeaways from day three of the impeachment trial

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Democrats focus on Ukraine ‘cover-up’ as marathon impeachment case wraps

White House tried to hide records of Trump’s call with Ukrainian president and block whistleblower complaint, say Democrats

Democrats concluded the presentation of their case against Donald Trump at his impeachment trial on Friday, with the lead prosecutor Adam Schiff calling on Republicans to exercise “moral courage” and vote in favor of calling witnesses at the trial next week.

“Give America a fair trial,” Schiff concluded after three marathon days of argument. “She’s worth it.”

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‘Trump tried to cheat, he got caught’: Hakeem Jeffries on the president’s alleged offences – video

On the fourth day of Trump's trial for impeachment in the US senate, impeachment manager Hakeem Jeffries warned that the president's actions toward Ukraine had put the country in jeopardy.

The New York Democrat also warned of a 'toxic mess' emanating from the White House, that 'is our collective job on behalf of the people to try and clean up'. 

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Democrats say impeachment case ‘has been proved’ as they make final pitch – live

  • On recording Trump calls for ousting of Marie Yovanovitch
  • Impeachment managers will finish presenting opening arguments today
  • Next Trump’s lawyers will be given up to 24 hours to begin their defense
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“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.

This obsession with impeachment* is out of hand.

Tennesseans have their priorities straight: trade, border security, and creating jobs. pic.twitter.com/vNFjPBA2MQ

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Impeachment trial: Democrats cry hypocrisy as Republicans say ‘we’ve seen this before’ – live updates

  • Democrats continue prosecution on third day of trial
  • Jerry Nadler says Trump’s conduct ‘puts even Nixon to shame’
  • Democrats criticize Republicans, who claim house managers are repeating themselves, for not allowing new evidence
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A few more scenes from the trial chamber:

Senators and 2020 Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar reportedly shared a laugh.

On the floor, Bernie Sanders looked quite tired, ultimately got up, walked to the back of the chamber - and chatted briefly with Amy Klobuchar. She pointed to something in her binder. They both shared a laugh and Sanders retreated to the cloak room.

Sen. Tillis is not in his seat at the moment. He’s sitting watching from above in the visitor gallery, for some reason

Emphasizing that nearly $400m in congressionally-appropriated military aid to Ukraine was held up for no good reason, the impeachment manager Zoe Lofgren, with the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, sitting nearby, pointed out: “Even Senator McConnell has said ‘I was not given an explanation’ for the hold.”

The evidence is clear that Donald Trump “knowingly, willfully violated the law when he withheld the aid to Ukraine”, Lofgren said. “It shows the great lengths the president was willing to go to in order to pressure Ukraine to do his dirty work.”

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Impeachment: Democrats say conduct is ‘not America first, but Trump first’

  • House managers make case for president’s removal from office
  • So far, all the signs are that Republicans are unmoved

Donald Trump put his personal political interests ahead of his country’s national security and free and fair elections, prosecutors at his impeachment trial on Capitol Hill said on Thursday, telling US senators: “This conduct is not ‘America first’. It is Donald Trump first.”

Democratic impeachment managers, who are acting as the prosecutors bringing the case for Trump’s removal from office, were spending a second day in Washington laying out their case against Trump in only the third presidential impeachment trial in American history.

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Trump impeachment: Schiff says Trump tried to ‘cheat’ way to re-election – as it happened

  • Impeachment managers have 24 hours over three days to make case
  • Republicans accuse Dems of repeating selves but won’t call witnesses
  • Trump has broken his own tweeting record as he defends himself

That wraps up the second full day of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. Catch up on The Guardian’s coverage:

Related: 'Our future is not assured': Schiff issues stark warning at impeachment trial

Report: Tomorrow, the Trump administration is expected to finalize a rule to strip away environmental protections for streams, rivers, and wetlands.

Under the new regulations, for the first time in decades, landlords and businesses will be allowed to dump pollutants and pesticides directly into bodies of water.

From Day 1 of his administration, President Trump vowed to repeal President Barack Obama’s “Waters of the United States” regulation, which had frustrated rural landowners...

“I terminated one of the most ridiculous regulations of all: the last administration’s disastrous Waters of the United States rule,” Mr. Trump told the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention in Texas on Sunday, to rousing applause. He added, “That was a rule that basically took your property away from you.”

Related: 'Our future is not assured': Schiff issues stark warning at impeachment trial

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‘Our future is not assured’: Schiff issues stark warning at impeachment trial

  • Impeachment manager describes moment of historic national crisis
  • After rejecting fresh witnesses, Republicans say they heard nothing new
  • Some senators exit chamber despite trial rules

Striving to make himself heard across partisan lines, the lead impeachment prosecutor filled his opening argument against Donald Trump on the Senate floor on Wednesday with invitations, warnings and appeals designed to win Republican backing for a substantial trial.

Using flowing evocations of constitutional history, the global promise of US democracy, and the stakes should it all be allowed to slip, Democrat Adam Schiff framed his story of Trump’s wrongdoing as a national crisis demanding a non-partisan remedy.

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‘Loose with the truth’: Chuck Schumer on the gravity of Donald Trump’s alleged offences – video

Chuck Schumer, the US Senate minority leader, said Donald Trump’s defence team appeared 'unprepared, confused and unconvincing' during the first day of debate at the president’s impeachment trial on Tuesday.

All but one Republican voted against the amendments offered by Democrats, which was approved by the Senate on a party line vote in the early hours of Wednesday morning

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Impeachment trial against Trump begins: the key moments of day one – video

Donald Trump’s impeachment trial began in the US Senate, with Democrats pushing back against the rules set out by the Republican-held senate. Democrats accused Republicans of covering up for the president as their amendments to trial proceedings were voted down repeatedly

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