This week, the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump really got underway with opening arguments from figures including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who’s one of the managers for the House’s impeachment case. He used his initial time in the spotlight, which came before Senators approved a rules resolution covering the rest of the trial, to advocate for actually fair proceedings, which in Democrats’ estimation would include witnesses and documents. Senate Republicans are trying to proceed with initial arguments and questions without hearing from any additional witnesses or seeing any additional documents, but Schiff reminded them that their fealty to Trump is thereby on full display.
Schiff pointed out:
‘Americans want a fair trial. They want to believe their government is still capable of rising to the occasion. They want to believe we can rise above party, to do what’s best for our country. Sadly, a great many Americans doubt this is still possible. Let’s prove them wrong.’
Americans want a fair trial.
They want to believe their government is still capable of rising to the occasion.
They want to believe we can rise above party, to do what’s best for our country.
Sadly, a great many Americans doubt this is still possible.
Let's prove them wrong. pic.twitter.com/VGor4FSQdS
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 21, 2020
Unfortunately, that did not happen, with a late night party line vote approving proceeding through the initial stages of the trial without hearing from witnesses. As Schiff also noted, Democrats have been after figures with firsthand knowledge of the president’s plot to bribe Ukraine into investigating his opponents, including White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton.
Trump's lawyer claimed the House isn't ready to present our case.
We’re ready.
The House calls John Bolton to testify. The House calls Mick Mulvaney.
We’re ready to present our case, ready to call witnesses, ready to see the documents.
The question: Will the Senate let us? pic.twitter.com/MD5d1bqsxU
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 21, 2020
Schiff asserted that “Americans deserve a fair trial,” but Republicans did not heed his admonishments.
Senators get 16 hours to ask questions. Wouldn't they like to ask about documents?
If McConnell gets his way, they won't see any documents before their questions.
Even if documents are allowed later, they can't ask a single question about them.
Americans deserve a fair trial. pic.twitter.com/wF5SBs9xV8
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 22, 2020
During their own opening arguments, the president’s defense team delivered a barrage of lies even though the first item on the agenda was just approving the rules for the rest of the trial. Trump lawyer Jey Sekulow bombastically claimed that Trump “was denied the right to cross-examine witnesses… denied the right to access evidence… and denied the right to have counsel present at hearings,” but every one of those claims are blatantly false. The House invited the president’s team to attend Judiciary Committee hearings in that capacity, and they refused to show. The White House also refused the chance to make their case via complying with demands and subpoenas for evidence, which shouldn’t be a problem if they have nothing to hide.
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