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Introduction by The Editor: Related topics: The clamor for President Trump's impeachment The Deep State "Whistleblower" Scandal Televised Impeachment Hearings The Impeachment is Political Poison Leftists' departures from the truth The Democrats are out of step with the American mainstream Media bias against President Trump Retrospective commentary: America in the 21st Century: 20 Long Years of Constant Brainwashing. For six months last fall and winter, the entirety of our news media actively conspired with Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi, Gerrold Nadler and the entire DC Swamp to brainwash you into believing that you should support the impeachment of President Trump over a phone call in which nothing improper was discussed. They knew if they could cause a massive shift in public opinion they might be able to convince enough GOP senators to give up the ghost and get it done. That one failed, other than to get half a vote from the same traitor who threw the 2012 election. The Democratic Party Is Wounded And Dangerous. The Democrats and the Deep State have spent the last four years constructing the greatest wag-the-dog spectacle America's ever seen in an attempt to cover up the malfeasance and criminality of the last administration, while preventing the current one from achieving too many victories. Considering that Brennan and Comey are still free and Obama and Hillary are still smiling, they've been remarkably successful. But the Mueller obfuscation and Schiff circus are behind us, the dance music of delay is dying down, and the Democrats' and Deep State's ability to keep pushing back their day of reckoning is coming to an end. If they don't win in 2020, they cannot keep justice at bay, regardless of how stacked in their favor it has always been in the past. The System Worked. As irritating as the last three years of political turmoil have been (especially the bizarre and idiotic impeachment fiasco), Americans can rejoice that the Madisonian constitutional system of "checks and balances" has proven its wisdom once again. This system of divided and overlapping powers in branches and levels of government (unitary executive, bicameral legislature, and a judicial branch; along with national-state federalism) is the wonder and envy of the world: other countries right now cannot believe how the United States managed this crucial political battle without a bloody revolution or merciless dictatorship, but relatively peaceably and rationally. This American system of "separation of powers" provides that if one branch of government, representing some major interest or "faction" tries to force its will over all the rest of society, there will be push-back, as "ambition checks ambition" and balance is restored. Democrats Cling To the Hope That Trump Is Compromised. The Democrats are clinging to the inevitable pious fraud that Donald Trump is a compromised president because he was impeached. After a spurious investigation in which the president had none of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of a defendant or the defenses available by precedent to presidents who are the subjects of such investigations, the Democrats charged Mr. Trump with acts that are not impeachable. Then they failed to adduce any evidence that the president had committed the acts with which they charged him. Naturally, they have moved to the next stage, insisting there is an ineradicable blot on the president's record because he was impeached, with what amounts to a guilty verdict because the Republicans did not allow witnesses that the House, whose constitutional task it is to prepare the evidence for the Senate's trial, failed to call when it had the chance. It's time for Trump to fight fire with fire. Fact: The Russia investigation known as Spygate did not arise because the FBI and CIA thought it likely that Trump colluded with Russia — everyone knew that was bullshit. The Russia probe and the resultant Mueller investigation were based on a false dossier paid for by the DNC. The FBI, CIA, and DoJ used these documents — knowing full well that they were fraudulent — in order to spy on and undermine the Trump administration. It was a coup attempt, plain and simple. Fact: The impeachment did not arise because a principled whistleblower spontaneously came forward with a tale of a Ukraine phone call. We know this because (1) Inspector General Michael Atkinson clandestinely changed the rules to allow the whistleblower to file a complaint using only hearsay evidence, and (2) the whistleblower's colleague joined Adam Schiff's staff just weeks before it was launched. These are not coincidences, they are evidence of a deliberate plot to destroy the President. Saving Private Ciaramella. During the Senate trial, there was one portentous occurrence when Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read aloud a question addressed to the House managers from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). [...] Paul's question cuts to the heart of the matter. Regardless of who the whistleblower may be, Paul wants to know if Ciaramella, Misko, and possibly other Schiff staffers conspired to impeach the president. If it turns out that Ciaramella is the whistleblower, then the follow-up question becomes whether or not he conspired with Schiff, et al., to concoct what is now exposed as a fictitious and materially false and misleading account of the Trump-Zelensky call. Did Ciaramella submit a false complaint to the inspector general? If so, was his false report concocted with Schiff, et al.? Is Ciaramella at the heart of this fraudulent and failed impeachment effort? Is There a Market Where I Can Short Liberals? Trump delivered a triumphant State of the Union address, highlighting all he's done to make America great again — and attacking previous administrations for failing to do so. It was such a bravura performance that when he was finished, Speaker Nancy Pelosi childishly tore up his speech from the podium in a shocking breach of decorum. Hours after the president's address, he was scheduled to be "acquitted" in the Senate impeachment trial — if that's the right word for a dismissal of the most absurd charges ever brought against a chief executive. After weeks of scurrilous accusations against him being made on the Senate floor, Trump's job approval rating in Gallup polling has soared to 49 percent, the highest it's been since he took office. He should ask Pelosi to impeach him again. Trump Acquitted on Both Impeachment Charges; McConnell Calls Effort 'a Colossal Political Mistake'. The Senate put an end to the impeachment farce Wednesday, voting to acquit President Donald Trump on both counts in his impeachment trial. The vote was almost entirely along party lines except for one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, who predictably voted to convict Trump on the abuse of power charge. The final vote on that count was 48 to 52. Romney voted with Republicans on the charge of obstruction of Congress so the final vote on that count was 47 to 53. Wait... Trump can have his impeachment expunged? Does the House of Representatives have the power to rewrite history? That's one of the questions under discussion at the moment. With the President's approval rating continuing to creep upward and some analysts beginning to suspect that he might actually win a second term, House Republicans are now daring to wonder whether or not they might take back the Speaker's gavel after the elections in November. And if they manage that feat, one thing on Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's agenda may be wiping Donald Trump's impeachment off the books. With impeachment done, Senate must probe how this awful trial started. President Trump has now been acquitted, but Democrats hope his impeachment will disgrace him "for life" and tilt the 2020 election. Don't bet on it. Sen. Lindsey Graham has a better idea. Graham is proposing post-impeachment investigations by the Senate to "get to the bottom" of the Democrats' impeachment hoax. That will pin the disgrace where it belongs — on the party that dragged the nation through an unwarranted ordeal. Many Republican senators and Vice President Mike Pence are brushing aside the idea of investigations, saying they want to "move on." Not so fast. These investigations are essential to uncover how House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff engineered the whistleblower complaint and expose the solid reasons Trump had for asking Ukraine about the Bidens' dealings there. Graham said it's "important" to find out "if the whistleblower was working with people on Schiff's staff [who] wanted to take Trump down." Our Long National Nightmare Is Over. Impeachment must be viewed in the context of the Democrats' effort to destroy Donald Trump that began prior to his inauguration. For more than three years, their get-Trump campaign has dominated the news. Mostly, it was the Russia hoax. The Democrats originally intended to use that as the basis for impeachment. When the Mueller report negated that plan, they switched — literally overnight — to the much weaker Ukraine theory. No matter. It was impeachment or bust, if only to continue filling up the nightly news with purported Trump "scandals." Now the smoke will begin to clear, and I don't think the Democrats will like the landscape that comes into focus. Their Iowa caucuses were a laughingstock. They made fools of themselves (Nancy Pelosi, especially) during Trump's State of the Union speech. And, most seriously, they don't have a presidential candidate. Nancy's Fake Fire Alarm. [Scroll down] What really [angers us] is when you try to pull some cheap, nasty trick like impeaching a president who not only hasn't done anything wrong but is doing a bang-up job. It shows that you really don't understand how thing are supposed to work. It also shows that you are pathetic losers, and sore losers at that. Impeachment is serious stuff, Nancy. The founders put it in the Constitution for when the president is an actual threat to the republic, not just a threat to your job. Mitt Romney, Bedwetter. Romney's decision on Wednesday to cast a vote to convict the president for "abuse of power" in simply doing his job sets a dangerous precedent for all future presidents. Without question, there is a mysterious flow of money into Ukraine from the federal treasury and out of Ukraine into the pockets of the affiliates of U.S. politicians. That scandal seems potentially bigger than the Teapot Dome. And there is some evidence that Romney affiliates played the game. If you don't believe me, believe NPR. Any presidents would have to investigate this and, what's more, campaigning for office cannot shield a potential wrongdoer from an inquiry. Corruption must be ferreted out, even where the investigation may embarrass a political opponent. Romney has cast this aside — along with concerns about the meaning of the vague allegation of "abuse of power" — to slake his thirst for vengeance. Impeachment Theater Could Not Have Gone Worse For Democrats. Democrats' impeachment effort was never about removing President Donald Trump from office. If it had been, it would not have been rushed through the House of Representatives without a proper predicate or investigation. No reasonable person expected the Republican-controlled Senate to remove a sitting president for anything Rep. Adam Schiff repeatedly alleged, no matter how unfairly he characterized Trump's thoughts, words, or actions. Impeachment was about satisfying the corporate media and Democratic base that had demanded it for years. And since removal was never a realistic outcome, it was about harming Trump in an election year. By that standard, it could not have gone worse. Our Long National Nightmare Is Over. To no one's surprise, the Democrats' impeachment drive fell flat in the Senate today [2/5/2020]. Both articles were decided on a purely party line vote, but for Mitt Romney, who switched sides on the first article ("abuse of power"). The only mild surprise is that no Democrats voted against removal. Doug Jones of Alabama, for one, can forget about any possibility of re-election. But with Jeff Sessions waiting in the wings, he probably figured he had no chance anyway. Where do the Democrats go from here? They always knew they had zero chance of conviction, so their only motives were 1) the hope that impeachment would tar President Trump and reduce his chances of a second term, and 2) pure spite. So far, at least, there is little indication that Trump has been hurt politically. Republicans [are] planning to expunge Trump impeachment if they win back the House. As the Senate is set to vote Wednesday on the removal from office of President Trump — with acquittal all but assured — Republicans are already plotting to expunge his impeachment if they retake the House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have taunted that "impeachment will last forever," but GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, in line to be speaker if Republicans regain the majority in the November election, doesn't agree. "This is the fastest, weakest, most political impeachment in history," McCarthy told The [New York] Post on Wednesday [2/5/2020]. "I don't think it should stay on the books." 13 Key Takeaways From President Trump's Epic State Of The Union Address. [#13] Bad Timing for Democrats: President Trump went into the State of the Union emboldened by his highest voter approval numbers of his presidency. Impeachment led Democratic favorability to decline while Republicans enjoyed majority support for the first time in recent memory. He is about to be acquitted, probably in a bipartisan fashion. All of those numbers are bad for Pelosi and the Democratic Party she leads. Jason Chaffetz: Why Does Adam Schiff Have A Security Clearance When 'He Continues To Lie'. Former Republican Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz asked Tuesday why Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff should possess a security clearance when "he continues to lie." Chaffetz, a Fox News contributor and analyst, told "Fox & Friends" that Schiff failed to sell his impeachment case during President Donald Trump's Senate trial. "They didn't convince anybody," he said, before moving on to comment on some of impeachment manager Schiff's statements during the trial. Do you feel violated? If the Democrats controlled the Senate, President Trump would have been removed from office without the Democrats having proved a "high crime or misdemeanor." Simply put, it was a witch hunt, and it did emanate from the same type folks that actually burned witches at the stake in New England. The Democrats called 17 witnesses and not one could point to a crime they witnessed. They have been calling for impeachment since two days after Trump's election in November 2016. President Trump has been endlessly investigated and they found absolutely nothing. Adam Schiff Closes Impeachment Trial with Rant Against Trump: 'Decency Matters'. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) closed his side's argument for the removal of President Donald Trump with a rambling rhetorical assault on the president. [...] Schiff defended the investigative process in the House of Representatives, and declared: "America also believes there is a difference between right and wrong, and right matters here. But there is more. Truth matter [sic]. Right matters — but so does decency. Decency matters." The Editor says... Rand Paul: Investigate Likelihood Six Members of Adam Schiff Staff and NSC Planned Impeachment in Advance. Senator Rand Paul appears to know a great deal about how the impeachment fraud was constructed. In this Fox News interview Rand Paul outlines that he is aware of six members of the National Security Council and Adam Schiff staff who appear to have coordinated their efforts to create the impeachment hoax over a year ago. Additionally, Senator Paul says he will have close discussions with President Trump about the serious FISA issues, including those used to target his administration, that DC refuses to consider. [Video clip] Acquittal, February 5, 2020: "Acquitted For Life" GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy Trolls Pelosi, Rips Up Articles of Impeachment. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) trolled Speaker Pelosi after the Senate voted to acquit President Trump. The Senate on Wednesday [2/5/2020] voted to acquit President Trump on both articles of impeachment. Article 1 "Abuse of Power" — Not Guilty! 52 [to] 48 Article 2 "Obstruction of Congress" — Not Guilty! 53 [to] 47 McCarthy ripped up the bogus articles of impeachment and posted the video to his official Twitter account. "Acquitted for life," McCarthy said as he tore the articles of impeachment in half. Pelosi's Petty Move. On December 5, discussing the impeachment of President Trump, Pelosi declared, "If we do not act now, we would be derelict in our duty." Two weeks later, she added, "It is a matter of fact that the president is an ongoing threat to our national security and the integrity of our elections, the basis of our democracy." Earlier in the year, Pelosi's allies in the Democratic House leadership accused the president in the most vehement of terms: "Massive coverup." "Betrayal." "Great danger." "Totalitarian." "Unpatriotic." "Dictatorial." "Disloyal." In their view, nothing less than the fate of America was at stake. And then the House adjourned for summer recess for six weeks. Senate acquits Trump on abuse of power, obstruction of Congress charges. The Senate overwhelmingly acquitted President Trump on both articles of impeachment against him Wednesday afternoon following a brief trial, in a historic rejection of Democrats' claims that the president's Ukraine dealings and handling of congressional subpoenas merited his immediate removal from office. All Democratic senators supported convicting the president of abuse of power and obstruction of justice, including swing-vote moderate Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Doug Jones, D-Ala. The only party defection was on the abuse of power charge from Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who declared hours before the final vote that Trump had engaged in as "destructive an attack on the oath of office and our Constitution as I can imagine." Romney voted not guilty on the obstruction charge. Senate poised to acquit Trump of both articles of impeachment. The pivotal Senate vote on the two articles of impeachment against President Trump got underway Wednesday afternoon on Capitol Hill, with an acquittal all but certain. Each senator on the 100-member jury will rise from their desk for roll call, and state their verdicts, on each of the two counts, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney was the only one of the chamber's 53 Republicans to come out in support of removal, meaning the 67-vote threshold in the Senate needed to convict Trump will not be reached. A swift acquittal on both counts is considered an inevitability, bringing to a close a turbulent chapter that began nearly five months ago when the House launched a formal inquiry into his dealings in Ukraine. Day ten, January 31, 2020: Chief Justice Roberts Is Right: An Unelected Official Should Not Cast Tie-Breaking Votes. On Friday evening, Chief Justice John Roberts announced that should a tie arise during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, he would not step in to break it. Given the near-even split of the Senate along party lines, Roberts' comments put an end to the extensive speculation that had been bubbling around Washington. [...] Roberts informed Schumer that he was aware of Chief Justice Chase's voting history, but that he would not be conducting himself in the same manner, should a tie arise. Chase's two tie-breaking votes were with regards to a motion to adjourn and a motion to end deliberations. Roberts addressed the significance of these two scenarios by stating, "I do not regard those isolated episodes 150 years ago as sufficient to support a general authority to break ties." Democrats' History Of Intimidating SCOTUS Justices Carries Over Into Impeachment. Chief Justice John Roberts' expression was priceless after reading Sen. Elizabeth Warren's garish question during the Senate impeachment trial Thursday night, a question which lacked any remote sense of self awareness. The inquiry facetiously read, "At a time when large majorities of Americans have lost faith in government, does the fact that the Chief Justice is presiding over an impeachment trial in which Republican senators have thus far refused to allow witnesses or evidence contribute to the loss of legitimacy of the chief justice, the Supreme Court, and the Constitution?" The purpose of the question was stunningly obvious. It was to suggest that the only way Chief Justice John Roberts could remotely hold onto any semblance of legitimacy was to ensure the outcome favored by the Democrats came to fruition, an outcome which, given the increasingly likely failed motion, would require Chief Justice Roberts to interfere in a manner that is not explicitly written into the Constitution. Why the Senate Passed on Witnesses. [Reason #3] By contrast, the President's defense was comprised of a "dream team" of seasoned gifted attorneys, law professors, and academic scholars. From Pat Cipollone to Ken Starr to Alan Dershowitz to Pam Bondi to Jay Sekulow to Michael Purpura to Patrick Philbin, these were people who calmly presented the law, respectfully and not condescendingly walked through the legal history dating to the Founding Fathers and the Federalist Papers Number 65, devastatingly eviscerated the House Articles to shreds, left no reasonable doubt that the House impeachment had been stillborn, and presented Senators with a sophisticated basis to emerge satisfied that the House case was so barren of substance that no conceivable additional witness could salvage it. Why the Senate Passed on Witnesses. After the Senate rejected witnesses and effectively ended the impeachment trial on Friday [1/31/2020], the media ignored the primary reason for the defeat, which is the insistence of House leaders to impeach Trump by Christmas. Critics of the president simply do not want to hear that the blind rush to impeach guaranteed not only an acquittal but an easy case for acquittal. It is after all important for some members of the media to maintain that fools dwell only in Republican red states. [...] [T]he House insisted this was a "crime in progress" and there was no time to delay a submission to the Senate. It then immediately contradicted its rationale by waiting more than a month to submit articles of impeachment to the Senate. The House simply could not have made it easier on the president and his legal team. Senate votes against calling new impeachment witnesses. Trump acquittal days away. The Senate Friday [1/31/2020] voted to usher in the end of President Trump's impeachment trial by rejecting a motion to call for additional witnesses and documents. Two Republicans joined 47 Democrats to vote in favor of calling for the additional evidence. The motion fell short by two votes, ending the case House impeachment managers have been presenting for the past two weeks. The Senate now moves into the final phase of the trial, which could last a few days longer to allow senators to deliberate and give speeches before holding final votes. Schumer Melts Down as Impeachment Implodes, Demands Every Senator Explain Their Impeachment Vote. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer melted down on Friday as impeachment against President Trump imploded. McConnell will be holding a vote on additional witnesses Friday after closing arguments wrap up. In a huge blow to Democrats, Senator Lamar Alexander announced Thursday night he will be voting against new witnesses, giving the Republicans a probable victory with a 50-50 tie. Chief Justice Roberts is not expected to cast a tie-breaker vote, according to Republicans. Murkowski comes out against impeachment witnesses, putting Trump on path to acquittal. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski came out Friday against calling witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, all but assuring the Senate will move to wrap up proceedings with a likely acquittal in a matter of days, if not hours. "Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don't believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed," said Murkowski, R-Alaska, a key moderate senator who has been closely watched on the witness question. How Not to Impeach a President. "We wuz robbed!" shriek the foot-stomping Democrats as they repeat their poll-tested mantra that the trial was rigged because no witnesses were called to testify. Consequently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decreed that the president will remain impeached forever, and his presidency and all that flows from it will be deemed unclean and illegitimate. Obviously, this latest failed effort to depose Trump has left the Democrats frustrated, bitterly disappointed and, quite possibly, wondering how their sure-fire impeachment gambit turned into such a political train wreck. Though the Democrats never believed that they could actually remove Trump from office, when they launched the impeachment proceedings, they and their wholly-owned mainstream media adjunct anticipated that there would be bilateral support in the House for impeachment which would cause the president material political damage. Chief Justice John Roberts tells Schumer he won't break ties in impeachment trial. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts told Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Friday [1/31/2020] that he would not act as a tie-breaker if the Senate becomes deadlocked with a 50-50 split during President Trump's impeachment trial. Schumer began by asking Roberts if he was aware that Chief Justice Samuel Chase cast tie-breaking votes during President Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial in the 1860s. [...] Roberts said he was aware of Chase's actions but explained that the issues he sought to resolve were minor. He also said he did not believe Chase's votes were enough to establish a firm precedent for him to act on. "The one [vote] concerned a motion to adjourn. The other [vote] concerned a motion to close deliberations," Roberts replied. "I do not regard those isolated episodes 150 years ago, as sufficient to support a general authority to break ties." Meacham Meltdown on NBC: 'Monarch' 'King' Trump Now 'Above the Law'. As it appears more and more likely that the Senate will be moving to exclude witnesses and acquit Donald Trump, the journalistic reaction has become frenzied. After MSNBC compared it to letting a wife beater go, NBC's Jon Meacham on Friday [1/31/2020] fretted that the Senate is making Trump a "king" who is "above the law." He warned, "President Trump is functionally a monarch at this point. If the king does it, it's okay." The NBC historian panicked, "I think the significance of today and going into the weekend and into next week is, I think, it is now arguable... that Donald Trump may well have now become the most powerful president in American history." End Game: Senate Deliberates How Impeachment Sham Against Trump Finishes. The Senate has enough votes to block new witnesses in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump. A literal 11th hour announcement Thursday night from retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) ensured that there were 50 votes against new witnesses in the Senate in addition to the witnesses already heard in the House, and then Friday's announcement from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) that she would also oppose witnesses put the Senate at 51, meaning that there would be no tie that Democrats would push Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts — who is presiding over Trump's trial — to break. Media puffery can't hide the Democrats' impeachment face plant. Late on Thursday night [1/30/2020] after the impeachment hearings had ended, the headline column at Politico was "How Trump's impeachment created two Democratic Superstars" by Jake Sherman and Heather Caygle. They authors waxed rhapsodic about Adam Schiff and Hakeem Jeffries! The column, dated 1/30, then disappeared into the nether regions of the site. [...] Schiff cannot utter a sentence that doesn't contain a lie. Jeffries' most hilarious assertion was that the Steele dossier, the entirety of which has been proven to be all lies, was just fine because it was "purchased"! They are trying to impeach the President for allegedly asking the new President of Ukraine to look into the known corruption of the Biden family and the proven interference by some in Ukraine in our 2016 election to help Hillary, and Jeffries is dismissing the Clinton campaign's actual solicitation of dirt from a foreign source because she paid for it! Adam Schiff and John Profumo: A Tale of Two Liars. In the course of my tuning in to the feed from the impeachment hearings, I caught House manager Congressman Adam Schiff telling a huge whopper: that he doesn't know who the "whistleblower" is. That is the individual whose machinations and contacts with Schiff's Intelligence Committee touched off the entire impeachment business. Schiff is asserting that he still, to this day, does not know who this individual is. This is a lie. There is no way that Schiff cannot have known exactly who the "whistleblower" is, and have known it for nearly three years now. In Schiff's case, it is only the latest in a career of lies, which is well documented. [...] This time, Schiff raised his lies to a whole new level, by repeating his lie inside the halls of Congress. And he did it not once, but three times: once in his own Intelligence Committee and at least twice to the Senate during the question-and-answer phase. WH counsel buries Dems for 'domestic election interference,' turns Pelosi's own words against her. White House counsel Pat Cipollone buried Democrats in the final day of questions from senators in President Trump's impeachment trial. Trump's lead defense lawyer leveled one scathing rebuke after another at Democrats and the impeachment managers pressing the sham case against the president, calling them out Thursday for committing "domestic election interference" and warning them that they will pay the price at the ballot box. Day nine, January 30, 2020: You call this 'abuse of power'? [Scroll down] Russiagate was always an obsession borne of the political and media elites, who wanted to make it the central story of Trump's presidency, failed spectacularly, and then tried to impeach him over it anyway. Excuse me therefore if I decline to gravely intone about the horror of Trump's phone call. Just yesterday [1/30/2020] Elizabeth Warren and Amy Kloubuchar, holed up in the Senate chamber instead of in Iowa, submitted a question to Chief Justice John Roberts that nicely encapsulates the basic stupidity of this entire episode. 'If acquitted in the Senate, what would stop the president from continuing to side with Putin?', they jointly asked, presumably on the assumption that such an invidious question would create lots of 'buzz' and impress lots of caucus-goers. Rather, Warren and Klobuchar just continue to shower themselves with the taint that will inevitably flow from this doomed impeachment. Joe Biden and even Bernie Sanders are also implicated, having repeated variations of the faulty logic behind Russiagate/impeachment on countless occasions. Pelosi Questions Why The President's Lawyers Are Not Disbarred. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Cal.) made an extraordinary statement yesterday that suggests that lawyers representing President Donald Trump should be disbarred: "I don't know how they can retain their lawyer status, in the comments that they're making." Just as I have been highly critical of President Donald Trump's attacks on Adam Schiff and others, this is a truly outrageous suggestion. These lawyers are performing a key function in our constitutional system in not just representing an accused person but fulfilling a vital role in an impeachment trial. Because Pelosi disagrees with their legal arguments, she insinuates that they should not be licensed attorneys. It is precisely the type of ad hominem attack that Democrats criticize with the President. Pelosi added that Trump "will not be acquitted" even if he is acquitted — entirely decoupling the Democratic position from either constitutional or ethical norms. Let's All Thank President John Roberts for Outing the Fake 'Whistleblower'. We all owe Chief Justice John Roberts a big thank you for confirming the name of the phony, Deep State whistleblower who launched this stupid impeachment hoax. [...] Eric Ciaramella, a CIA analyst and raging partisan who falsely accused President Trump of impeachable crimes, who has a history of working with former Vice President Joe Biden, and who might have had his own agenda in wanting Biden's corruption in Ukraine covered up. Yep, that's him. After much speculation that Ciaramella is the guy, Roberts confirmed it Thursday through his unconstitutional act of commission. [...] No legitimate jury in the world can make a fair ruling without a good look at the accuser. What's more, it is not even Roberts who would be revealing the name; it is the senator asking the question revealing the name. Roberts is merely reading someone else's question, which proves his motives are not only partisan, but one more example of the chief justice fabricating something out of whole cloth to benefit Democrats. Rand Paul Points Out an Interesting Truth About Eric Ciaramella. Fox News' legal analyst Gregg Jarrett, filling in for Sean Hannity on his Friday afternoon radio show, interviewed Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). The topic was the question Paul had submitted during the Senate impeachment trial on Thursday that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts had refused to read because it contained the name of Eric Ciaramella, the alleged whistleblower whose complaint triggered the Democrats' latest attempt to remove President Trump from office. Paul's original question asked, "Are you aware that House Intelligence Committee staffer Shawn [sic] Misko had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella while at the National Security Council together and are you aware and how do you respond to reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the President before there were formal house impeachment proceedings?" After Chief Justice Roberts received and viewed the question, he announced, "The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted." Chief Justice John Roberts strikes out. Chief Justice John Roberts doesn't seem to have the judicial acumen of a traffic court judge. During the course of the impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, Americans have now seen the chief justice have three historical strikes. Consequently, the Senate should immediately vote to have case dismissed, against President Trump. Our fairly elected president should be immediately acquitted of these most politically driven bogus charges in American constitutional history. Strike one by John Roberts is simple, based on the conduct of his presiding over the trial. It is obvious that he has been over-the-top prejudiced against President Trump by not holding House Democrat managers accountable for their gross breach of decorum. [...] Strike two for Chief Justice Roberts is that he has shown so far that there is no judicial admonishment or accountability for committing perjury. Justice Roberts intervenes again in favor of Dems & media. Chief Justice Roberts injected himself into the impeachment trial again on Thursday when Rand Paul tried — again — to ask a question mentioning the fraudulent whistleblower's name, which is Eric Ciaramella. Rand Paul sounded off during a presser: "I think this is an important question. One that deserves to be asked. It makes no reference to anybody who may or may not be a whistleblower." "Manager Schiff says he has no knowledge. If he has no knowledge, the rest of us can have no knowledge of who the whistleblower is. The President's team says they have no knowledge of who the whistleblower is." "I think it was an incorrect finding to not allow a question that makes no reference. It means that anybody that anybody ever said might have been a whistleblower could never be discussed in a proceeding. I think it's very important whether or not a group of Democratic activists, part of the Obama-Biden administration, were working together for years looking for an opportunity to impeach the president." CNN anchor John King says Republicans make 'legitimate point' about whistleblower. CNN anchor John King defended Republicans on Thursday [1/30/2020], arguing they made a "legitimate point" in asking why the intelligence community whistleblower — who brought the complaint that prompted Trump's impeachment — hadn't been questioned. "You're asking the Congress, the Senate now, to remove the President of the United States," King said. "It's a legitimate point for the president's team and the Republicans to say: 'Shouldn't we go to the very origin of this?'" His comments came after Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., tried asking a question that mentioned the name of a person reported to be the whistleblower. Chief Justice John Roberts shut down the question, which Paul described as "atypical." What if the vote on witnesses is a tie? The Democrats would need four GOP votes to make it happen, getting them to 51. But what if they get three? That splits the chamber in a 50-50 tie and we're into some uncharted territory, though not everyone agrees with that description. The smart money seems to be on the belief that Chief Justice John Roberts won't step in to break the tie, but the smart money has been wrong before. Trump counsel calls out Schiff for latest fast one, stunt 'would've been automatic mistrial' in 'ordinary court'. House Intelligence Committee chair turned House impeachment manager Adam Schiff tried to pull a fast one Wednesday by accusing President Donald Trump of "bribery" and "extortion." "[W]e think there is a crime here of bribery or extortion, conditioning official acts for personal favors; that is bribery, it's also what the founders understood as extortion," he said while trying to rebut an argument from the president's legal team that only actual criminal acts such as bribery are impeachable offenses. But neither "bribery" nor "extortion" were included in the articles of impeachment filed against the president last month. Instead, the articles centered on two highly nebulous charges: "abuse of power" and "obstruction of justice." Nadler raises eyebrows in disturbing impeachment rant, demands Trump be 'brought to heel'. Rep. Jerry Nadler sparked immediate backlash for a "terrifying" remark during the Senate impeachment trial in which he declared President Donald Trump must be "brought to heel." The New York Democrat also gave a melodramatic warning Wednesday that the country has to be "saved" from the president's attempts to "rig our elections." House Democrats: Steele Dossier Was OK Because We 'Purchased' It. House impeachment manager Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told the Senate on Thursday that the so-called "Steele dossier" paid for by Democrats against then-candidate Donald Trump was not improper foreign interference in the 2016 election because they "purchased" it. Jeffries was responding to a question from Republicans about Democrats' argument that the president had invited improper foreign interference in U.S. elections by seeking, or being willing to accept, information from abroad on a potential political opponent. Nancy Pelosi Attacks Trump's Lawyers, Suggests They Should Be Disbarred. Speaker Nancy Pelosi railed against President Donald Trump's legal team on Thursday [1/30/2020], asking "how they can retain their lawyer status." [...] Despite indications that acquittal is virtually certain at this point, Pelosi has also declared that any Senate vote to acquit the president would be invalid unless new witnesses were called to testify. "He will not be acquitted. You cannot be acquitted if you don't have a trial; and you don't have a trial if you don't have witnesses and documentation," she claimed. No, questions about Adam Schiff's dealings with the whistleblower are not 'smears'. Questions about House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff's dealings with the anonymous Ukraine whistleblower are not "disgraceful," as Schiff tried to claim on Thursday, nor are they baseless. These questions are relevant and necessary insofar as they inform the impeachment of President Trump, why this impeachment was launched, and how it came about. During Thursday's question period in the impeachment trial, Schiff was asked why the House Intelligence Committee hired two Obama-era National Security Council aides, Abigail Grace and Sean Misko, who had worked with the alleged whistleblower, and what role Grace and Misko had played in the House's impeachment investigation. Instead of addressing this potential conflict of interest, Schiff once again lied. He says he does not know who the whistleblower is, despite multiple reports to the contrary. He also dismissed the question as a "gratuitous attack" that insults his staff and the whistleblower. Nadler Speed Waddles to Podium to Steal Schiff's Closing Impeachment Limelight. Poor, broken House Manager Adam Schiff. His comrade Rep. Jerry Nadler did a speed waddle up to the podium to answer the last question of the night during the impeachment hearing. "Jerry. Jerry. Jerry," Schiff is heard saying as he took a few steps towards Nadler, but failed to stop him. One can only imagine how many hours Schiff rehearsed his final remarks which would include tears and hallucinations, I'm sure. Alas, it was not to be. Nadler appears to steal podium from Schiff in viral impeachment moment. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, may have been the leading House impeachment manager, but it was Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., who got the last word in a comical moment that quickly went viral on social media. Wrapping up the second day of questioning by the Senate jurors, Chief Justice John Roberts called on the House managers to answer the final question of the evening. "Could you please respond to the answer just given by the president's counsel and provide any other comments the Senate would benefit from hearing before we adjourn for the evening?" Roberts read from the card. Nadler is then seen jumping out of his chair and rushing to the center podium, quickly getting the attention of Schiff, who also leaped from his seat. Hakeem Jeffries Says Steele Dossier Doesn't Count As Foreign Interference Because It Was 'Purchased'. Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, one of the House impeachment managers, argued Thursday [1/30/2020] that Democrats' hiring of a former British spy to collect dirt from Russian sources about the Trump campaign does not constitute foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election. The New York congressman's argument was based on the puzzling logic that Democrats paid for the information from the retired spy, Christopher Steele, rather than simply obtaining it. 'Was He Involved in Burisma?' Trump Attorney Patrick Philbin Suggests Whistleblower Had PERSONAL Conflict of Interest Filing Complaint. President Trump's deputy counsel Patrick Philbin suggested Wednesday night the whistleblower, Eric Ciaramella, may have a PERSONAL conflict of interest in filing a complaint against President Trump. "If the whistleblower, as is alleged in some public reports, actually did work for then-Vice President Biden on Ukraine issues, exactly what was his role? What was his involvement? Philbin said. Philbin asked if the whistleblower was involved in any of Hunter and Joe Biden's dealings with Burisma Holdings. This is huge, because if Ciaramella did work with Biden on anything related to Burisma and the firing of Viktor Shokin, the Ukrainian prosecutor general investigating Burisma, then it would be a personal conflict of interest for him to stop the President from investigating Ukraine corruption related to Burisma. Lamar Alexander opposes impeachment trial witnesses in crushing blow to Democrats. Sen. Lamar Alexander said late Thursday [1/30/2020] that he will oppose calling witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, deflating Democrats. The Tennessee Republican's decision means the trial could end in acquittal as early as Friday night. Alexander, who is retiring, said in a statement that Trump's request that Ukraine investigate Democrats including Joe Biden was "inappropriate" but did not cross a threshold for removal from office. "It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation," Alexander wrote in a 15-tweet statement. CNN's Wolf Blitzer Admits "Democrats Look Like They Are in Trouble" After Second Day of Question-and-Answer Session. You know it's bad for the Democrats when CNN admits they are in trouble. CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday evening [1/30/2020] admitted the "Democrats look like they are in trouble" as day two of the question-and-answer session of the impeachment trial winded [sic] down. "The big fight over whether or not there will be witnesses and Jake, the big vote on that will come on that tomorrow. They need four Republicans — right now the Democrats look like they're in trouble," Blitzer said to Jake Tapper. "They sure do," Jake Tapper said agreeing with Wolf Blitzer. The Pot-Kettle-Black Impeachment. Rep. Adam Schiff said that if Barack Obama encouraged a foreign power to investigate a political opponent, then the last president would have committed an impeachable offense. [...] Schiff strangely spoke as though addressing a hypothetical. Not only did the Obama administration link arms with foreigners to take down a political rival, but Schiff also ran interference for that propaganda effort by falsely claiming to know of "more than circumstantial evidence" that the Donald Trump campaign colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election, a charge invalidated by the Mueller Report and much else. Did Schiff really forget his raison d'être for the first two and a half years of the Trump administration? Alan Dershowitz quits Donald Trump's impeachment trial after saying the president CANNOT be removed. Donald Trump's most famous and flamboyant lawyer vanished from his trial Thursday - turning up in Miami to fight back against a tidal wave of criticism for his extraordinary defense that anything a president does to get re-elected is unimpeachable. The Harvard professor surfaced in Florida as other academics and attorneys reacted with astonishment to his position, which he then said he had never actually said. Day eight, January 29, 2020: Rand Paul Releases Impeachment Trial Question Censored by John Roberts. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has released the question that was blocked Wednesday and Thursday by Chief Justice John Roberts in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump. Paul's question deals with the origins of the impeachment inquiry and employs the name of the alleged whistleblower, not in that context but with regard to his relation with a NSC co-worker who moved on to the staff of Lead House Manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and whether they plotted to impeach Trump before the House impeachment proceedings started. Read The Question About Eric Ciaramella That Chief Justice John Roberts Just Refused To Read. During the Senate impeachment trial Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question submitted by Sen. Rand Paul which included the name of Eric Ciaramella, the man RealClear Investigations has identified as the whistleblower at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. The Kentucky Republican submitted the question card, and after reading it, Roberts replied, "The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted." Paul's question did not use the term whistleblower or identify Ciaramella as the whistleblower. Chief Justice John Roberts Shuts Down Rand Paul's Question on Alleged 'Whistleblower'. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts on Wednesday blocked an attempt by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to pose questions regarding the so-called "whistleblower" — the individual who sparked the House Democrats' partisan impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump — according to reports. Politico and The Hill state Roberts indicated he would oppose reading Paul's questions, as it is believed he would be forced to name or provide identifying information on the alleged individual. Impeachment Diary Day 8: Question Time Is a Bust: The Real Action was Outside the Chamber. The Wednesday Senators' question period at least offered the possibility of some unscripted moments that might provide a spark of unpredictability to liven up the proceedings for a numb audience. It was not to be. [...] But outside the proceedings, the sideshows provided a diversion or two. Lev Parnas and his ankle bracelet made their way through the Capitol halls, reporters peppered Republicans with Democrat talking points and we learned of a letter from the National Security Council to John Bolton's lawyer shutting down release of his book pending further examination for possible divulgence of national security secrets. This path leads to either a hotly anticipated book release or the implosion of its value as it gets roped into impeachment testimony. Democrats who hated Bolton when he joined the Trump team now long for him to rush to their aid in a failing effort. Justice reads question about Schiff aides working to oust Trump since 2017. [Scroll down] However, [Chief Justice John] Roberts did read a question Wednesday [1/29/2020] which was submitted to the president's counsel that referenced a new RealClearInvestigations report by Paul Sperry. The question was presented by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah on behalf of Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri. Roberts read the question. "Is it true that Shawn Misco and Abigail Grace and the alleged whistleblower were employed by or detailed by the National Security Council in the same time period of January 20, 2017, and the present?" "Do you have reason to believe they knew each other and have any reason to believe that alleged whistleblower and Misco did everything they could to 'take out the president'?" Roberts concluded reading. President Trump's deputy counsel Patrick Philbin responded to the question, demolishing Schiff for hiding evidence. Jerry Nadler: Our Case 'Proven Beyond Any Doubt at All'. House impeachment manager Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) repeatedly told the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Wednesday night that the House case was "proven beyond any doubt at all." Nadler's odd, and repeated, claim seemed to undermine claims by Democrats that they needed to see more witnesses and documents in the trial. The House Judiciary Committee chairman played an unusually understated role in the first day of the question-and-answer session in the Senate. Watch Jay Sekulow Box In Adam Schiff and Just Level Him With the Mic Drop of All Time. The fact that this impeachment trial was brought at all is a travesty of justice. But Jay Sekulow may have almost made it all worth the price of admission with the huge mic drop he just pulled on Adam Schiff and the brilliant way he boxed him in, giving him nowhere to turn. First Sekulow just froze Schiff saying he wanted Schiff, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and the whistleblower if witnesses were allowed. [...] Then Sekulow nailed him but good when it came to witnesses. He grilled Schiff about whether he'd proved his case. Ted Cruz Puts Schiff on the Spot, Grills Him With Questions About the Whistleblower. At the end of all this, someone really needs to take House Intel Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) to the woodshed with a motion to censure him for all the ways in which he has lied and abused the impeachment process. He was at it again on Wednesday, denying categorically that he'd had any contact in any way with the whistleblower and obviously lied saying he didn't know who the whistleblower was. The whistleblower has been reported to be Eric Ciaramella. Schiff has previously been given four Pinocchios for his false claims about contact with the whistleblower by the Washington Post. But Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) wasn't having any of Schiff's game and laid into him with the questions that we have all wanted to ask him about the whistleblower. Justice Roberts blocks Sen. Paul from naming whistleblower, source says — and Paul may force the issue. Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts blocked Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul from posing a question during the Senate impeachment trial Wednesday that would have named the alleged whistleblower at the center of the case, Fox News is told — and Paul may try to force the issue during the question-and-answer session that begins Thursday afternoon [1/30/2020]. Roberts, for now, has ball control because he actually receives the questions in note cards from senators, then reads the question aloud in the Senate chamber to be answered by either House Democratic managers or Trump's defense team. But Fox News has learned Roberts may soon lose his grip on the proceedings amid a torrent of criticism both inside and outside the Senate. Democratic senator to force vote requiring Roberts to weigh in on witnesses. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is planning to force a vote on Friday to require Chief Justice John Roberts to subpoena impeachment witnesses who he believes are relevant and also rule on any claims of executive privilege. The move comes as GOP senators are increasingly confident they will have the votes to block witnesses from being called. If Democrats are able to muster four GOP votes to allow witnesses, both sides could then make motions for specific individuals and documents. Under the rules resolution, the Senate would vote on the motions. But Van Hollen's effort would let Roberts issue subpoenas if he thinks a motion is relevant. The Senate, if it disagreed with his decision, could still overrule him with a simple majority. GOP Sen. Hawley: We're Watching 'the Democrats' Case Just Fall Apart'. During an interview that aired Wednesday [1/29/2020] on the Fox News Channel, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) weighed in on the possibility of some Senate Democrats voting along with Republicans to acquit President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial currently underway. Hawley told FNC's Tucker Carlson the case falling apart and pointed to the shifting of the claims of wrongdoing by the House managers. Schiff Claims It's Wrong for President to Investigate Rival — After Defending Obama Investigating Trump. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told the Senate that it would be wrong for a president to ask the Department of Justice to investigate a political rival. But Schiff defended then-President Barack Obama doing just that to then-candidate Donald Trump. The remark came during the first of two days of questions and answers in President Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate. Schiff was responding to a query osed by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), asking a hypothetical question about whether Obama would have had the authority to investigate suspected corruption by a son of Mitt Romney, Obama's rival in his 2012 re-election campaign. GOP Senators Sounding Increasingly Confident They'll Have the Votes to Block Witnesses. Democrats appear to be losing the fight for more witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. According to the Hill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) met Wednesday morning [1/29/2020] for 20 to 30 minutes, and agreed that the Senate would hold a vote Friday to wrap things up. Impeachment 'Whistleblower' May Be Implicated in Biden-Burisma Caper, Trump Lawyer Says. The unnamed "whistleblower" who launched the investigation that became the impeachment of President Donald Trump may himself be implicated in the Obama administration's decision to ultimately overlook the conflict of interest involving then-Vice President Joe Biden (administration point man on Ukraine) and his son Hunter, who served on the board of the notoriously corrupt Ukrainian gas firm Burisma. The fact that key questions about the "whistleblower" have been shut down from the start is a serious violation of Trump's due process, according to Patrick Philbin, deputy counsel to the president. Philbin listed three key due process concerns: a lack of authorization, the Democrats not allowing Trump to present evidence or present or cross-examine witnesses, and the whistleblower's coordination with the staff of Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). "Manager Schiff or his staff had some role in consulting with the whistleblower that remains secret to this day and all attempts to find out about that, to ask questions about that, were shut down," the president's lawyer noted. GOP Senators Now Believe They Have The Votes To Block Witnesses. There's a reason Mitch McConnell has been Senate Majority Leader for the past 13 years: He gets the job done. And the biggest part of that job is keeping the GOP caucus, however necessary. At this point, he appears to have pulled off the feat once again. On Wednesday [1/29/2020], McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) — always a wavering and unreliable GOP vote — met in the morning. After that meeting, The Hill reported, it was clear "that the question of having additional witnesses is settled, and the Senate will vote Friday to wrap up the impeachment trial of President Trump." Day seven, January 28, 2020: White House Counsel Concludes Argument By Playing Video of Democrats Attacking Impeachment. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone concluded opening arguments in the president's defense in the Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday afternoon [1/28/2020] by playing video clips of Democrats arguing against President Bill Clinton's impeachment in 1998. Some of those Democrats — such as Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) — are among the House managers urging the Senate to remove Trump from office. Others — such as then-Rep. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) — are now in the Senate themselves. Six GOP Senators who hold the cards in Trump's Senate impeachment trial. In this made-for-TV world, we are witnessing made-for-TV moments scripted for maximum viewing with minimal honor. With all the hype and hypocrisy, amid all the claims to honor, history, and the American way, six Republican U.S. Senators sitting in the middle of this fury hold all the cards in an impeachment trial that should never have happened. Conventional wisdom from the elites suggests these Senators may hold out or, worse hold their GOP colleagues back from dismissing this patently absurd display of justice. They couldn't be more wrong. Republicans signal renewed confidence they'll avoid witness fight. Senate Republicans emerged from a closed-door caucus meeting on Tuesday voicing renewed confidence that they will bypass a nasty witness fight in the impeachment trial. "The consensus is that we've heard enough and it's time to go to a final judgement," Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told reporters. Asked if the trial proceedings should go past Friday, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), another member of Senate GOP leadership, said it "shouldn't." "We're kind of confident," Thune added. Attorney Jay Sekulow Closing Defense Argument: "Danger, Danger, Danger" — The Constitution is at Risk Here. President Trump attorney, Jay Sekulow, outlines the closing statement from the impeachment defense team. Mr. Sekulow warns about the construction of the partisan impeachment and how the House process has run afoul of the constitution itself. Mr. Sekulow walks through the history of a U.S. Government that has targeted Donald J Trump since before he even took office (DOJ/FBI Crossfire Hurricane); then continued that targeting after he took office (DOJ/FBI Mueller Special Counsel); and now ultimately a sitting president finds himself remaining a target with this impeachment effort. Philbin Refutes Democrats' Claims About 'Cover Up'. Deputy White House Counsel Patrick Philbin told the Senate on Tuesday that Democrats' claims of a "cover up" of the Ukraine call and the "whistleblower" complaint were incorrect, both factually and legally. Philbin, a "breakout star" of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, delivered the first address on the third day of the White House's opening arguments. Philbin began by following up on arguments by Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz on Monday evening, who told the Senate that the conduct alleged in the articles of impeachment was not even impeachable because they did not allege "criminal-like conduct." Lindsey Graham Says There Are at Least 51 Votes for More Witnesses and the Democrats Aren't Going to Like Them. As the formal presentations in the impeachment trial of President Trump wind down, the jockeying is beginning for what happens next. Will there be more witnesses? Will there be a vote to acquit? Will there be some kind of bargain where the Democrats and GOP each get a finite number of witnesses? And there is a lot of monumentally un-serious #Resistance porn floating around concerning Chief Justice John Roberts riding to the rescue of what can only be described as an ill-conceived bill of impeachment executed by a wildly incompetent team of House Democrats. They've claimed that Roberts can recuse senators from voting for lack of impartiality (this rule, apparently, only applies to Republicans). They've claimed that Roberts can order the Senate to call witnesses. Today, Resistance guru Neal Katyal is peddling the idea that Roberts can call his own witnesses. Pat Cipollone Wraps Up Trump Defense With Brilliant Ending, Using Dems' Words Against Themselves. The Trump defense team wrapped up their case today [1/28/2020]. One of the things that made their presentation light years better than that of the House Democratic managers and the bloviating of folks like House Intel Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) was the simple, straight forward way they made their presentation, appealing to facts, logic and the Constitution. Pat Cipollone exemplified that again today as he closed in a brilliant way. He noted the basic fact that Democrats sought to obscure — that the case and the articles of impeachment they've put forth don't meet the constitutional standard for impeachment. That the Democratic articles are dangerous, because they are not what the Framers intended impeachment to be. Cipollone said that if you looked to the words of the past that they were true then and they're true now. He then played the words of Democrats including present impeachment managers inveighing against partisan impeachment in 1998. Trump lawyer calls Bolton book 'inadmissible,' as defense team wraps impeachment arguments. President Trump's legal team argued John Bolton's book manuscript should be "inadmissible" in the impeachment trial and urged an immediate acquittal as they wrapped up arguments before senators on Tuesday [1/28/2020]. Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said senators should not pry the trial wide open to new evidence in light of the New York Times' reporting on Bolton's book manuscript that says Trump explicitly linked a hold on Ukraine aid to an investigation of Joe and Hunter Biden. "You cannot impeach a president on an unsourced allegation," Sekulow said, of reporting on the manuscript. Schumer Rejects Proposal to Subpoena Bolton Manuscript for Impeachment Trial. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has rejected a proposal by Republican Senators to subpoena the manuscript of former National Security Advisor John Bolton, insisting Bolton must appear as a witness. Democrats did not subpoena Bolton during the House impeachment inquiry after he said he would seek an answer from the courts as to whether the president's constitutional privileges would allow him to testify. Rand Paul 'shocked' at Chuck Schumer's 'scurrilous' comments against Trump kids: 'They ought to sue him'. Sen. Rand Paul was "shocked and offended" by remarks made by Sen. Chuck Schumer and suggested President Donald Trump should sue the New York Democrat for defamation. The Kentucky Republican slammed the Senate Minority Leader for comments made Tuesday [1/28/2020] at a press conference ahead of the final day of opening arguments by the president's defense team in the impeachment trial. Impeachment Being Dragged Out? Not According to Lindsey Graham. Despite ongoing demands for new witness testimony during President Trump's impeachment trial, testimony House managers refused to compel before transmitting articles to the upper chamber earlier this month, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Graham is confident the entire process will be over by Friday. "I'm increasingly optimistic this ends Friday. I think the question is whether we should have additional testimony from witnesses that the House refused to call. [...] The President had every reason to want to look at the Bidens. The House managers told us there's not a scintilla of evidence the Bidens did anything wrong, this has been completely debunked, thoroughly investigated. That is a complete lie. The defense team destroyed the House's case," Graham said during an interview Tuesday night [1/28/2020] with Fox News. "[...] There's a mountain of evidence that the Biden's were involved in corruption. The President would have been wrong not to ask the Ukrainians to help given what we know about Hunter Biden and Joe Biden." Day six, January 27, 2020: Dershowitz Dismantles Dems' Impeachment Case; Says Bolton Book Claims Aren't Impeachable, Either. Retired Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz gave what may be the most persuasive case against impeaching President Donald Trump while in the well of the U.S. Senate on Monday evening. Speaking as a representative of Trump's defense team, the lifelong liberal Democrat urged senators to not "let the feelings about one man, strong as they may be, cause irreparable damage" to the fate of other presidents. "Passion and fears of the moment must not blind us," he pleaded. Giving a clinic on the history of impeachment in a matter-of-fact and understandable way, Dershowitz explained the derivation of the idea of impeachment and explained that it was to have been the breaking of a defined, limited law and not an amorphous and generalized idea of bad conduct. Impeachment Trial: Former Law Clerk for Clarence Thomas Destroys the Democrats on Due Process. Patrick Philbin is Deputy Counsel to the President and Deputy Assistant to the President in the Office of White House Counsel and is one of the lawyers on the White House legal team that is presenting the President's defense. I particularly like that he clerked for my favorite US Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas. On Saturday, he provided an overview of how the House Democrats denied due process rights to the President during their "impeachment inquiry." Among other things, his summary — which was a glimpse of what was to come this week — included a discussion of how Democrats did not use proper due process in their selective subpoenaing of witnesses and documents from the Executive Branch. He also pointed out that the President followed counsel from DoJ's Office of Legal Counsel at every step of the way during the Houses' impeachment inquiry. Philbin's presentation at the Senate trial on Monday destroyed the Democrat's impeachment article on "obstruction of Congress" based on long-standing bipartisan agreements on due process and privilege arguments. Concerns About Biden's Role in Ukraine Are Not 'Baseless,' Trump Team Argues. The adjective "baseless" has been widely used by House Democratic leaders and media outlets to describe concerns about former Vice President Joe Biden's dealings in Ukraine, but during Monday's [1/27/2020] Senate impeachment trial hearing a member of President Trump's legal team pointed to media reporting at the time on concerns about potential conflict of interest. Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, quoted from media reports saying the appointment of Biden's son, Hunter Biden, to the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma at a time when it and its oligarch owner were facing corruption investigations, raised the troubling appearance of a conflict of interest on the part of the vice president. ABC, CBS, NBC BLACK OUT Pam Bondi's Damning Presentation Exposing Biden, Burisma Corruption. Pam Bondi opened her testimony [1/27/2020] by asserting the Democrats mentioned Burisma and Hunter Biden 400 times during their opening arguments last week. Ms. Bondi clearly and concisely showed how Hunter Biden was sitting on the board of a very corrupt Ukrainian natural gas company whilst his father then-Vice President Joe Biden was tasked with handling Ukrainian relations. The Senators got to see for the first time all of the bank statements proving Hunter Biden was paid over $3 million in a 17-month time span for sitting on the board of Burisma, despite having zero experience in oil and gas. Bondi not only exposed the Bidens' corruption in Ukraine, she also brought up Hunter Biden's sweetheart deal from the Bank of China after flying with his daddy on Air Force Two to China. The House Democrats make an underwhelming case for impeachment. Last week, the House of Representatives' Democratic impeachment managers concluded their opening arguments — 21 hours of weary repetition over three days. Though Representative Adam Schiff, the lead impeachment manager, and his colleagues leveled troubling and embarrassing allegations about President Donald Trump's foreign policy conduct, they failed to identify a valid basis to overturn his election. The Senate impeachment trial, entering its second week, is focused on the House's charge of "abuse of power." Its second charge — "obstruction of Congress" — is, at best, a boot-strapping makeweight: impeaching a president for failing to cooperate with an impeachment inquiry. This proves especially weak when Trump's alleged "obstruction" amounts to asserting privileges successfully invoked by previous presidents. McConnell says he doesn't have votes to block witnesses in impeachment trial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he does not have the votes to stop witnesses from appearing in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump. The Kentucky Senator reportedly made the remarks in a private Republican meeting. Several senators also expressed willingness to move on from the Senate trial to a final vote. Democrats only needed to obtain four Republican votes in the Senate to pass a proposal that would allow for witnesses. MSNBC panel has collective meltdown over Alan Dershowitz impeachment defense. An MSNBC panel covering the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked constitutional law expert Alan Dershowitz. MSNBC host Chris Hayes and others gathered for the network's special trial coverage turned their ire against the Harvard Law School professor who delivered a constitutional defense of the president before the Senate on Monday. Trump lawyer reveals how Dems 'hid' a major piece of evidence that absolves the president. If you only listened to the House Democrats' case against President Donald Trump, one could walk away thinking that freezing foreign aid to Ukraine was an unprecedented move by the administration. But, as Townhall's Cortney O'Brien points out, the White House's top lawyer, Pat Cipollone, revealed to the nation and members of the Senate a major piece of evidence that Democrats have conveniently omitted from their presentations. "They didn't tell you that burden sharing was discussed in the call," Cipollone said Saturday, referring to Trump's call with the president of Ukraine. Liberal Law Professor Alan Dershowitz Pinpoints the One Reason the Senate Should Vote Against Impeachment. Liberal Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz on Monday explained the dangers of moving forward with impeaching President Donald Trump. According Dershowitz, partisanship has been the sole motivator of the House Democrats, something that is dangerous to the Constitution and the future of our country. "Congresswoman Maxine Waters recently put it more succinctly in the context of a presidential impeachment. Here's what she said: 'Impeachment is whatever Congress says it is. There is no law,'" he recounted. "But this lawless view would place Congress above the law. It would place Congress above the Constitution. For Congress to ignore the specific words of the Constitution itself and substitutes its own judgments would be for Congress to do what it's accusing the president of doing." Where's Waldo whistleblower? In his presentation on behalf of President Trump in the Senate impeachment trial yesterday, White House Deputy Counsel Patrick Philbin raised the question of Adam Schiff and the whistleblower. Why have we not heard from him? Why has Schiff deep-sixed the testimony about him? Pam Bondi Lays Out Case Against Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Burisma. Former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi made the White House's case to the Senate on Monday afternoon that President Donald Trump had good reason to ask Ukraine to investigate the conflict of interest involving former Vice President Joe Biden; his son Hunter Biden; and the corrupt Ukraine gas company, Burisma. Using clips of testimony from Democrats' own witnesses, and reports from the mainstream media — including an ABC News interview with Hunter Biden — Bondi argued that Hunter Biden was paid handsomely for little reason other than that he was the vice president's son. [Video clip] Pam Bondi Blows a Hole in the Democrats' First Article of Impeachment Against Trump. Trump defense lawyer Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi went on the offense at the Senate impeachment trial Monday, focusing on the Biden family's shady dealings in Ukraine. "When the House managers gave you their presentation, when they submitted their brief, they repeatedly referenced Hunter Biden and Burisma ... they referenced Biden or Burisma over 400 times,["] she said. "And when they gave these presentations they said there was nothing to see, it was a sham. This is fiction." Ken Starr: Impeachment Violated Due Process and the Constitution. Former independent counsel Kenneth Starr told the Senate impeachment trial Monday afternoon that President Donald Trump had been denied due process, and that the Senate should therefore oppose impeachment for that reason. Starr, who led the investigation of President Bill Clinton that led to his impeachment, was the leadoff speaker for the White House as the president's lawyers continued their opening arguments. Fox News Cuts Away from President Trump's Impeachment Defense. Fox News cut away from President Donald Trump's defense in his Senate impeachment trial several times on Monday in favor of panel discussions or interviews rather than the live feed of the proceedings. Shut Down This Tiring Farce. The next step in the impeachment of the president needs to be considered in both its legal and political aspects. The legal issue is easily determined, is evident from the first few days of proceedings, and remains a foregone conclusion. It was obvious from the endlessly repetitive and absurdly overstated arguments of the House managers, Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) in particular, that they had no legal case. There was no evidence that the president committed a high crime or misdemeanor as the Constitution requires for a president to be removed from office in such a proceeding. What was alleged was not anything that could be so described, and they fell far short of proof that what they alleged even occurred. 'Attacking a nine-year-old:' Ted Cruz snaps at reporter for comparing Hunter Biden to his children. Sen. Ted Cruz engaged in a back-and-forth with a reporter while arguing that President Trump was justified in asking leaders in Ukraine to launch investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. "The House [impeachment] managers built their entire case on the proposition that investigating Burisma corruption, investigating the Bidens for corruption was baseless and a sham," Cruz said during a press conference on Monday. "That proposition is absurd ... We've just seen two hours of evidence." Impeachment Manager Lofgren: House Couldn't Wait for Witnesses; 'The Election Would Be Over'. In a telling moment on Sunday morning [1/26/2020], House impeachment manager Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said House Democrats didn't wait for the courts to compel witnesses and documents in their impeachment case because the 2020 election would be over by the time the courts ruled. Her comments reflect what President Trump's defense team told the nation on Saturday. Attorney Pat Cipollone said the Democrats — not President Trump — are the ones trying "to perpetrate the most massive interference in an election in American history." House Republican: It was 'Schiff's choice' to send over 'half-baked' impeachment without Bolton testimony. Rep. Elise Stefanik blamed House impeachment manager Adam Schiff for the lack of testimony from John Bolton after leaks from the former national security adviser's new book alleged that the president withheld Ukrainian aid in exchange for a Biden investigation. Calls for Bolton, 71, to testify were amplified after he alleged that President Trump told him that he would block military aid to Ukraine if officials would not announce an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter in leaked portions of Bolton's new book, The Room Where it Happened. During a press conference on Monday [1/27/2020], Stefanik explained why she believed testimony from Bolton was unnecessary. Dershowitz calls out House Dems in Trump's Senate impeachment trial after Bolton shock waves. In a dramatic primetime moment, the liberal constitutional law scholar reiterated that although he voted for Hillary Clinton, he could not find constitutional justification for the impeachment of a president for non-criminal conduct, or conduct that was not at least "akin" to defined criminal conduct. "I'm sorry, House managers, you just picked the wrong criteria. You picked the most dangerous possible criteria to serve as a precedent for how we supervise and oversee future presidents," Dershowitz told the House Democrats, including head House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Intermission, January 26, 2020: So That's Why Schiff Won't Release the Transcript of the 18th Witness. Fox News' Maria Bartiromo interviewed Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) on "Sunday Morning Futures" about the 18th transcript the Democrats are refusing to release. Rep. Ratcliffe was there for Inspector General Michael Atkinson's testimony and says the transcript is damaging to Chairman Adam Schiff and the whistleblower. "The House managers kept putting up charts talking about the 17 witnesses," Ratcliffe began. "But there were 18 ... I was there. It's the one transcript out of 18 that hasn't been released. It's a 179-page transcript ... It's the one transcript that talks about Adam Schiff and the whistleblower. Now, everyone knows by now that Adam Schiff was not truthful about his contacts with the whistleblower. What they don't know and what's in that transcript is that the whistleblower wasn't truthful about his contacts with Adam Schiff. This whole thing started, Maria, when the whistleblower filed a complaint with the inspector general under penalty of perjury that wasn't true and correct, made representations in writing and verbally that weren't true and correct. And when we found that out and tried to get into the details of that, Adam Schiff, who was in charge of this investigation, shut it down, and now he's trying to bury that transcript." Impeachment End Game in Sight as GOP Senators Plan for Acquittal after Witness Vote. Senate GOP leaders are mulling a quick end to the impeachment trial if the vote to call witnesses fails. Politico is reporting that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may use some procedural moves to bring an end to debate and vote for Trump's acquittal. If, as expected, the vote to call witnesses fails and Democrats are unable to introduce more evidence or depose more witnesses, the vote to acquit could come as early as Friday [1/31/2020], says Senator Tim Barrasso. Day five, January 25, 2020: Opening Argument — Patrick Philbin Explains an Unconstitutional Origin to The House Impeachment, And Why It Matters. Several days ago we anticipated a potentially important point we hoped would start the impeachment defense for President Donald Trump. Today [1/25/2020], attorney Patrick Philbin delivered. The issue is a critical constitutional component that needed emphasis, and it is good to see pundits finally starting to realize the significance. White House Counsel Patrick Philbin explains why House subpoenas were illegitimate: the subpoena power was never authorized; the initiating subpoena power was never voted on. And Now a Novel Theory: Truth as a Defense. I already am a huge Pat Cipollone fan because he is a brilliant legal superstar who clerked in his early law days for the Hon. Danny J. Boggs of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and he has been masterful in defending the President from Day One. But the real zonker for me was watching the masterful "Six Key Facts" opening by virtually unknown Trump Team attorney Michael Purpura. What a great presentation! And then a fine follow-up by Jay Sekulow. After three years of Democrat phony accusations and hoax investigations by them and their Corrupt Journalist Corps into every imaginable lie and rabbit hole, followed by half a year of Pelosi-Schiff-Nadler lies over the Ukraine phone call, the moment finally came for one rare week to unfold in Washington when, like it or not, the argument for President Trump finally gets to be heard through the interference by the corrupt media. Trump Legal Team Lays Out 6-Point Case Crushing Democrats' Impeachment Claims. President Donald Trump's legal defense team laid out an aggressive six-point case dismantling the Democrats' impeachment case on Saturday [1/25/2020] that was simply built around highlighting the facts of what happened surrounding Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. [...] Laying out Trump's six-point defense was deputy White House counsel Michael Purpura, who said the following: [#1] "The transcript shows that the president did not condition either security assistance or a meeting on anything. The paused security assistance funds aren't even mentioned on the call." [#2] "President Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that there was no quid pro quo and no pressure on them to review anything." [#3] "President Zelensky and high-ranking Ukrainian officials did not even know, did not even know, the security assistance was paused until the end of August, over a month after the July 25 call." [#4] "Not a single witness testified that the President himself said that there was any connection between any investigations and security assistance, a presidential meeting, or anything else." Trump Lawyer: Dems Are 'Asking You to Tear Up All of the Ballots' by Removing Trump in an Election. On Saturday, President Donald Trump's defense team began their opening statements in the Senate impeachment trial. Lawyer Pat Cipollone launched into a powerful opening statement, warning that the Democratic House impeachment managers are asking the Senate to "tear up all of the ballots" in the 2020 election. Cipollone noted that Democrats are constantly wringing their hands about election interference, while they themselves are running "the most massive interference in an election in American history." House Democrats conceal testimony of 18th witness from Trump team. Democrats clamoring for more witnesses at President Trump's impeachment trial are concealing one of those questioned in the House investigation, President Trump's defense team says. Rep. Adam B. Schiff, California Democrat, and other impeachment managers repeatedly talk about the 17 witnesses interviewed during the House's secretive depositions. But they do not mention an 18th witness, Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community's inspector general who has firsthand knowledge of the origins of the whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment. Members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence who conducted the interview are barred from disclosing details. But Republicans on the committee said the testimony should be heard at the president's impeachment trial in the Senate. Schiff Hides Transcript to Protect 'Whistleblower'. "Evidence and witnesses!" is the constant refrain from the House impeachment managers like Rep. Adam "Shifty" Schiff and Rep. Jerry "Jabba" Nadler even as Schiff had hidden evidence in the form of the transcript for his star-chamber interview with ICIG Michael Atkinson and block witness in the person of himself and the Ukraine phone call whistleblower. The hypocrisy of it all is underscored by the fact that by hiding the whistleblower and the details of his initial contacts with Schiff and the ICIG, Schiff and the House managers are denying President Trump a basic constitutional right — the right to confront one's accuser. Why the President's Senate defenders have not hammered this point home is a mystery. Reaction pours in, president's legal team wraps day quickly after Trump's hilarious kick-off tweet. Trump lawyer Pat Cipollone began this morning saying he did not "anticipate using that much time" since Democrats had not "come anywhere close to meeting their burden for what they're asking you to do." "They're asking you not only to overturn the results of the last election but as I've said before, they're asking you to remove President Trump from the ballot in an election that's occurring in approximately nine months," he told senators. "They're asking you to tear up all of the ballots across this country on your own initiative, take that decision away from the American people, and I don't think they spent one minute of their 24 hours talking to you about the consequences of that for our country," Cipollone added. Democrats are misusing impeachment to replicate a parliamentary system. The Constitution authorizes presidential impeachment if the president can be shown to have committed "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Democrats are ignoring this language and trying to recreate a parliamentary system. [...] The Democrats, however, have no indictable offense against President Trump. Neither "abuse of power" nor "obstruction of Congress" forms the basis for a criminal complaint. Three days of Democrat lectures establish that their problem with Trump is political, not criminal. Josh Hawley Plans to Force Subpoena Votes for Bidens, Schiff, 'Whistleblower'. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) revealed Saturday [1/25/2020] he has drafted motions to subpoena former Vice President Joe Biden, his youngest son Hunter Biden, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), and the so-called "whistleblower." Hawley will attempt to force a vote on the subpoenas if the Senate approves additional witnesses and documents as part of the upper chamber's trial. Philbin to Schiff: What Changed That We Don't Need To Hear From The Whistleblower? In his closing remarks at the Senate impeachment trial Saturday, Patrick Philbin, deputy counsel to the president, questioned the credibility of House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) for his relationship with the alleged whistleblower that kicked off the Ukraine investigation. Philbin argued after it was exposed that Schiff had a relationship with the alleged whistleblower, it became critical to shutdown any inquiry into this person. Philbin pointed out that a transcript of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, who questioned the political bias of the alleged whistleblower, in executive session in the House is "still secret." President Trump's Defense Team Hit Dems So Hard That Even CNN Admits, 'The President is Winning'. You know it's bad for the Dems when even CNN admits President Trump is winning in the impeachment trial. CNN's Jeffrey Toobin admitted on Saturday [1/25/2020] that President Trump and the Republicans are destroying the Democrats. "I just think that the Republicans are winning here. The President is winning here," CNN's chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said on Saturday. Trump legal team goes on offense in impeachment trial, accuse Democrats of 'massive' election interference. Donald Trump's lawyers defended the president against articles of impeachment Saturday morning arguing it's the Democrats trying to interfere in elections by seeking to remove Trump from the 2020 ballot for doing "absolutely nothing wrong." White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said Democrats have no case and are doing damage to democracy by trying to undermine the will of American voters. "For all their talk about election interference, they're here to perpetrate the most massive interference in an election in American history," Cipollone said in his opening remarks to the Senate. "And we can't allow that to happen." Schiff's Pathetic Response to Trump's Defense Team. For starters, the president's team poked holes in the Democrats' entire argument. They reminded the American people that Democrats continually lied to the Senate and the American people by omitting vital information, like the fact that President Trump wanted other nations to share the burden of helping Ukraine. Democrats continually invoke Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland's testimony as evidence that President Donald Trump threatened to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless an investigation was launched into the Bidens and their corrupt behavior. The reality is that Sondland had no direct knowledge of the call and offered no evidence. His testimony is based solely on his own presumption. Trump's teams aren't trying to "distort the truth." If anything, they're trying to provide the whole truth, you know, the one the Democrats continually cherry-pick. Adam Schiff Tells Reporters, "I Don't Even Know Who the Whistleblower Is". Serial liar Adam Schiff laughably claimed on Saturday that he doesn't even know who the whistleblower is. President Trump's defense team completely destroyed 3 days' of Adam Schiff's lies in just two hours. GOP Senator John Barrasso said Schiff was so freaked out when Trump's lawyers confronted him about his fake call and transcript that "the blood drained from Schiff's face." Barrasso: Schiff 'Lost Credibility Significantly' When Evidence Was Presented. Saturday [1/25/2020] during an appearance on the Fox News Channel following the day's proceedings of the White House presenting a case in the Senate against impeachment, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) offered his reaction. According to Barrasso, Schiff was the big loser of the day, given his willingness to exaggerate specific details of the case. Trump's Defense Team Has At Least One Dem Thinking Twice About Voting In Favor of Impeachment. Whenever an impeachment trial takes place, it's the House's job to gather evidence, obtain documents and hear witnesses before presenting the case to the Senate. The Senate's job is to hear the case and be impartial. They're essentially the jurors and decide whether or not the president is removed from office. Although the Senate is supposed to be impartial and open, the votes thus far have come down on party lines. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), a Blue Dog Democrat, is actually following the impartiality factor. Chris Murphy: It's 'Possible' Some Democrats Vote to Acquit Trump. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said Saturday [1/25/2020] it is "certainly possible" some Senate Democrats will vote to acquit President Donald Trump when the Senate impeachment trial concludes. The Connecticut Democrat said that the Senate Democrat conference will likely vote for additional witnesses; however, he added that he cannot guarantee all Democrats will vote to convict the president. Jay Sekulow Presser: Defense Begins Saturday 10am With Three Hour Preview — And Don't Forget Nellie Ohr. During a Senate trial break President Trump attorney Jay Sekulow gives a short presser to rebut some of the more egregious disinformation from the House prosecutors. Sekulow smartly connects the lengthy Schiff prosecution point about foreign interference in U.S. elections to Nellie Ohr, the wife of the third ranking DOJ official, Bruce Ohr, working for Fusion-GPS and Hillary Clinton while contracting with British and Ukraine officials for an investigation into Donald Trump, i.e., actual foreign interference. Day four, January 24, 2020: Ten Ways the Democrats' Own Impeachment Witnesses Destroyed Their Case Against Trump. As the impeachment managers attempt to make their case for Trump's removal from office during the impeachment trial, you've probably heard them cite the testimony of their witnesses from the House impeachment inquiry and the claim that that testimony confirmed an illegal quid pro quo. But in reality, none of them did. Under questioning from Republican lawmakers, the Democrats' entire case about a quid pro quo fell apart. The next major narrative of the Democrats was that there was no legitimate reason for there to be an investigation into the Bidens and Ukraine. When pressed by Republicans on this issue, that narrative fell apart as well. What If They Gave an Impeachment and No One Came? The Democrats are desperately trying to flog their impeachment show, but so far both the ratings and the reviews are bad. [...] To be fair, I can't imagine how anyone could stand to spend hours watching Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler. So it's a tribute to the hardy few who tuned in. Schiff's Call To Invalidate A Trump Re-Election Is A Revealing Attack On Voters. For all the accusations of "norm breaking" hurled at President Donald Trump, the early stages of the Senate impeachment trial have revealed that congressional Democrats are perfectly willing to flirt with toppling one of the few, and most essential, precedents in American history. House managers of the trial, all Democrats, cut right to the chase: If this whole impeachment thing doesn't work out, and Trump is acquitted, it doesn't matter. A Trump victory at the ballot box in 2020 has been preemptively deemed illegitimate. Demagoguery of the Democrats. In the end the Democrats couldn't help themselves. Their lead manager, Congressman Schiff, paused in the middle of his summation of the case against President Trump to say that CBS news reported that a "Trump confidant" claimed that "GOP senators were warned, 'Vote against your President, vote against the President, and your head will be on a pike.'" It was a shocking error of judgment to say such a thing on the floor of the Senate. Mr. Schiff compounded his blunder by adding that he didn't know whether the CBS report is true. "I don't know whether that's true," is how he put it. Imagine that. This is the most solemn moment in his political life, and he spends it by parlaying information he knows might be false. It's such an off-putting blunder that even the Times, which is seething for a conviction, reckoned that Mr. Schiff's oration "appeared to alienate the very Republicans he was trying to win over." Nadler's Folly. Jerry Nadler must have missed the day in law school where they teach you about persuasion. The House Democrat made a critical error early in the trial of President Trump. He didn't just say that Republican senators, who voted to begin the proceedings without calling witnesses, were part of a cover up. He said they had committed treason: "So far, I'm sad to say, I see a lot of senators voting for a coverup. Voting to deny witnesses and obviously a treacherous vote. A vote against honest consideration of the evidence against the president. A vote against an honest trial. A vote against the United States." Easy, Tiger. All Republicans did was follow the precedent of the Clinton trial. They also admitted the House evidence into the record. The vote on witnesses will arrive next week. 7 Big Moments in Democrats' Final Arguments to Remove Trump. In their final day of arguments that the Senate should remove President Donald Trump from office, House Democrats questioned the president's character and defended former Vice President Joe Biden. The seven House Democrats who are impeachment managers, acting as prosecutors, finished their allotted 24 hours on their third day of arguments on the Senate floor. The Senate adjourned just before 9 p.m. Trump impeachment: Half-empty spectator gallery puzzles senators. The Senate spectator gallery was at least half-empty throughout the first week of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial and senators serving as the jury in the marathon sessions are taking notice — some stunned that there aren't more people watching history unfold, while others understand the public avoiding the repetitive proceedings. "I'm really surprised at that because this is kind of historic and I would think this would be an opportunity for people to get in there regardless of whose side you are on," Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) told The Post Friday. Journalists aren't allowed to bring cellphones or cameras into the gallery, so the noticeably small audience is known directly only to people able to access the chamber. Jerry Nadler calls Trump 'a dictator' during Senate impeachment trial. New York Rep. Jerry Nadler called President Trump a "dictator" during the fourth day of the Senate impeachment trial. "He is a dictator. This must not stand," said the Democratic House impeachment manager. "That is another reason he must be removed from office." Nadler, 72, argued that the president seeks to be "all-powerful," asserting no president has ignored congressional demands or subpoenas like he has. He concluded by arguing that not impeaching Trump would endanger the ability of Congress to check the power of the presidency. "He is the first and only president ever to declare himself unaccountable and to ignore subpoenas backed by the Constitution's impeachment power." Republican senators outraged after Schiff repeats 'head will be on a pike' report. Lead impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff left several Republican senators incensed in the closing moments of the third and final day of the Democrats' opening arguments. Schiff, who received plaudits from Democrats and Republicans alike for his delivery in the first couple days of the Senate impeachment trial against President Trump, stirred outrage Friday evening [1/24/2020] when he repeated a CBS News report citing an unnamed Trump source who said GOP senators were warned not to vote against the commander in chief. Adam Schiff Closing Argument: Russia Carried out 'Coup' Against U.S. By Manipulating Trump. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) claimed on the Senate floor Friday afternoon that Russia had carried out a propaganda "coup" by manipulating President Donald Trump. Schiff, delivering the closing address on the third day of House Democrats' opening argument on the first article of impeachment, claimed that Russia had done a "psychological profile" of Trump and manipulated him into believing Russian intelligence. Drawing selectively from the president's past statements, Schiff claimed that Trump believed Russia's claims that Ukraine had interfered with the 2016 presidential election, ignoring U.S. intelligence agencies' assessments. Day three, January 23, 2020: The assisted living senators are not dealing well with these long hours. The U.S. Senate has, more than at any other time in its history, become a home for elderly citizens during the 21st Century. This is in large part due to the fact that it has also more and more become a place to accumulate massive amounts of wealth at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer in recent decades. No one wants to voluntarily leave the gig when there's always so much more wealth to be grafted. Thus, this ongoing Kabuki dance of an impeachment trial takes place in what is basically an incredibly wealthy assisted living center. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the long days and late nights are already beginning to take a toll as the silliness enters its third day today. Schiff Has Teary-Eyed Meltdown in Thursday Closing Statement, Trashes Giuliani, Says Trump Must Be Removed. Lead House Manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) made a 'pitch for the angels' in his Thursday night closing statement at the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, working himself into an Oscar worthy teary-eyed meltdown as he warned senators what Trump might do to win re-election if he was not removed from office even if they decide he is guilty. Schiff repeatedly said Trump is "dangerous". Adam Schiff Closes Day Two with Attack on Trump's Character. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) closed the second day of opening arguments in President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial on Thursday by attacking the president's personal character. "Nobody is really making the argument, 'Donald Trump would never do such a thing!'" Schiff argued on the floor of the Senate, after 10 p.m. ET. "Because of course we know that he would, and of course we know that he did." Joni Ernst: Several Democrat House Impeachment Managers Voted Against 'Lethal Aid' for Ukraine. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) told reporters during a break in the Senate trial of President Donald Trump on Thursday that several of the House Democrat impeachment managers had voted against bills providing "lethal aid" to Ukraine. Democrats have accused Trump of abandoning Ukraine by holding aid for several weeks over the summer of 2019. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) even accused the president, falsely, of causing the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers. In fact, Trump had previously sent Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, unlike President Barack Obama, who had only provided non-lethal aid. 'Stunned' Sen. Collins objected to Nadler's impeachment accusation in note to Roberts. One House Democrat's accusation amid the Trump impeachment trial "stunned" even the most moderate of Senate Republicans, reportedly prompting GOP Sen. Susan Collins to write a note to Chief Justice John Roberts about decorum on the floor of the upper chamber. Collins, R-Maine, is the latest to signal her concerns, after impeachment manager Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., asserted earlier this week that GOP senators were engaged in a "cover-up." Collins told Politico she was "stunned" by Nadler's comments, and confirmed to the outlet that she wrote a note that made its way to Roberts after a tense back and forth between Nadler and White House Chief Counsel Pat Cipollone. Impeachment Trial: Democrat Senator Bob Casey, Jr., Is A Parrot. The Laurel and Hardy Show (Schiff and Nadler) has been a snooze-fest, with endless repetition by the House managers throughout their presentation. One can only watch so much Adam Schiff without turning the sound off. That said, the Democrats continue to make a brave show by trotting out various Democrat senators to bolster their weak case for removing the President from office. A relatively new face in their dirge made an appearance on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" on Thursday to plead the Democrats' case on impeachment. Haven't seen or heard much from Bob Casey, Jr. (ever?), as he is a follower not a leader in the Senate, so his comments are instructive in conveying the Democrat Party line. Desperate Schumer Begs GOP Senators to Vote With Dems to Subpoena Witnesses as Impeachment Fizzles Out. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) desperately begged GOP Senators to vote with Dems to subpoena witnesses as the sham impeachment fizzled out. Republican Senators have now voted NINE TIMES to block the Democrats from bringing in new evidence and witnesses, leaving Schumer floundering. As TGP's Kristinn Taylor reported, the Democrat House Managers for the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump have senators in "agony" and "bored out of their minds", with many nodding off, walking around and even leaving the chamber for extended periods of time. The Democrats have shown nothing new. 'We're supposed to believe him!?' Jim Jordan hits Schiff with 7 declarations he got 'exactly wrong'. House Oversight Committee ranking member Jim Jordan wants to know why anybody should believe House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff's claims against President Donald Trump given the numerous lies he's told in the past and continues to tell today [1/23/2020]. Speaking shortly after Schiff bored Democrat and Republican senators alike to death by spending over two hours laying out his flimsy case against the president, Jordan listed just a few of the lies the Intelligence Committee chair turned impeachment manager has told in the past couple of years. Icy silence between Dems, GOP amid Trump impeachment trial. It's a Capitol Hill cold war. A chilly silence has enveloped the Capitol — with senators on either side of the political aisle telling The [New York] Post there has been very little communication between Democrats and Republicans behind closed doors during President Trump's impeachment trial. Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat, lamented that the parties appeared entrenched in their two camps and said there had been "strikingly little" late-night texts or phone calls to debate calling additional witnesses or introducing new documents as evidence. Dem impeachment witness Vindman unloads on Blackburn as Dems wrap 3rd day of Trump's trial. As the third day of the ongoing impeachment trial of President Trump wrapped up in the Senate chamber, most of the drama was elsewhere — with one witness for the Democrats accusing a Republican senator of "defamation" and "slander" after she questioned his patriotism and implicated him in a scheme to take down Trump from inside the White House. The off-field spat began Thursday evening [1/23/2020] on Twitter, when Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn quoted the commanding officer of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman as saying that Vindman was a "political activist in uniform." Vindman, a National Security Council official, testified during House Democrats' impeachment inquiry last year that Trump's Ukraine dealings left him in a state of "shock," and Democrats were quoting from Vindman's remarks during the Senate trial on Thursday. Vindman has denied knowing the identity of the whistleblower who flagged Trump's fateful July 25 phone call with Ukraine's president — a claim that Republicans have questioned, because under cross-examination, Vindman apparently admitted to leaking the contents of Trump's call to the whistleblower. Adam Schiff: Remove Trump, Because He Didn't Follow Talking Points. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told the Senate impeachment trial Thursday that President Donald Trump should be removed from office because he did not obey the talking points prepared by bureaucrats who work for him. According to Schiff, the president — who has primary authority under the U.S. Constitution to determine U.S. foreign policy — did not follow "U.S. policy" in speaking with Ukraine's president. Republicans start complaining that they have heard Nothing new. Democrats will spend the third day of the Senate impeachment trial Thursday [1/23/2020] exhibiting reasons they feel Donald Trump abuse the power of his office. Thursday is the second day allocated for the Democratic impeachment managers to make opening arguments for the removal of the president on two offenses levied against him in the House proceedings — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The seven managers, led by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, argued Wednesday that the president obstructed the House's ability to conduct a complete investigation and also continued their push to include new witness testimony in the Senate trial. Republicans, however, say the first full day of Democratic opening arguments revealed no new information. Adam Schiff 'Jokes' that Senators Face Prison if They Disrupt Impeachment Trial. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) kicked off the third day of impeachment hearings on Thursday, trying to create a moment of levity by floating the possibility of lawmakers being put in prison. "I also want again take this opportunity to thank the senators for their long and considerable attention over the course of the last two days," he began. Schiff acknowledged that it was a "rare and extraordinary" opportunity for House members to address Senators on the Senate floor without speaking themselves. Schiff acknowledged that it was a "rare and extraordinary" opportunity for House members to address Senators on the Senate floor without speaking themselves. Schiff: Voters shouldn't get to decide 2020. For the sake of his own impeachment dreams, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, ought to shut up and stop saying the quiet part out loud. The House Judiciary chairman began the second day of the Senate's impeachment trial by admitting the unconscionable. "If not remedied by his conviction in the Senate and removal from office, President Trump's abuse of his office and obstruction of Congress will permanently alter the balance of power among the branches of government," the lead impeachment manager said. "For precisely this reason, the president's misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box, for we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won." Senate Trial Sentences America to Boredom. A political Halley's Comet flew over the Capitol this week. Even politics junkies averted their gaze. The Senate impeachment trial of a sitting president, just the third such event in the history of the republic, strangely acted as soporific rather than stimulant. Richard Burr led a contingent of colleagues using fidget spinners to stay alert. Rand Paul allegedly drew a picture of the capitol building as House members orated. A bipartisan group of senators reportedly violated rules by wearing Apple watches or using digital devices. Others stretched and paced. A New York Times sketch artist captured Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho, asleep. Many Americans imitated him on their couches. When the sergeant-at-arms cautioned the chamber to "keep silent on pain of imprisonment," senators, and perhaps even Adam Schiff, wished Jerry Nadler would heed his warning. Day two, January 22, 2020: How the Dems Lost Day Two. Adam Schiff, the House manager leading the impeachment case against President Trump, did an excellent job of presenting a fundamentally flawed and fallacious argument in his opening statement yesterday. Schiff is a former federal prosecutor who was articulate and seemingly factual and well-prepared, albeit a little self-righteous. He quoted extensively from White House documents and the testimony of aides and officials who were concerned about the temporary hold on military aid to Ukraine, which gave his presentation an undeserved aura of credibility. But Schiff provided absolutely no factual support for the crucial premise on which his entire case depends. Schiff asserted repeatedly, without providing any evidence, that the matters the president asked Ukraine to investigate were "kooky conspiracy theories" that no one could possibly believe. Change that one unsupported premise, and the whole house of cards collapses. Same Schiff, Different Dais. It's hard to say which has been more difficult to endure, Rep. Adam Schiff's tedious and deceptive performance during the Senate impeachment trial or the emetic accolades it has received from the "news" media. By some marvelous coincidence, dozens of major news organizations were able to conjure but one word to describe it: "masterful." Indeed, this adjective has been used so frequently by so many outlets during the past 48 hours about Schiff's soporific speeches that a cynic might draw the conclusion that it came straight out of a blast email sent by the Democratic National Committee. One of the most nauseating examples was published by CNN: [...] Evidently, more than a few Democratic senators found Schiff's performance somewhat less riveting than the people at CNN. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), for example, incurred the wrath of MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow by leaving the Senate chamber and going home in the midst of Schiff's final oration of Wednesday evening. Lindsey Graham 2.0 Is Back! Goes OFF on Dems and Media: 'I'm Exposing Your Hatred of This President!' Lindsey Graham is back to the firey persona we came to love during the Kavanaugh hearings that earned him the nickname Lindsey 2.0. In a press conference on Wednesday [1/22/2020], Graham went nuclear on Democrats and their complicit stooges in the mainstream press. It was a beautiful thing. In response to Chuck Schumer demanding that executive privilege be waived to force key members of the president's staff — like former National Security Adviser John Bolton, current acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and others — to testify, Graham stated that the president should not comply, agreeing with Trump, who has directed them to refuse to testify. "Here's what I saw yesterday," said Graham. "I saw an effort to ask the Senate to ignore every privilege that President Clinton was able to exercise, Nixon was able to exercise and to suggest to the Senate that an independent judiciary is a non-player. If I was the president I wouldn't cooperate with these guys at all." Under Dems' Trump impeachment justification, Lincoln would've been impeached. If Rep. Adam Schiff was around in 1864, he would have orchestrated the impeachment of President Abraham Lincoln. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Schiff, D-Calif., and his confederate impeachment managers demand that President Trump be removed from office because the president did something that might advantage him politically in the upcoming election. This, they claim was an impeachable "abuse of power." On the floor of the Senate, Schiff exclaimed that Trump wanted "to cheat" in the November presidential election by asking Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son over potential corruption. Democrats are the only ones who are buying this thin gruel. Adam Schiff Is Already Claiming The Illegitimacy Of A Trump Reelection. During his monotonous two-hour rehashing of the case against the president, Democratic House Manager Adam Schiff argued that if president Trump is allowed to run for president this year, "we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won." That's right, nine months out from election day Schiff and the Democrats are laying the groundwork to call a Trump second term illegitimate, just as have they done for the entirety of the first term. Even Adam Schiff Acknowledges Everyone Wants Him to Stop Talking During His Marathon Impeachment Speech. House impeachment manager Adam Schiff is a lunatic who has been spewing insane Trump-Russia conspiracy theories from the Senate floor all week. On Wednesday [1/22/2020], Adam Schiff went on a long-winded impeachment tirade that lasted for two hours. Schiff is completely deranged and went from lie to conspiracy throughout his nearly 2-hour opening argument. Fox News host Jesse Watters said Schiff looked like a "rotten dandelion" and "listening to him is like being in the room when someone's vacuuming. You just can't wait for it to stop." Well, even Schiff acknowledged everyone wanted him to stop talking. [Video clip] Impeachment Diary Day 2: Quantity Does Not Equal Quality. It's as if the House Managers think that their case suddenly becomes airtight if Adam Schiff and his colleagues take forever to lay it out and add some audio-visual aids. There is not a shred of a new angle to their arguments. It is the same litany of assertions that peppered the House hearings, filled with the same attempts at mind-reading. They somehow magically know that President Trump's interest in Ukraine was not a justifiable curiosity over that nation's worthiness for hundreds of millions in foreign aid, despite the curious presence of Hunter Biden on a crooked company's board; they cite as fact the conclusion that he was attempting to strong-arm a foreign leader in an attempt to meddle in the 2020 election. Never mind that these same accusers have badgered him for insufficient concern over meddling from Russia. Two hours of dog barking: Adam Schiff tries to bore us into Getting Trump. Adam Schiff is a man of very peculiar reasoning. Like a dolt shouting louder at a foreign-language speaker in a bid to make him 'understand,' Schiff's decided that if he just keeps speaking long enough, we will all suddenly turn into anti-Trumpsters and throw Trump from office. No kidding, he spoke for two and a half hours in his House manager introduction to the Senate impeachment court, the length of which alone was deadly to his case in the age of Twitter. Seriously, two and a half hours. How the Dems Lost Day Two. Adam Schiff, the House manager leading the impeachment case against President Trump, did an excellent job of presenting a fundamentally flawed and fallacious argument in his opening statement yesterday [1/22/2020]. Schiff is a former federal prosecutor who was articulate and seemingly factual and well-prepared, albeit a little self-righteous. He quoted extensively from White House documents and the testimony of aides and officials who were concerned about the temporary hold on military aid to Ukraine, which gave his presentation an undeserved aura of credibility. But Schiff provided absolutely no factual support for the crucial premise on which his entire case depends. Schiff asserted repeatedly, without providing any evidence, that the matters the president asked Ukraine to investigate were "kooky conspiracy theories" that no one could possibly believe. Change that one unsupported premise, and the whole house of cards collapses. MSNBC's Maddow, Hayes Torch Senators for Leaving Trial, Falling Asleep: If You Can't Sit There for Eight Hours, 'Resign Tomorrow'. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes took the lead on Wednesday night as their panel trashed members of the Senate for not giving their full attention to President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. As the first day of arguments wrapped up, Maddow led her reactionary panel by honing in on the reports that some members of the Senate fell asleep in the middle of the trial's first two days. The MSNBC host called it "odd" that some senators got to take "long stretches" of absence from the trial "including some senators maybe even leaving before tonight was done." Hollywood Pushes 'Coverup' Conspiracy as Impeachment Trial Heats Up. Hollywood figures freaked out Wednesday after Senate Democrats' amendments to bring forth witnesses at the outset of the Senate impeachment trial failed in a series of votes on Tuesday night. [...] Day two of the Senate impeachment trial saw Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) present hours of opening arguments. Schiff said more emails and witnesses will be revealed and that the "full truth" about the "scheme" and "corruption" of the Trump White House will be known. For Hollywood, it was all about corruption or something. Impeachment trial is Dems' misdirection. Every one of the 63 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump should be incandescent with rage about the impeachment trial under way in the Senate. This shameful pantomime is the culmination of a three-year temper tantrum by the Democrats for their 2016 loss. It is therapy for Trump Derangement Syndrome, at your expense. Shifty Schiff to Senate: Please give us evidence to make our case. The Democrats and their lapdog media, led by Adam Schiff, AKA Shifty Schiff, lectured us for the past three years that President Trump must be impeached and removed because they had clear, compelling evidence that President Trump committed impeachable crimes. Now that the impeachment trial has started, Shifty Schiff is arguing that the Senate must subpoena documents and witnesses to prove the Democrats' impeachment articles. What happened to their "evidence"? The premise of the Shifty argument is that President Trump must be guilty of something, so there must evidence somewhere to prove it. Democrats want the Senate to issue subpoenas so they can rummage through documents and question witnesses in the hope of finding something they can use. The logical question is, why and how do the Democrats believe that President Trump is guilty if they have no evidence that proves that President Trump is guilty? If they had such evidence, they would present it instead of whining for subpoenas. Adam Schiff Tries to Make Impeachment About 'Russia Collusion' Hoax. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) led his opening argument in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Wednesday by citing allegations of "Russia collusion" that have been debunked. Schiff tried to argue that the Senate had a duty to remove President Trump from office for allegedly inviting foreign interference by Ukraine in the 2020 presidential election because he supposedly invited Russia to interfere in 2016. Fact Check: Adam Schiff Falsely Claims Trump Conditioned Meeting, and Aid, on Investigations. CLAIM: President Donald Trump withheld a White House meeting, and military aid, from Ukraine until it agreed to announce investigations. VERDICT: False. There is no direct evidence of that in the entire House record. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) laid out the case against President Trump in opening arguments on Wednesday in the Senate impeachment trial. The core of his claim was that Trump withheld a White House meeting from new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as essential military aid, unless and until Ukraine announced investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and 2016 interference in the U.S. election. Every part of that claim is untrue, and directly contradicted by the evidence that emerged in the House's own inquiry. Ranking Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein Left Senate During Schiff Testimony — Said "Goodnight" and Went Home. Many people are becoming aware the Senate impeachment trial is an exercise in politics, nothing more. The votes are already decided; the trial is simply a pantomime. To highlight the point, Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, simply walked out during the trial when Adam Schiff was testifying; said "goodnight" and just went home. Adam Schiff Cites Washington Post Editorial Against Trump in Senate Trial. Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) used an opinion article by the editorial board of the Washington Post in an attempt to prove the facts of his case against President Donald Trump in opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial Wednesday evening [1/22/2020]. Schiff cited the editorial board, which has taken a staunch anti-Trump line since the 2015-6 election, as if its opinion ought to be considered compelling evidence by the Senate. Schiff warns of Russian attack on US mainland, as Day 2 of Trump's Senate impeachment trial concludes. The challenge before the House managers has been clear. Democrats were given 24 hours over three days to prosecute the charges against Trump, trying to win over not just fidgety senators sitting silently in the chamber but an American public, deeply divided over the president and his impeachment in an election year. Most senators sat at their desks throughout the day, as the rules stipulated, though some stretched their legs, standing behind the desks or against the back wall of the chamber, passing the time. Visitors watched from the galleries, one briefly interrupting in protest. The Untalented Mr. Schiff and His Unwatchable Vanity. Like a family held hostage by an untalented stage child's living room performance, there's no escaping Adam "Carmelita" Schiff's vanity. The House managers will get to perform their show to a captive and paralyzed Senate audience. It must be agony to watch untalented congressmen deliver nauseating speeches about supposed commands of our Constitution. Schiff brayed that Trump's actions were, "the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying our impeachment." To what section of the Constitution does he refer? The part he made up, of course. Trump impeachment viewers turned off by TV rerun. As he stood on the Senate floor at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Rep. Jerry Nadler declared that he and his colleagues "will now attempt to tell you the story" behind their impeachment charges. Immediately, hearts sank and televisions went dark across America. It was only Day Two of the Senate trial and already Democrats were repeating themselves. Day one, January 21, 2020: The Democrats' Disgraceful Hail Mary. I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired of Rep. Adam Schiff and the Democratic horde's portraying every charge against President Donald Trump as Trump's effort to interfere with this or that election. In his opening statement at the Senate impeachment trial, Lead House Impeachment Manager Schiff, puffed up with false indignation, did it again. President Trump made an "attempt to use the powers of the presidency to cheat in an election," said Schiff, and he must be impeached. He's claiming that the 2020 election, which won't happen until November, will be illegitimate because of Trump's dastardly telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "The president's misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box, for we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won," he said. Come on! How dim does he think the viewing public is? Sen. Sherrod Brown accuses Mitch McConnell of a 'cover-up' as impeachment trial begins. If Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown had his druthers, the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump that started Tuesday would be handled very differently. There'd be witnesses. It would all be done during the day. There'd be no media restrictions on coverage in the U.S. Capitol. "Senator (Mitch) McConnell is simply rigging the system," Brown said of the Senate Majority leader from Kentucky. "He keeps us in until two in the morning, but people stop watching... He's taken the cameras out of the Senate Chamber because he doesn't want the American public to see, in the dead of night, fundamentally what he's doing, and we owe it to our country to do better than that." As The Impeachment Trial Begins, Democrats Are Losing Their Minds. On Monday, as senators and House impeachment managers prepared for the opening of President Trump's impeachment trial Tuesday, Democrats and their courtiers in the mainstream press decided to ratchet up the their rhetoric to the point of delusional hysteria. [...] Schiff and the impeachment managers also called on Trump's lead impeachment lawyer, Pat A. Cipollone, to disclose what he knows about the president's alleged behavior underlying the two articles of impeachment, saying Cipollone is a "material fact witness," and that, "The ethical rules generally preclude a lawyer from acting as an advocate at a trial in which he is likely also a necessary witness." Funny they should mention that. As my colleague Mollie Hemingway pointed out on Twitter, Schiff is himself a material fact witness to this entire impeachment imbroglio, beginning with his office's coordination with the whistleblower. Reports: Schiff Led House Managers Have Senators in "Agony" and "Bored Out of Their Minds" at Impeachment Trial. The Democrat House Managers for the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump have senators in "agony" and "bored out of their minds", with many nodding off, walking around and even leaving the chamber for extended periods of time according to reports. The boredom was exacerbated by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) forcing debates and votes on eleven doomed motions that dragged out Tuesday's opening session until almost 2 a.m. EST. Senators stifle yawns as impeachment debate drags on for hours. The impeachment trial of President Trump has just kicked off, but Tuesday's [1/21/2020] lengthy arguments over the trial rules had the American public — and many lawmakers — zoning out. Dozens and dozens of seats in the Senate gallery went unfilled as House impeachment managers and lawyers for President Trump sparred over whether or not additional witnesses should be called and new documents unveiled. The back-and-forth debate over whether to subpoena White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, the Department of State and the Office of Management and Budget also wore thin on lawmakers. Senators are restricted from taking electronics into the Senate chamber or talking to each other, but as the hours wore on, many began whispering to one other. Chief Justice Roberts admonishes both sides at Senate impeachment trial, after marathon session erupts into shouting match. A marathon, 12-hour first day in the Senate impeachment trial against President Trump erupted into a shouting match well after midnight Wednesday morning, as Trump's legal team unloaded on Democratic impeachment manager Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. — in an exchange that prompted a bleary-eyed Chief Justice John Roberts to sternly admonish both sides for misconduct in the chamber. Nadler began the historic spat by speaking in support of the eighth amendment of the day, which was proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., just as the clock struck midnight. The proposal would have amended the trial rules offered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to immediately subpoena former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Sekulow Nails It: 'Why Are We Here?'. The Trump impeachment proceeding, which got rolling Tuesday [1/21/2020], failed to come alive until about two hours into the proceedings, when suddenly, one of the President's attorneys, Jay Sekulow, wheeled on the culprit who's really on trial — the Democrats. Speaker Pelosi, Congressman Schiff, and their whole camarilla, they launched this proceeding and levied the charges and they are the only ones who are required to prove anything. This is something to bear in mind as this drama unfolds. No one in America ever has to prove his or her innocence, not even the President (he may not lurk above the law, but neither is he pilloried below it). It is the part of due process that all persons, even our presidents, are presumed innocent until proven guilty. So the burden is on entirely the Democrats, a point that turns out to be central to the President's strategy. Adam Schiff made a fool of himself on Day One of the Senate impeachment trial. It is doubtful that very many people watched hours and hours of the impeachment proceedings in the Senate Tuesday. A little bit went a long way. But this much was abundantly clear: Adam Schiff is maniacally obsessed with removing President Trump from office. We have known for years that he is a pathological liar; he lies even when he surely knows his lies will be exposed in due time. Rep. Schiff promised for at least two years that he had absolute proof that Trump had colluded with Russia. He did not. The Mueller Report put that claim to rest. Schiff made up the phony transcript of the President's phone call to President Zelensky of Ukraine even after the actual transcript had been released. He was so driven that he read his little screenplay in public, in an official hearing! How dumb is that? It is worse than dumb, it is pathological. In Trump impeachment trial, Democrats continue inflammatory accusations with no basis in fact. Desperate Democrats trotted out the same baseless and absurd arguments they've been making for months at the opening of President Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate Tuesday, in their endless campaign to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election. The soporific debate over what procedures to adopt proved a tepid bore (with some exceptions) as Democrats introduced an endless stream of amendments that were destined to go nowhere fast. The first votes made it clear that Republican senators would adopt Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's resolution setting forth the order and parameters of the trial: opening statements first, then written questions from senators, then a later decision on whether witnesses will even be necessary or relevant. Impeachment trial is a political farce — no more witnesses or documents are needed. [Scroll down] The saddest, though, of all is that even if this impeachment trial ends quickly — and it may — in some sense, it may never really stop. Congresswoman Maxine Waters of Los Angeles is pointing the way for her party. If this impeachment fails, she is telling us, we'll just try something else. [...] Impeachment now, impeachment tomorrow, impeachment forever. Before long, impeachment will have its own Cabinet secretary. Hunter Biden, of course, is at the heart of this story. So far, it means unclear whether we will see him here in Washington, whether he'll testify during this trial. Mitch McConnell doesn't seem to want him to. Congressman Adam Schiff, meanwhile, says that asking Hunter Biden about what were clearly corrupt business dealings in Ukraine is not a valid use of the public's time. Sekulow: 'Not The First Time Mr. Schiff Has Put Words Into Transcripts That Did Not Exist'. On the Senate floor on Tuesday Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) and one of Trump's personal attorneys, called out impeachment manager and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) for seemingly not being on the up-and-up in his pursuit of removing Trump from office. Sekulow began his comments on the floor following Schiff's condemnation of Sen. Mitch McConnell's impeachment rules, and basically called Schiff a liar. Schiff, on floor at Senate impeachment trial, quietly fumes at Trump lawyers' allegations. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff stared down President Trump's lawyers on the Senate floor Tuesday as they accused him of lying to the American people and denying Trump due process during the impeachment investigation. Trump lawyers Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow repeatedly ripped into Democrats, especially Schiff, on the first day of arguments in the Senate impeachment trial, as the House Intelligence Committee chairman — who is serving as the top Democratic impeachment manager — sat up straight in his chair and didn't take his eyes off his accusers. The lawyers invoked Schiff's name over and over again, accusing him of hiding documents, conducting an unfair impeachment inquiry and fabricating the text of the July 25 phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine. Jay Sekulow Demolishes Schiff, Pelosi on Executive Privilege: Remember Eric Holder? During his opening remarks in the Senate impeachment trial, President Donald Trump's lawyer Jay Sekulow quoted Democrats' own words against them. He condemned the House Democrats' rush to impeach Trump, adding an article of impeachment for "Obstruction of Congress" rather than litigating a matter of executive privilege in court. He quoted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), each of whom defended Barack Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder when he was held in contempt of Congress in 2012. "Mr. Schiff did say the courts don't really have a role in this. Executive privilege? Why would that matter? It matters because it's based in the Constitution of the United States," Sekulow said. "The president's opponents in their rush to impeach have refused to wait for judicial review." Trump Attorney Pat Cipollone: 'The President Has Done Absolutely Nothing Wrong'. Lead White House counsel Pat A. Cipollone made a fiery opening statement Tuesday [1/21/2020] in the Senate impeachment trial, arguing in favor of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's proposed rules and saying that once the senators hear the initial presentations, they will conclude President Trump has done "absolutely nothing wrong" and that there "is no case" against him. [Video clip] Adam Schiff Tells Senate: Alan Dershowitz Not a 'Reputable Constitutional Law Expert'. House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) tried to dismiss Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz as not a "reputable constitutional law expert." Schiff did not respond directly to the White House argument that "abuse of power" was not an impeachable offense according to the U.S. Constitution. Instead, he targeted Dershowitz, whom he said was responsible for that argument. Senate blocks Democrats' pretrial demand for Trump documents. President Trump's impeachment trial opened with a vote to block a subpoena for White House documents related to Democratic allegations the president abused the power of his office by withholding security aid from Ukraine. The Senate Republican majority defeated a measure 47-53 offered by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanding the White House turn over a trove of documents stemming from Trump's conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Republicans stayed unified in opposition to the move by Schumer, a New York Democrat. 'Like listening to an arsonist talk about fire prevention': Graham slams Schiff during impeachment proceedings. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham slammed Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for lecturing the Senate about "fairness" during the trial over President Trump's impeachment. The trial began on Tuesday afternoon [1/21/2020] with senators haggling over the rules that would govern the process. Schiff, one of the House managers tapped by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to prosecute the case, slammed White House counsel Pat Cipollone after he accused House Democrats of holding unfair impeachment hearings. White House Counsel Nukes Jerry Nadler: 'This Is the United States Senate. You're Not in Charge Here.'. White House Counsel Pat Cipolline blasted House impeachment manager Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) on the floor of the Senate early Wednesday morning during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump for making "false accusations" against the president and the Senate. "The only one who should be embarrassed, Mr. Nadler, is you, for the way you addressed this body. This is the United States Senate. You're not in charge here," Cipollone said. The Democrats Destroyed Their Own Argument for More Impeachment Witnesses and Evidence. Last year, Democrats rushed through the impeachment hearings because they claimed the evidence was overwhelming and impeachment had to be done immediately. Today, they're bellyaching about the need for more witnesses and evidence in order for there to be a fair trial. This is, of course, after the Democrats didn't allow the president any of his own witnesses during the House impeachment inquiry, and chose not to subpoena more witnesses in favor of getting the vote to impeach over with, so, as Nancy Pelosi has said, President Trump would be "impeached for life." As White House counsel Pat Cippollone noted Tuesday, the Democrats destroyed their own argument that more witnesses and evidence are needed to have "a fair trial" Chuck Schumer, Democrats must have Founding Fathers rolling in their graves. Near the end of his inflammatory opening remarks Tuesday, Sen. Chuck Schumer tried his best to scale the rhetorical heights. He declared the moment "deep and solemn" and said, "The eyes of the Founding Fathers are upon us." If they're watching, they're probably rolling over in their graves. Day One of the Trump impeachment trial couldn't possibly be what they had in mind. Yes, it was that bad, as history gave way to histrionics. It is said that Schumer has brought the raw partisan sensibility of the House to the Senate, and that's not a compliment. His gratuitously nasty speech illustrated the point and set the tone for the dispiriting day. Senate passes McConnell's impeachment trial rules after more than 12 hours of debate. The Senate passed Mitch McConnell's impeachment trial rules along party lines early Wednesday morning — ending a 13-hour day of debate on the Senate floor in which all 11 amendments introduced by the Democrats were rejected. The amendments sought subpoenas for key witnesses and documents related to President Trump's decision to allegedly withhold aid to Ukraine in exchange for the country to investigate Hunter Biden's business dealings in the country. All of the amendments except for one were shot down by Republicans in a party-line vote. Senator Susan Collins was the only lawmaker to break with her party during one of the amendment votes. As the debate drew to a close, Chief Justice John Roberts admonished both parties following a heated exchange between House Judiciary Committee chief Jerry Nadler and President Trump's lawyers. Senate Republicans Block Schumer's Attempt to Subpoena White House Witnesses, Docs. After Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) proposed an amendment Tuesday to the rules for President Trump's impeachment trial in order to subpoena witnesses and documents from the White House, it failed in a party-line vote. All 53 Republicans in the GOP-controlled Senate voted against Schumer's amendment, which asked for any records created by former national-security adviser John Bolton, Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and Mulvaney aide Robert Blair regarding the White House's dealings with Ukraine. The current rules proposed by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) mirror those of President Bill Clinton's trial, with a vote to call witnesses occurring only after hearing opening arguments. Hypocrites: Democrats Complain About Impeachment Trial Process. Senate Democrats and the House impeachment managers complained Tuesday about the procedures proposed by the Senate Republican majority for the trial of President Donald Trump — after running an absurdly unfair House process. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) proposed following the model used during the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1999, where opening arguments were followed by a separate procedural vote on witnesses. Impeachment Trial: Adam Schiff Plays Deceptively Edited Video — Again — Misquoting Trump. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), the lead House manager for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, played the same deceptively edited clip Tuesday in the Senate that Democrats used in the House Judiciary Committee last month, misquoting Trump as having claimed, that the Constitution gave him absolute power. Update: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) used the exact same deceptively-edited clip later in her own presentation. Jay Sekulow Demolishes Adam Schiff on Executive Privilege — by Quoting Him. Jay Sekulow, one of the lawyers leading President Donald Trump's defense in the Senate impeachment trial, attacked the arguments Tuesday by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) against executive privilege — by quoting his own words at him. Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee and is the lead manager for the House Democrats' case against the president, argued that the president had attempted to obstruct his and fellow Democrats' impeachment inquiry by instructing senior aides in the executive branch not to comply with congressional subpoenas to appear and testify. Sean Spicer on Senate 'Kill Switch' in Impeachment Trial Rules: 'I Think It's Brilliant'. When the House, which is controlled by Democrats, rammed through the highly partisan impeachment of President Donald Trump, the process was slammed by all sides as unfair and rigged, as it was done largely in secret with hardly any due process rights for the president whose attorneys were barred from many of the proceedings. The Senate, as evidenced by this kill switch's inclusion in the rules, will not allow such partisan gamesmanship and if House Democrat "impeachment managers," such as Intelligence chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) or Judiciary chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) try anything untoward, the whole thing can get shut down quickly. House Democrats are NOT, entitled to a "Fair Trial!" An hour before the trial begins, Adam Schiff, the impeachment manager, demanded that the president and House Democrats be given a fair hearing. The problem is, the House Democrats are not being tried — Donald Trump is. [...] Schiff's and Nadler's hearings are where the Republicans were shouted down and then shut down. That was where a fair trial was denied the president who was denied a legal defense team, White House representation, exculpatory evidence that would put an end to the charges, and equal treatment. Due process was deliberately denied not just for the president, but the American People. Adam Schiff and Jerrold Nadler and House Democrats failed to provide substance and substantiation to the charges. The conclusions reached were inconclusive, unethical, illegal, and unconstitutional. The Articles of Impeachment, in addition to not listing any impeachable crimes, or any crimes listed in the US Constitution, were defective because of process. Jerry Nadler Suggests Having No Impeachment Witnesses Preferable to Hunter Biden Testifying. Democrats are so afraid of Hunter Biden testifying in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump that they would rather have no impeachment witnesses than risk the country hearing his testimony. During an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Nadler said Democrats would not be willing to negotiate on witnesses for the Senate trial. In fact, he suggested that any attempts by the GOP to block or negotiate on witnesses were tantamount to a cover-up. The Secret Sauce of the Democrats' Impeachment Strategy. What is it about this impeachment that is so valuable to Democrats that they feel justified risking a flimsy impeachment strategy today, knowing that it could be used against them tomorrow? Legal scholars and political pundits are justifiably worried about the implications President Trump's impeachment holds for America's future. Not only will tomorrow's presidents be vulnerable to political vendettas, coups to undo election results, and frivolous attacks on policy and ideology by a House mob run amok, but our entire constitutional republic, and the separation of powers and checks and balances on which it is built, are in jeopardy. Cocaine Mitch hands the Democrats a dilemma. [Scroll down] Hear that, Dems? You all can pick whether you want witnesses to testify, any witnesses you like, but if you do, you'll have to let the Republican majority do the same. Even-steven. That's a dilemma. Cocaine Mitch has decided that the best way to stick the shiv into the Democrats is to play fair. Trump's legal team to seek quick acquittal during Senate impeachment trial. The White House on Monday [1/20/2020] released a trial memorandum outlining President Trump's defense strategy a day before his impeachment trial resumes in the Senate. Trump's legal team argues that the president should be swiftly acquitted because the Democrat-led House overstepped its authority and committed a "brazenly political act ... that must be rejected. The Articles of Impeachment now before the Senate are an affront to the Constitution and to our democratic institutions. The Articles themselves — and the rigged process that brought them here — are a brazenly political act by House Democrats that must be rejected," a statement accompanying the document reads. Trump lawyers respond to articles of impeachment: 'Constitutionally invalid'. President Trump's legal team on Saturday issued a full-throttle defense to the articles of impeachment, refuting the substance and process of the charges while accusing House Democrats of engaging in a "dangerous attack" on the right of the American people to freely choose their president. "This is a brazen and unlawful attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election and interfere with the 2020 election — now just months away," the legal filing said. "The highly partisan and reckless obsession with impeaching the president began the day he was inaugurated and continues to this day." "The articles of impeachment are constitutionally invalid on their face," the seven-page filing continued. Trump Defense Team Files First Response to Sham Impeachment. President Trump's Defense Team filed its first official response to the sham impeachment on Saturday afternoon [1/18/2020]. The six page document was filed by the 5 PM deadline on Saturday. The President's team called the sham articles of impeachment with zero criminal accusations a dangerous, brazen and unlawful attack on our election system. The Trump attorneys alleged "a lawless process in the US House that violated due process and fundamental fairness." The Impeachment 'Kill Switch': McConnell Dismissal Rule Corners Democrats, Blocks Antics as Trial Commences. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is as of now including in the U.S. Senate impeachment trial rules a "kill switch" that effectively allows for the president's legal team to seek an immediate verdict or dismissal of the case should Democrats engage in any shenanigans like they did in the House process. The revelation comes after the House finally late last week formally sent the Articles of Impeachment it adopted before Christmas — after holding them for more than a month without transmission — to the U.S. Senate, thereby triggering the start of a Senate trial. The Senate will formally commence its trial procedures in votes this coming week, and while some Republicans want to outright dismiss the charges altogether from the outset, others believe a trial should take place. Why Trump's Impeachment is Effectively Unconstitutional. If you peruse the mainstream media, there are all sorts of reasons being bruited justifying the Democrat demand to call witnesses at President Trump's impeachment trial. Generally speaking, they sound quite reasonable; after all, trials almost always have witnesses. But it is not only that the constitutional process of impeachment and Senate trial is not judicial (as opposed to using judicial process as a model) it's that an impeachment such as we have today was plainly not envisioned by the Constitution's drafters. To start, let's review the pro-witness case, which has two basic elements. [...] Lindsey Graham Blasts Pelosi and House Dems, 'You've Violated Every Norm,' Says If One Witness Comes In, They All Do. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) came loaded for bear to "Fox News Sunday" [1/19/2020] against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Democrats on impeachment. Fox's Chris Wallace asked Graham what his response was to the Democrats suggestion that they wanted to rush the Senate trial. "How do you respond to the Democratic impeachment managers who say this is just a rush to get this over with?" he asked. Graham let loose, reminding Wallace from whence the real rush to judgement was coming and how unfair the Democratic process had been to the president. 
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