White House lawyers Patrick Philbin, Jay Sekulow, and Pat Cipollone wrapped up the president's defense this afternoon on Capitol Hill, arguing that President Donald Trump's actions were not enough to trigger impeachment, even if proven true.
Philbin, who opened up today's session, echoed other defense lawyers who have described the Democrats as trying to read the president's mind to assume malintent. He also accused Democrats of treating a disagreement between the president and officials as an impeachable offense.
The president's legal team has argued that a quid pro quo on foreign aid to investigate a political rival is not impeachable. Philbin and Jay Sekulow, who spoke second, seemed wholly in sync with attorney Alan Dershowitz's argument last night that the articles, as written, are not enough to remove the president.
"To have a removal of a president based on a policy dispute? That's not what the framers intended," Sekulow said. He continued to warn Senators of the "danger, danger, danger" of lowering the bar of impeachment.
He also mentioned Bolton for only the second time, echoing Dershowitz's argument that even if reports that Bolton can link the president to quid pro quo are true, it doesn't prove anything.
Tensions are rising over whether the Senate should hear the testimony of Bolton, who reportedly wrote in a manuscript that Trump directly tied the holdup of nearly $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine to investigations into the Bidens.
GOP Senators are expected to meet after today's conclusion, as reports of more Republican defections in favor of witness testimony circulate.
When Sekulow took a swipe at Democrats, implying some of them would rather be out campaigning just days before the Iowa caucus, Senator and 2020 presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota merely looked annoyed.
In a moment of levity, Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who says he would like to hear from ex-National Security Advisor John Bolton, brought a bottle of chocolate milk into today's session (as milk and water are the only drinks allowed in Senate during the impeachment trial). Romney appeared to be chided by an aide, left, and then came back in with the chocolate milk poured into a glass.
Republican lawyers wrapped up their final day of defense in the early afternoon, leaving senators with a long afternoon off before the trial resumes Wednesday with 16 hours of contentious questioning expected, including the key debate on witness testimony. Senators Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Elizbeth Warren of Massachusetts left the building quickly and reportedly plan to campaign this afternoon.
Members of Congress have voted to advance a bill meant to address antitrust concerns related to tech giants including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. The 'American Innovation and Choice Online Act' is largely seen as one of the best chances for the government to reign in Big Tech's dominance
Seth Schachner, Managing Director StratAmericas; Digital Business Executive joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
American semiconductor company, Intel officially announcing plans to build a new $20 billion chip manufacturing complex outside Columbus, Ohio. This comes as the global chip shortage continues to hamper production of everything from smart phones, to cars. Jennifer Smith - Logistics and Supply Chain Reporter, WSJ joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The U.S. has put more than 8,000 American troops on high alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe as the West prepares for a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. With Russia building up more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, concerns over the country's behavior are mounting. Joel Rubin, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and President of the Washington Strategy Group, joined Cheddar to discuss what this means for U.S.-Russia relations, and where the conflict might be heading next.
As the midterm election looms, things aren't looking too promising for President Joe Biden. One year into his term as president, Biden is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president, threatening his party's control of the House in 2022. Brian Bennett, Senior White House Correspondent for TIME, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
A full one year into his term as President of The United States, President Biden addressed the nation on Wednesday, facing questions on everything from inflation to chip shortages and covid-19. As Biden enters his second year in office, he is facing one of the lowest approval ratings of any modern-day president. Kate Davidson, Reporter, POLITICO joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
"Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power" is the story of how the longtime House Democrat became, as she Is known to some, as "the Conscience of Congress." The film also
shows Representative Lee from her days working to fight community poverty to famously becoming the only member of Congress to vote "no" against the war in Afghanistan days after 9/11. The film is nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and Premieres on Starz on February 1. Film director Abby Ginzberg and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif. 13th District), joined Cheddar to discuss more.
San Diego has just implemented a new law that could set the stage for how the country deals with food waste. This new law hopes to make a dent in that. Businesses and groceries stores out in San Diego will need to put a plan in place to *donate edible food rather than toss it straight to the trash. Food Rescue Manager at Feeding San Diego, Kate Garret
Earlier this month, New York City experienced one of the deadliest fires it has seen in decades. 17 people lost their lives in the Fordham section of the Bronx. This was due to a faulty space heater which reportedly began on the lower floor of the 120 unit building. Thanks to the F. D. N. Y. And heroic neighbors, many were able to get out in time. Unfortunately, the toxic smoke surged upwards through a safety door. Now, many advocates say negligence by policymakers and landlords has led to the deaths in black and brown communities from fires that honestly could have been preventable. Legislative Director of Citizen Action of New York, Rebecca Garrard, and the Chair of Journalism and New Media Studies at St. Joseph's College Theodore Hamm, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Supreme Court has declined to order the Texas Abortion case back to the original trial judge for further proceedings. Essentially if Texas abortion providers were able to get their case back to the lower court., It would have greatly helped the group move against the law. However, this decision is likely to prolong the case legal battle. Professor and Author of "The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having — Or Being Denied — An Abortion", Diane Foster, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The Supreme Court rejected yet another bid by abortion providers to block Texas's law - which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. This is the fourth time that advocates have tried and failed to block the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. Leah Litman, assistant professor of law at The University of Michigan and co-host of the "Strict Scrutiny" podcast, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
