Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is struggling to maintain control of President Trump’s impeachment trial following news of former national security adviser John Bolton’s bombshell manuscript. McConnell on Monday deflected growing...

The trial will now enter a question-and-answer phase over the next two days.

Senators are preparing to come off the sidelines of the impeachment trial as the proceeding moves to its next phase. After days of being spotted furiously scribbling notes from their desks on the Senate floor, senators will soon get to start...

Nancy Pelosi was right.The Speaker of the House has not been present in the Senate chambers during the impeachment trial of President Trump, but Pelosi's presence looms large over the proceedings. And one of her most consequential choices in pursuing that impeachment — refusing to submit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate until after the holidays — is bearing fruit: She wanted the Senate trial to include witness testimony, a prospect that seems much more likely now than it did just a few days ago.Why? Thank John Bolton.The New York Times on Sunday reported that Bolton, President Trump's former national security adviser, had written a book in which he says Trump told him he wanted to withhold military assistance to Ukraine until that country's officials there helped with an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden. On Monday, the Times added that Bolton privately told Attorney General William Barr last year he was worried that Trump was granting personal favors to autocratic leaders.Big stuff. So big, in fact, that Republicans who had seemed opposed to introducing witness testimony at the impeachment trial — preferring instead to rely wholly on arguments made by the president's lawyers and House impeachment managers — on Monday were starting to waver."The reports about John Bolton's book strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said in a statement. "It's important to be able to hear from John Bolton for us to be able to make an impartial judgment," added Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah). Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) allowed that Bolton might be a relevant witness.Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was taken aback by the Bolton revelations. He was reportedly angry at being "blindsided" by news of the manuscript, which the White House had been reviewing since late December. McConnell put out a statement saying he "did not have any advance notice" of the Bolton manuscript.In other words, the Bolton revelations have thrown a monkey wrench into the Senate's proceedings. Pelosi has to be pleased with herself.Remember, she held onto the Articles of Impeachment for a very specific reason — using them as leverage to try to pressure McConnell into allowing new witnesses and testimony at the trial. McConnell, of course, conceded almost nothing. The Senate adopted trial rules that allowed for the possibility of witness testimony after the trial's opening statements, but that would require four Republicans joining Democrats to get a majority vote to include those witnesses. Pundits proclaimed that McConnell had beaten Pelosi in their personal power struggle.But maybe she was playing a longer game.The leak of Bolton's manuscript was conveniently timed — coming just as Trump's team was making its defense and the conclusion of the trial loomed near — so it is possible that the last-second revelations would always have become public at the last second, like something out of a movie.Then again, it is also possible that Pelosi's delay bought just enough time for Bolton's manuscript to emerge at the perfect moment. Certainly, Pelosi would have been smart to buy that time no matter what — can you remember a month that has gone by in the last three years without some new Trump scandal hitting the front pages? Last month I predicted that new revelations of this president's wrongdoing will be dripping out, bit by bit, for years to come. If Pelosi delayed the impeachment trial hoping that something — anything — would emerge to hurt Trump's defense, she made a smart bet indeed.None of this means that Trump will be removed from office. But the Bolton manuscript puts new pressure on those Senate Republicans — Collins, Romney, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee — who, rightly or wrongly, prize their reputations for independence and don't want to be seen rubber-stamping the president's acquittal. That, in turn, magnifies the absurdity of the "see no evil, hear no evil" stance adopted by so many of their GOP colleagues. The calculations are slightly different now for those Republicans who would like to escape history's wrath.We haven't yet heard John Bolton's testimony. And it is fair to question whether Bolton, so long a controversial figure in American politics, is a reliable witness. For now, though, it appears that he has vindicated Speaker Pelosi's "go slow" approach to letting the Senate start the impeachment trial. But the trial still isn't finished. Who knows what revelations could still emerge?Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com Mike Pompeo is a disgrace Watch highlights from Day 2 of Trump's impeachment defense: slamming Biden and dodging Bolton GOP senators seemed enthralled with Dershowitz's Trump impeachment defense. Elizabeth Warren found it 'nonsensical.'

The legal and constitutional battles sparked by President Trump’s behavior could affect how the U.S. government works for generations, long after the impeachment trial is over.

"Does Ken Starr know he is Ken Starr?" one person fired back.

(Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.When Prime Minister Boris Johnson decides today what role Chinese tech giant Huawei can play in the U.K.’s fifth-generation telecommunications networks, he’ll likely seek a compromise: partial access and a wall around core parts of the system.That won’t please Donald Trump, Alex Morales and Thomas Seal report. The U.S. president sees Huawei as a national security threat and has tried to prevent the company from buying products using American technology.His administration has threatened to hold back intelligence-sharing with NATO allies if they use Huawei equipment. Germany and France are wrestling with the same dilemma.The U.S. has provided no evidence that Huawei is spying for China, and the U.K.’s GCHQ, a government security organization, has been scrutinizing its software and hardware for the past decade.Even Trump’s own Pentagon and Treasury Department have opposed his plans to tighten controls on sales to Huawei, one of the world’s biggest purchasers of chips, saying the move could backfire on American companies like semi-conductor makers and Google.For now, there’s no practical alternative to Huawei: Its equipment is cheaper and better than what Nokia and Ericsson offer.Johnson’s challenge is to find a balance between appeasing his White House ally — with whom he’s trying to forge a post-Brexit trade deal — without jeopardizing his election pledge to roll out ultra-fast Internet.Expect a fudge.Global HeadlinesUncharted territory | Trump is set to release his long-promised Middle East peace plan today and is hopeful it will win the support of Palestinians and Arab nations. That seems unlikely though, given Palestinian leaders have spurned talks with the U.S. The deal is expected to be favorable to Israel, which may help Trump shore up the backing of evangelical Christians and conservative Jewish contributors for his re-election bid in November.Virus watch | China expanded travel restrictions as governments, companies and international health organizations rushed to contain the SARS-like coronavirus that’s killed more than 100 people. Beijing will stop individual travelers to Hong Kong while closing some border checkpoints and restricting flights and train services from the mainland.The outbreak is threatening to derail fragile stability in the world economy, which had appeared poised to benefit from the phase one U.S.-China trade deal and signs of a tech-sector turnaround.Last say | Trump’s lawyers are set to begin their final day of arguments in his Senate impeachment trial, having only barely noted the bombshell revelation from former National Security Adviser John Bolton that threatens to upset White House plans for a quick end to the proceedings. Still ahead: what promises to be a dramatic debate and a moment of reckoning for a handful of Republican moderates over whether to call Bolton or other witnesses.Not catching fire | U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has tried to set herself apart from her Democratic rivals by rolling out policy proposals for restructuring the entire American economy, from health care to education to the tax system. But that’s not translating into a strong showing in the polls a week before the nation’s first nominating contest in Iowa.Determined to join | In Bosnia-Herzegovina, a Balkan country so dysfunctional that it needed 14 months to form a government after elections, there’s one point of unity among feuding factions: the desire to join the European Union. Zoran Tegeltija, head of the new cabinet, hopes to meet the conditions for the country to officially become an accession candidate by year-end, even as the bloc drags its feet on taking in new members.What to WatchThe U.S. Supreme Court has cleared Trump’s administration to start enforcing its new immigrant wealth test, designed to screen out green card applicants seen as being at risk of becoming dependent on government benefits. Afghan troops clashed with Taliban fighters as they tried to reach the crash site of a U.S. military aircraft downed in eastern Afghanistan yesterday. The militant group claimed it had struck the aircraft, while the U.S. denied the plane was hit by hostile fire. A surge in Islamist militant violence in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger has left as many as 5 million children needing humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations. Facing economic collapse and painful sanctions, President Nicolas Maduro has proposed giving majority shares of Venezuela's oil industry to foreign corporations, a move that would forsake decades of state monopoly.Tell us how we’re doing or what we’re missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally ... President Rodrigo Duterte is cracking down on some of the Philippines’ biggest businesses as he scrutinizes contracts and forces concessions for taxpayers. And he’s doing it in his own special way. “They are all thieves, those sons of b******,” he said last week. The stock market is reeling and valuations have fallen since he stepped up his attacks, but Duterte’s own popularity has soared. \--With assistance from Kathleen Hunter, Michael Winfrey and Muneeza Naqvi.To contact the author of this story: Karl Maier in Rome at kmaier2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

President Trump's lawyers made their case in Monday's Senate impeachment trial, Trevor Noah said on Monday's Daily Show. "And it basically boils down to this: One, this is just a political attack by the Democrats; two, Trump did nothing wrong; and three, there are no first-hand witnesses who spoke to Trump about a quid pro quo." He was impressed with the brazenness of complaining "about having no eyewitnesses when you're the ones blocking the eyewitnesses."But "right in the middle of Team Trump making that argument about witnesses," Noah said, we learned that if willing first-hand witness John Bolton testifies, "he would say that Trump personally told him that he wanted to hold up aid to Ukraine until he got dirt on the Bidens -- which is the whole thing! This is the heart of the entire impeachment thing. So I don't know how Senate Republicans can justify not hearing from Bolton now." Also bad for Trump, Lev Parnas just joined the "insane number of people who are secretly recording him," he added. "At this point, we have enough tapes to produce an album," and they did.Seriously, "how is possible that so many people have secret recordings of the president?" Seth Meyers asked at Late Night. "Trump was so worried about Obama spying on him, he failed to notice that everyone else was. This is why it's so crucial that the Senate vote to allow new evidence to be considered in the impeachment trial, because almost every day new evidence emerges," including Bolton's bombshell."There was an impeachment bombshell that just came out, and it could possibly bring down Trump's presidency," Jimmy Fallon said at The Tonight Show. "Or as it's known in the White House, Monday." He showed a photo of Bolton: "It would be the ultimate irony if Trump gets taken down by the KFC colonel.""These allegations are the most disturbing thing to come from John Bolton's lips since his mustache," James Cordon joked at The Late Late Show. But Bolton's bombshell "just goes to show you that sometimes, political figures will have the moral courage to go against their party, as long as its perfectly timed with the release of a book." The new information "put a ton of pressure on Republican senators to call Bolton and other witnesses to testify," he added. "They're still not going to, but the pressure!" Watch below. More stories from theweek.com John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi It's 2020 and women are exhausted Mike Pompeo is a disgrace

KYIV—When U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives here in Ukraine on Friday, he should feel right at home. Never mind his feud with National Public Radio in Washington, verbally abusing one of its correspondents and asking her, among several expletives, “Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?”—meaning they do not.Mike Pompeo Blows Up at NPR Reporter: ‘Do You Think Americans Care About Ukraine?’He will be welcomed in Kyiv because this country desperately needs American aid in a war with Russian-backed separatists that has gone on for almost six years. And many Ukrainians believe Pompeo’s mission will be to squeeze a new declaration out of President Volodymyr Zelensky to the effect that he never felt any pressure from President Trump’s alleged abuse of power last summer, when aid to Ukraine was withheld while Trump and his associates pushed for an investigation of Joe Biden and his son.The visit comes the same week the Senate Republicans are wrapping up their defense of Trump in his impeachment trial. Such a declaration by Zelensky can be used to bolster Trump’s defense in the court of public opinion.Pompeo also will find a warm reception from a segment of society here that believes reporters asking tough questions should be pressured, even prosecuted, for doing their jobs. (Pompeo’s flap with NPR escalated Monday when he barred another of its correspondents from the press entourage that will travel to Ukraine with him.)All this has come to a head because of the way U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was forced out of her post last year, and the repercussions that followed her unimpeachable testimony before the House of Representatives—which contributed to Trump’s impeachment.Rudy Pal Lev Parnas Releases Audio of Trump Calling for Ukraine Ambassador’s FiringYovanovitch was removed precipitously last spring because she was portrayed by Trump cronies as an obstacle to their push for an investigation of the Ukraine business ties of Hunter Biden and the former vice president, who was seen as Trump’s leading political rival. Trump’s withholding of aid to Ukraine while he and his minions pressed for a public announcement of such an investigation—which was never made—is at the heart of the impeachment case against him for abuse of power.Pompeo, who has bent over backward to defend Trump, has said and done nothing publicly to defend Yovanovitch. And the questions posed by NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly that so infuriated Pompeo last week were, precisely, about that failure to stand up for a distinguished State Department professional.Yovanovitch has been a U.S. Foreign Service officer for more than 30 years. Fluent in Russian, she has dealt mainly with former parts of the Soviet Union, and she left a strong positive impression on Ukraine’s civic activists, particularly those fighting corruption.Last spring, Yovanovitch helped to launch Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court and she was well-known for encouraging many major corruption cases. But while Yovanovitch worked on programs supporting Ukraine’s reforms, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, his Ukrainian associate Lev Parnas, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko and others conspired against her.As she testified at the House impeachment hearings, “after being asked by the department in early March to extend my tour, to stay on an extra year until 2020, in late April I was then abruptly asked to come back to Washington from Ukraine on the next plane.”Just before that, ironically, Yovanovitch had received Ukraine’s leading corruption fighters at her residence in Kyiv to give a posthumous award to the father of Kateryna Handziuk, a critic of the police who died after acid was poured on her.“The ambassador told us something important and inspiring that night,” Daria Kaleniuk, director of Kyiv-based Anti-Corruption Action Center, told The Daily Beast this week. “She said that ‘courage is contagious.’ I totally agree.”Yet even among Ukraine’s bravest civil groups there is no strong voice advocating publicly for Yovanovitch or speaking against Trump’s dubious helpers working in Ukraine. After revelations in documents released by House Democrats this month suggesting Trump partisans may have put Yovanovitch under surveillance, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine announced an investigation of everybody involved.“Any illegal surveillance of a diplomat breaks the law in Ukraine and is punished with criminal liability,” Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs Anton Herashchenko told The Daily Beast at the time. “We have sent a request to the FBI for additional data. I don’t have information about the response.”Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that starting from Jan. 20, there would be an investigation conducted by joint group formed with members of the Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. embassy in Ukraine.But the announcement hung in the air, a week passed by, and there was no sign indicating such a group existed.Independent observers doubt a Ukrainian police investigation, if it happens, will bring any results. “As we see from the released documents, Interior Minister Avakov had provided bodyguards for Rudy Giuliani’s aide, Lev Parnas,” said Kaleniuk. “I would be surprised to see a fair investigation of this gang’s surveillance,” Kaleniuk said. “Both government officials and ordinary people are afraid of criticizing Trump. What if he wins and stays for the next term? Ukraine is not going to survive long without the United States. There is a war in our country.”   Trump’s supporters in Ukraine, meanwhile, are putting pressure on independent journalists investigating Ukraine’s involvement in the U.S. impeachment scandal. Oleksandr Dubinsky, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, accused Slidstvo.Info, a group funded by European grants, the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, and George Soros foundations, of “investigating” U.S. citizens. Dubinsky is a member  of ruling Servant of the People party. He is famous in Kyiv as one of Giuliani’s helpers. At a recent press conference, he showed the request he had received from Slidstvo.Info asking him to provide his email correspondence with high-profile Americans, recordings of his phone conversations, as well as Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram text messages, transcripts of meetings, names of participants, and other documents from the last four years. Among those named: Pompeo, Giuliani, Yovanovitch, Rep. Adam Schiff, and Attorney General William Barr.“So they requested surveillance and access to the information which is protected by law,” Dubinsky declared, implying that the request itself was somehow illicit.Slidstvo.Info co-founder Anna Babinets noted that when journalists request such information they are just doing their job. “We asked him about his correspondence with Giuliani, we have sent similar requests to at least 13 other people for the investigative project about impeachment that we are conducting with the OCCRP, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. If Dubinsky followed our coverage of the impeachment or impeachment hearings, he would have known that such data was often public,” Babinets said. “Dubinsky accuses us of espionage, though we have officially and openly requested information and it was up to Dubinsky to reject our request or cooperate with us,” Babinets said. “Now we are very worried that thanks to Dubinsky, we might be blamed for surveillance on Yovanovitch, which would mean police raids at our office, confiscation of computers, or worse.”  International news analyst Ivan Yakovina told The Daily Beast on Monday that “I believe Pompeo is coming to make President Zelensky swear on camera that there was no pressure on him from Trump, especially now, when there is pressure growing on Trump’s former adviser John Bolton to testify” in the impeachment trial.  Brian Bonner, the editor in chief of the Kyiv Post, agrees that there is no vocal advocate in Ukraine for the Democrats’ arguments in the impeachment case. “There is enough evidence, but Zelensky will never say or do anything to upset Trump, Ukraine will stick to ‘bipartisan support,’” meaning a fear of offending either side. And under the circumstances, as Pompeo certainly knows, that plays to Trump’s advantage.—Christopher Dickey also contributed reporting to this story.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

TV cameras are trained on the speakers at the Senate impeachment trial of Trump. What you don't see: senators munching Cheetos and other snacks.