WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic House prosecutors launched their final arguments Friday at Donald Trump's impeachment trial arguing the president will persist in abusing the power of his office ahead of the 2020 election unless Congress intervenes to remove him from office. "He is who he is," Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told senators, accusing Trump of putting the U.S-Ukraine relationship on the line in a way that benefited Russia just
"The scheme was unraveling," said Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army ranger, as the prosecution wrapped up its presentation on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, before turning to the charge of obstruction of Congress.
On their second day of arguments in President Trump's Senate trial, House managers focused on their first article of impeachment, abuse of power. They accused Trump of "extorting" Ukraine's government by withholding $400 million in critical military aid and a White House meeting until Ukraine delivered an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Nick Schifrin reports.
House impeachment managers are now in their second day of prosecuting the case to remove President Trump from office. On Thursday, they laid out why they believe Trump abused his presidential power. Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss the Democrats' presentation, how senators in the chamber appeared to be receiving it and what we're hearing from Trump himself.
Schumer said Schiff has been outlining a compelling case about Trump's pressure on Ukraine and the scheme to cover up the charges and many Republicans are hearing it for only the first time.
Former Congressman Bob Barr, a Georgia Republican, was a House manager during the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss how the roles of the impeachment managers during the Clinton trial were different from today, what he thinks about the current managers' performance so far and why he believes the articles of impeachment are "fatally flawed."
On Wednesday, House impeachment managers began making their case for the removal of President Trump. Georgetown University's Victoria Nourse, John Hart of Mars Hill Strategies, former Democratic Secretary of the Senate Martin Paone of Prime Policy Group and former Republican Secretary of the Senate Elizabeth Chryst of Congressional Global Strategies join Judy Woodruff to discuss the arguments.
Sen. Lindsey Graham criticized the House managers and Senate Democrats ahead of their opening arguments in the impeachment trial on Wednesday. Graham said that during the Mueller investigation, he worked with his Democratic colleagues to make sure President Donald Trump cooperated with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. "Now, the same people that patted me on the back are asking me to railroad the guy, to legitimize the process in the House that will destroy the presidency