3:05 p.m.—Trial Over for the Day
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated there will be eight hours of questioning, alternating between Democrats and Trump’s team, on Wednesday and Thursday.3 p.m.—‘Danger, Danger, Danger’
President Donald Trump’s lawyer, in concluding their opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial, said that if the bar for impeachment is set too low, future presidents won’t be able to exercise executive power, while addressing allegations allegedly contained in former national security adviser John Bolton’s book.“Danger, danger, danger,” Jay Sekulow, Trump’s personal attorney, said in front of the Senate. “I want to focus today, on my section, on what you’re being asked to do. You are being asked to remove a duly-elected president of the United States and you’re being asked to do it in an election year,” Sekulow said. “In an election year,” he asserted.
What’s more, the current case against Trump, if successful, would permanently damage the executive branch’s power as future House majorities could dangle impeachment over future presidents’ heads.
“Future presidents—Democrats and Republicans—will be paralyzed the moment they are elected. Before they can even take the oath of office,” he said. “The bar for impeachment cannot be set this low.”
Impeachments cannot be done over policy disagreements or based on unsourced newspaper reports, Sekulow continued.
2 p.m.—Trump Lawyer: Senators Would Rather ‘Be Somewhere Else’
Jay Sekulow, Trump’s personal lawyer, noted that several senators would rather “be somewhere else” than in Washington, listening to impeachment trial proceedings.Sekulow didn’t name the senators but he strongly suggested that Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) would rather be campaigning during the Democratic primary.
“I get it,” he said, adding that his team’s arguments “will be brief” on Tuesday.
All 100 senators have to attend the trial six days per week for hours each day, getting only Sundays off. Sanders, who is leading in key caucus state Iowa, has lamented the fact that he can’t be on the ground and campaign.
1:45 p.m.—John Kelly Says He Believes Bolton
Former White House chief of staff John Kelly said he believes former Trump adviser John Bolton’s reported claims in his unpublished manuscript.The New York Times reported on the book Sunday, claiming Bolton said he was told by Trump about a linkage between military aid and investigations into political rivals. Trump and other White House officials have disputed claims in the NY Times report.
Trump, on Twitter, denied the claim.
1:30 p.m.—Graham Believes There Are 51 Votes to Call Bidens
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Tuesday that if the Senate opens the door to calling new witnesses, Republicans would vote to subpoena Joe and Hunter Biden.It comes as top Democratic senators said that the Bidens shouldn’t be called to testify in exchange for former national security adviser John Bolton’s testimony in the trial.
1 p.m.—Senate Trial Starts
Tuesday’s Senate trial was gaveled in by Chief Justice John Roberts after the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Trump’s legal team will make their defense of the president.12:30 p.m.—Schumer Says GOP Shouldn’t Get Book
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that GOP senators should not be able to obtain a manuscript from former national security adviser John Bolton.12 p.m.—GOP Sens. Want Bolton Book Manuscript
Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the White House should hand over a copy of former national security adviser John Bolton’s upcoming book after The New York Times published alleged excerpts on Sunday night, claiming Bolton wrote that he was told by President Donald Trump about a freeze on aid to Ukraine.“My encouragement would be: if John Bolton’s got something to say, there’s plenty of microphones all over the country; he should step forward and start talking about it right now,” Lankford explained.