theguardian--2020-01-25--Passion, drama but little suspense as Democrats rest impeachment case

After nearly 24 hours , divided across three long days , the prosecution rested their case in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump .
There was passion , drama and even a display of “ histrionics ” , but little suspense .
Mitch McConnell , the Senate majority leader , had revealed the ending weeks ago .
Aquittal was inevitable .
The measure of success for the seven impeachment managers appointed by Nancy Pelosi to prosecute the House ’ s case against the president was therefore not whether Trump was removed from office , but whether they had managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testimony before a verdict is rendered , perhaps as early as next week .
“ Soon members of this body will face the most momentous of decisions , not as I said at the outset of guilt or innocence , but a far more foundational issue , ” the congressman Adam Schiff , an eloquent former federal prosecutor and lead impeachment manager , said in an impassioned closing statement .
“ Should there be a fair trial ?
” Of the 100 senators , who sit as judge and jury in the trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to how they will vote on the question of whether Trump should be convicted for “ high crimes and misdemeanors ” .
The American public remains deeply divided over whether the president should be removed from office .
But on the matter of witnesses , there is the edge of unpredictability .
A majority of Americans support the effort and perhaps just enough – four – Republicans are open to it .
In Schiff ’ s soaring – and lengthy – finish , he seemed to speak directly to these senators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pleading with them to pursue “ moral courage ” .
He acknowledged the political stakes for senators whose “ heartfelt views of right or wrong are in conflict with the popular opinion of our constituents ” .
“ Those are the times that try our souls , ” he said .
But then he continued , exaggerating his point .
He referenced a CBS story , that quoted a Trump confidant who warned Republican senators that “ a vote against the president and your head will be on a pike ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican side of the chamber .
Senator Susan Collins , a Republican from Maine who has said she is supportive of calling additional witnesses , shook her head , visibly upset .
“ That ’ s not true , ” she said , so outraged that she violated the rule that senators remain silent “ on pain of imprisonment ” during the trial .
“ He was doing fine with ‘ moral courage ’ until he got to head on a pike , ” Senator Lisa Murkowski , an independent Republican voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she left the Capitol .
“ That ’ s where he lost me.
” Without their support , Democrats have little chance of cobbling together a coalition to subpoena witnesses and documents in the trial .
But the hour was late and the senators left exhausted .
It had been more than nine hours since the Senate chaplain , Barry Black , convened the session with a prayer that the senators maintiain the “ wisdom to distinguish between facts and opinions without lambasting the messenger.
” For three days , the impeachment managers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few generous Republicans – hailed as a tour-de-force .
The team methodically presented their case , laying out in great detail what the managers described as a “ corrupt scheme ” to pressure Ukraine to open an investigation into his political rivals .
“ President Trump tried to cheat , he got caught and then he worked hard to cover it up , ” congressman Hakeem Jeffries , one of the impeachment managers , said , summarizing the charges for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that Trump ’ s conduct “ puts even president Nixon to shame ” .
Trump , he said , seeks to be “ all powerful.
” In his final plea , Schiff warned that the president remains an “ imminent threat ” and will continue to abuse his power unless Congress acts to remove him from office .
“ He is who he is , ” Schiff exhorted .
“ You can not leave a man like that in office.
” Republicans , for the most part , were not persuaded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to signal – silently from the chamber and loudly during the brief recesses – that they were bored .
“ We saw that protester yell something bad about Chuck Schumer , ” Senator Rick Scott , a Republican from Florida , told Fox News .
“ I ’ m thinking about possibly doing the same thing so the sergeant-at-arms will take me out also .
This is ridiculous .
We ’ ve heard the same thing three days in a row.
” Members darted into the antechamber despite rules requiring them to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played with fidget spinners – toys for children who have difficulty focusing .
And Senator Pat Toomey , a Republican of Pennsylvania , doled out candy , stashed in a not-so-secret drawer in his desk .
On Friday , he announced that Hershey ’ s , his homestate chocolate manufacturer , had sent reinforcements after stock ran low .
The charge of monotony is exasperating for the House managers , who have argued at great length that there is additional , relevant information just beyond their grasp that the Senate could summon with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their struggle , taunting the Senate minority leader , Chuck Schumer .
Before the proceedings began on Friday , he appendaged his commentary to a tweet by conservative Wall Street Journalist columnist : “ Schumer had one job this week : to convince a handful of Rs to join his call for more testimony .
He ’ s done the opposite.
” Democrats won ’ t know whether there is enough support until next week – after the president ’ s team delivers its defense , which begins tomorrow .
They will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-day period to make their case before the senators have an opportunity to ask questions .
At that point Schumer has vowed to compel votes on witnesses .
And even if they can assemble enough votes to call witnesses , Republicans intend to make it as painful as possible for Democrats and those in their party who defected .
They ’ ve suggested something of a “ witness swap ” – John Bolton , the president ’ s former national security adviser who has said he would comply with a subpoena to testify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-president over his son Hunter ’ s involvement with Burisma , a Ukrainian energy company that had been under investigation .
On Thursday the managers took a calculated risk by rebutting Tump ’ s baseless assertion Joe Biden sought to remove the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma , a move the president ’ s allies said “ opened the door ” to calling Biden as a witness .
Democrats are largely opposed to the idea , which they see as a distraction .
“ The American people do not agree on much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deprived of the truth.
” Schiff said in closing .
“ I ask you , I implore you .
Give America a fair trial .
Give America a fair trial .
She ’ s worth it .
”

After nearly 24 hours, divided across three long days, the prosecution rested their case in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. There was passion, drama and even a display of “histrionics”, but little suspense.
Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, had revealed the ending weeks ago. Aquittal was inevitable.
The measure of success for the seven impeachment managers appointed by Nancy Pelosi to prosecute the House’s case against the president was therefore not whether Trump was removed from office, but whether they had managed to persuade the Republican-controlled Senate to allow new testimony before a verdict is rendered, perhaps as early as next week.
“Soon members of this body will face the most momentous of decisions, not as I said at the outset of guilt or innocence, but a far more foundational issue,” the congressman Adam Schiff, an eloquent former federal prosecutor and lead impeachment manager, said in an impassioned closing statement. “Should there be a fair trial?”
Of the 100 senators, who sit as judge and jury in the trial, most have already tipped their hand as to how they will vote on the question of whether Trump should be convicted for “high crimes and misdemeanors”. The American public remains deeply divided over whether the president should be removed from office. But on the matter of witnesses, there is the edge of unpredictability. A majority of Americans support the effort and perhaps just enough – four – Republicans are open to it.
In Schiff’s soaring – and lengthy – finish, he seemed to speak directly to these senators, appealing to their sense of American ideals and pleading with them to pursue “moral courage”. He acknowledged the political stakes for senators whose “heartfelt views of right or wrong are in conflict with the popular opinion of our constituents”.
“Those are the times that try our souls,” he said. But then he continued, exaggerating his point. He referenced a CBS story, that quoted a Trump confidant who warned Republican senators that “a vote against the president and your head will be on a pike”.
The mood changed sharply.
Groans of displeasure and disbelief rumbled from the Republican side of the chamber. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine who has said she is supportive of calling additional witnesses, shook her head, visibly upset.
“That’s not true,” she said, so outraged that she violated the rule that senators remain silent “on pain of imprisonment” during the trial.
Capitol police secure the area around the Senate chamber on the fourth day of the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Photograph: Erin Scott/Reuters
“He was doing fine with ‘moral courage’ until he got to head on a pike,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, an independent Republican voice in the Senate, told reporters as she left the Capitol. “That’s where he lost me.”
Without their support, Democrats have little chance of cobbling together a coalition to subpoena witnesses and documents in the trial.
But the hour was late and the senators left exhausted. It had been more than nine hours since the Senate chaplain, Barry Black, convened the session with a prayer that the senators maintiain the “wisdom to distinguish between facts and opinions without lambasting the messenger.”
For three days, the impeachment managers delivered what many Democrats – and a few generous Republicans – hailed as a tour-de-force. The team described in elaborate detail a “corrupt scheme” to pressure Ukraine to open an investigation into his political rivals. They used the president’s words against him, in video clips that played from screens installed on the Senate floor. He sought to enrich his political fortunes at the expense of the national interest, and he was bound to do it again, they said.
“President Trump tried to cheat, he got caught and then he worked hard to cover it up,” congressman Hakeem Jeffries, one of the impeachment managers, said, summarizing the charges for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, another member of the team, said that Trump’s conduct “puts even president Nixon to shame”. Trump, he said, seeks to be “all powerful.”
“He is a dictator,” Nadler declared.
In his final plea, Schiff warned that the president remains an “imminent threat” and will continue to abuse his power unless Congress acts to remove him from office.
“He is who he is,” Schiff exhorted. “You cannot leave a man like that in office.”
Yet few Republicans were persuaded – or even listening. Instead hey did their best to signal – silently from the chamber and loudly during the brief recesses – that they were bored.
“We saw that protester yell something bad about Chuck Schumer,” Senator Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, told Fox News. “I’m thinking about possibly doing the same thing so the sergeant-at-arms will take me out also. This is ridiculous. We’ve heard the same thing three days in a row.”
Members darted into the antechamber despite rules requiring them to remain in their seats. Some Republicans openly played with fidget spinners – toys for children who have difficulty focusing. And Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican of Pennsylvania, doled out candy, stashed in a not-so-secret drawer in his desk. On Friday, he announced that Hershey’s, his homestate chocolate manufacturer, had sent reinforcements after stock ran low.
The charge of monotony is exasperating for the House managers, who have argued at great length that there is additional, relevant information just beyond their grasp that the Senate could summon with a simple majority vote.
The American people do not agree on much, but they will not forgive being deprived of the truth Adam Schiff
Trump delighted in their struggle, taunting the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer.
Before the proceedings began on Friday, he appendaged his commentary to a tweet by conservative Wall Street Journalist columnist: “Schumer had one job this week: to convince a handful of Rs to join his call for more testimony. He’s done the opposite.”
Democrats won’t know whether there is enough support until next week – after the president’s team delivers its defense, which begins tomorrow. They will have the same 24 hours in a three-day period to make their case before the senators have an opportunity to ask questions.
At that point Schumer has vowed to compel votes on witnesses. And even if they can assemble enough votes to call witnesses, Republicans intend to make it as painful as possible for Democrats and those in their party who defected. They’ve suggested something of a “witness swap” – John Bolton, the president’s former national security adviser who has said he would comply with a subpoena to testify, for Joe Biden, the former vice-president over his son Hunter’s involvement with Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that had been under investigation.
On Thursday the managers took a calculated risk by rebutting Tump’s baseless assertion Joe Biden sought to remove the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma, a move the president’s allies said “opened the door” to calling Biden as a witness. Democrats are largely opposed to the idea, which they see as a distraction.
Yet if one gratuitous remark in an otherwise sterling speech is enough to topple the crusade for new evidence, then it was unlikely there was ever a chance it could be won in the first place.
But Schiff continued, undeterred.
“The American people do not agree on much, but they will not forgive being deprived of the truth.” Schiff said in closing. “I ask you, I implore you. Give America a fair trial. Give America a fair trial. She’s worth it.”


theguardian--2020-01-25--Democrats say impeachment case 'has been proved' as they make final pitch – as it happened

ABC News has posted audio from the recording in which Donald Trump purportedly talks about firing then-US ambassador to Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ she was recalled from Kyiv .
“ Get rid of her !
” said a @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s voice .
“ Get her out tomorrow .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ tomorrow .
Take her out .
OK ?
Do it.
” Yovanovitch was recalled from @ @ @ @ @ “ unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives ” .

Vivian Ho in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (previously)

25 Jan 2020 03.43 GMT With the eyes on Washington on the impeachment trial, Tulsi Gabbard goes on Fox. Tulsi Gabbard just appeared on Laura Ingraham’s show on Fox News. Chyron read, “Gabbard: Voters don’t care about impeachment.” — Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) January 25, 2020
25 Jan 2020 03.11 GMT ABC News has posted audio from the recording in which Donald Trump purportedly talks about firing then-US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch a year before she was recalled from Kyiv. “Get rid of her!” said a voice that appears to be Trump’s voice. “Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.” Yovanovitch was recalled from Kyiv over what she called “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives”.
25 Jan 2020 02.30 GMT In non-impeachment news, if you were wondering what Marianne Williamson was up to these days since dropping out of the presidential race, well, here she is with Andrew Yang: Marianne Williamson at a @AndrewYang event in Fairfield, Iowa tonight. Not officially endorsing in for president, but in her words helping him continue to “be a voice” past Iowa. https://t.co/ZbUb3Z91L0 — James Pindell (@JamesPindell) January 25, 2020
25 Jan 2020 02.20 GMT Here’s some more reaction to Schiff’s allusion to the alleged “head on a pike” comment: When Chairman Schiff mentioned the CBS report (Republican senators told their heads ‘will be on a pike’ if they vote against Trump) Collins said “that’s not true” fairly loudly multiple times and shook her head vigorously — Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotnbc) January 25, 2020 Murkowski is PISSED
“He was going fine with moral courage until he got to head on a pike. That’s where he lost me” — Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 25, 2020 Just leaving the chamber, it seemed like Adam Schiff commanded the room, and had senators on both sides of the aisle considering his words... until he read a quote from a CBS. Republicans really reacted negatively to that comment. — Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) January 25, 2020 Republicans are INCENSED about Adam Schiff’s comment about the CBS report that senators had been warned they’d have their “head on a pike” if they convict.
“He lost me there,” Lisa Murkowski said.
John Barrasso blasted Schiff for “spread falsehoods ... on the Senate floor.” — Griffin Connolly (@GriffinConnolly) January 25, 2020 “That’s not true,” Susan Collins said several times on the floor, shaking her head when Schiff cited a news report saying WH warned senators that a vote against Trump means “your head will be on a pike.” Risch also said aloud: “That’s not true.” Cotton laughed when Schiff said it — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 25, 2020
Updated at 02.20 GMT
25 Jan 2020 02.15 GMT CBS News reported last night that Republican senators were very threateningly warned: “Vote against the president, and your head will be on a pike.” Wow.
WATCH/LISTEN:
"One Trump confidant tells CBS news that GOP Senators have been warned: "Vote against the president, and your head will be on a pike." via @CBSEveningNews pic.twitter.com/PRfv5oLuSt — Justin Goodman (@JustinPGoodman) January 24, 2020 Impeachment manager Adam Schiff alluded to this in his closing remarks.
“I don’t know if that’s true, but when I read that I was struck by the irony,” he said. “I hope it’s not true. But I was struck by the irony of the idea that when we’re talking about a president who would make himself a monarch, that whoever it was that said that would use a penalty that was posed by a monarch.” Outside Senate chambers, the Republican Senator James Lankford told reporters that the president never told Republican senators that their heads would be on a pike if they voted against him (note: CBS News never outright states if the warning came from the president himself). “None of us have been told that by the president,” Lankford said. “I was visibly upset by it, the whole room was visibly upset by it.” The Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown thought the reaction from the Republican senators spoke of something else. “The fact when Adam Schiff said that about the head on a pike, that was the only time I heard a loud audible reaction from the Republican side,” Brown told reporters. “Methinks thou doth protest too much.” “They’re afraid to do the right thing here,” Brown said.
Updated at 02.24 GMT


theguardian--2020-01-25--'Give America a fair trial': key takeaways from Democrats' final arguments

The fourth full day of Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial in the US Senate has concluded .
Here are five key takeaways : The prosecution rests… for now Democrats completed the presentation of the case against Trump on Friday evening , after taking almost all of their allotted 24 hours .
The lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff ended his presentation with an appeal to senators to show the “ moral courage ” to invite witnesses to testify .
“ Give America a fair trial , ” Schiff concluded after three marathon days of argument .
“ She ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense in a conference call with reporters on Friday , a source working on the president ’ s legal team said they would roll out a “ straightforward ” defense on Saturday morning : “ the president didn ’ t do anything wrong.
” The Senate was scheduled to convene at 10am Saturday , with Trump ’ s legal team expected to give an approximately three-hour “ overview ” of their defense .
Defense arguments were to continue on Monday and possibly Tuesday .
A familiar roster of Republicans spoke to reporters during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic case along various familiar lines : they had seen no new evidence , the Democrats were repeating themselves , the conduct in question is not impeachable .
Notably absent from the TV hits , however , were members of a small group of Republican senators who have said they would be open to calling for witnesses at the trial .
Their silence left the basic disposition of the trial – and the question of whether it might end next week , or go on much longer – up in the air .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time Friday anticipating Republican arguments and delivering pre-emptive rebuttals .
Schiff skippingly previewed more than a dozen lines of defense mooted by Trump ’ s team and the president himself – from “ read the transcript ” to “ [ Joe ] Biden is corrupt ” to “ Obama did it ” – and deftly eviscerated each one .
Schiff drew laughter from the Senate when he described how Trump ’ s legal team would brandish in the president ’ s defense his statement that he wanted “ nothing ” from Ukraine – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That line of argument , Schiff japed , would be based on “ the well known principle of criminal defense ” that when someone denies a crime they didn ’ t do it .
On Friday evening – apropos of nothing ?
– the official White House account tweeted a monotone statement delivered by Trump in July 2018 after he returned from a disastrous outing to Helsinki in which he stood next to Russian president Vladimir Putin and credited Putin ’ s assurances that Russia did not hack the 2016 US election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the tone of Trump ’ s defense will be but the archival statement seemed like an early salvo :

The fourth full day of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the US Senate has concluded. Here are five key takeaways:
The prosecution rests… for now
Democrats completed the presentation of the case against Trump on Friday evening, after taking almost all of their allotted 24 hours. The lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff ended his presentation with an appeal to senators to show the “moral courage” to invite witnesses to testify.
“Give America a fair trial,” Schiff concluded after three marathon days of argument. “She’s worth it.”
Defense preview: ‘the president didn’t do anything wrong’
Previewing Trump’s defense in a conference call with reporters on Friday, a source working on the president’s legal team said they would roll out a “straightforward” defense on Saturday morning: “the president didn’t do anything wrong.”
The Senate was scheduled to convene at 10am Saturday, with Trump’s legal team expected to give an approximately three-hour “overview” of their defense. Defense arguments were to continue on Monday and possibly Tuesday.
The silent Republicans
A familiar roster of Republicans spoke to reporters during breaks in the trial to dismiss the Democratic case along various familiar lines: they had seen no new evidence, the Democrats were repeating themselves, the conduct in question is not impeachable.
Notably absent from the TV hits, however, were members of a small group of Republican senators who have said they would be open to calling for witnesses at the trial. Their silence left the basic disposition of the trial – and the question of whether it might end next week, or go on much longer – up in the air.
Democrats preempt Trump defense
The House managers spent much of their time Friday anticipating Republican arguments and delivering pre-emptive rebuttals.
Schiff skippingly previewed more than a dozen lines of defense mooted by Trump’s team and the president himself – from “read the transcript” to “[Joe] Biden is corrupt” to “Obama did it” – and deftly eviscerated each one.
Schiff drew laughter from the Senate when he described how Trump’s legal team would brandish in the president’s defense his statement that he wanted “nothing” from Ukraine – “no quid pro quo”. That line of argument, Schiff japed, would be based on “the well known principle of criminal defense” that when someone denies a crime they didn’t do it.
.@RepAdamSchiff: "I discovered something very significant by 'mocking the president.' That is, for a man who loves to mock others, he does not like to be mocked. Turns out, he's got a pretty thin skin. Who would have thought?"
Watch -- https://t.co/jMlsQHAmwE pic.twitter.com/NKNtk8VT7G — CSPAN (@cspan) January 25, 2020
Good prebuttal — Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) January 25, 2020
Concern in the White House?
On Friday evening – apropos of nothing? – the official White House account tweeted a monotone statement delivered by Trump in July 2018 after he returned from a disastrous outing to Helsinki in which he stood next to Russian president Vladimir Putin and credited Putin’s assurances that Russia did not hack the 2016 US election.
It’s too early to know what the tone of Trump’s defense will be but the archival statement seemed like an early salvo:


theguardian--2020-01-25--NPR host says Pompeo had a meltdown when she asked him about Ukraine

Mike Pompeo is said to have unleashed a foul-mouth tirade at a well known US radio host after she asked him questions about Ukraine in an interview .
Mary Louise Kelly , a respected broadcaster on National Public Radio ( NPR ) , sat down for a pre-arranged interview with the secretary of state on Friday , whose wrath was apparently triggered by a string of questions about Marie Yovanovitch , the former US ambassador to Ukraine .
Kelly asked Pompeo whether he owed Yovanovitch an apology for not defending her in the face of a smear campaign orchestrated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his associates .
Kelly said an aide to Pompeo then abruptly ended the interview , before Pompeo summoned her to his private living room at the state department and began berating her , asking her : “ do you think Americans care about Ukraine ?
” “ He used the F-word in that sentence and many others , ” Kelly said , describing a rant in the room where the notoriously thin-skinned former Republican congressman had called her .
Pompeo “ shouted at me for about the same amount of time as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was not happy to have been questioned about Ukraine.
” Pompeo is due to travel to Ukraine next week .
In what appeared to be a bizarre attempt to browbeat her , he asked the host of the NPR programme All Things Considered if she could find Ukraine on a map , and when she said she could ( she was a foreign correspondent and has covered intelligence and national security ) he called for aides to bring a map of the world with no country or place names on it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the map away and said : “ People will hear about this ” .
That is what happened .
Kelly went on NPR after her interview aired , and gave her account of the encounter .
Yovanovitch was removed in May as the Trump camp was trying to put pressure on the Ukraine government to produce compromising material on Joe Biden and his son – the issue at the heart of the impeachment trial underway in the Senate .
Kelly ’ s questions were particularly topical as a new recording surfaced on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yovanovitch and a voice that appears to the president ’ s can be heard saying : “ Take her out ” .
Pompeo told Kelly he had agreed to the interview to talk about Iran .
But Kelly pointed out that she had confirmed with his staff that she would ask about both Iran and Ukraine .
“ I just don ’ t have anything else to say about that this morning , ” Pompeo said .
According to Kelly , he leaned towards her and glared as the interview was wound up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are to conservative or evangelical Christian media or outlets from his home state of Kansas , where the tone of questioning tends towards the reverential and supportive .
He has a history of attacking his interviewer when faced with challenging questions , often dismissing those questions as absurd .
In June 2018 , when asked whether the statement about denuclearisation signed by Trump and Kim Jong-un at a summit in Singapore would be verified by weapons inspectors , Pompeo became angry telling a reporter : “ I find that question insulting and ridiculous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of further questioning he said : “ It ’ s not productive to do that , to say silly things .
It ’ s just – it ’ s unhelpful.
” It soon became apparent that the North Korean leader had not made the disarmament pledges Trump and Pompeo had claimed .

Mike Pompeo is said to have unleashed a foul-mouth tirade at a well known US radio host after she asked him questions about Ukraine in an interview.
Mary Louise Kelly, a respected broadcaster on National Public Radio (NPR), sat down for a pre-arranged interview with the secretary of state on Friday, whose wrath was apparently triggered by a string of questions about Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine. Kelly asked Pompeo whether he owed Yovanovitch an apology for not defending her in the face of a smear campaign orchestrated by Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his associates.
Kelly said an aide to Pompeo then abruptly ended the interview, before Pompeo summoned her to his private living room at the state department and began berating her, asking her :“do you think Americans care about Ukraine?”
“He used the F-word in that sentence and many others,” Kelly said, describing a rant in the room where the notoriously thin-skinned former Republican congressman had called her.
Pompeo “shouted at me for about the same amount of time as the interview” Kelly recalled. “He was not happy to have been questioned about Ukraine.” Pompeo is due to travel to Ukraine next week.
In what appeared to be a bizarre attempt to browbeat her, he asked the host of the NPR programme All Things Considered if she could find Ukraine on a map, and when she said she could (she was a foreign correspondent and has covered intelligence and national security) he called for aides to bring a map of the world with no country or place names on it.
Kelly pointed to Ukraine, Pompeo put the map away and said: “People will hear about this”.
That is what happened. Kelly went on NPR after her interview aired, and gave her account of the encounter.
Yovanovitch was removed in May as the Trump camp was trying to put pressure on the Ukraine government to produce compromising material on Joe Biden and his son – the issue at the heart of the impeachment trial underway in the Senate.
Kelly’s questions were particularly topical as a new recording surfaced on Friday in which Giuliani’s associates denigrated Yovanovitch and a voice that appears to the president’s can be heard saying: “Take her out”.
Pompeo told Kelly he had agreed to the interview to talk about Iran. But Kelly pointed out that she had confirmed with his staff that she would ask about both Iran and Ukraine.
“I just don’t have anything else to say about that this morning,” Pompeo said. According to Kelly, he leaned towards her and glared as the interview was wound up.
Most of the interviews Pompeo gives are to conservative or evangelical Christian media or outlets from his home state of Kansas, where the tone of questioning tends towards the reverential and supportive. He has a history of attacking his interviewer when faced with challenging questions, often dismissing those questions as absurd.
In June 2018, when asked whether the statement about denuclearisation signed by Trump and Kim Jong-un at a summit in Singapore would be verified by weapons inspectors, Pompeo became angry telling a reporter: “I find that question insulting and ridiculous and, frankly, ludicrous.”
In the face of further questioning he said: “It’s not productive to do that, to say silly things. It’s just – it’s unhelpful.”
It soon became apparent that the North Korean leader had not made the disarmament pledges Trump and Pompeo had claimed.


theguardian--2020-01-25--'Get rid of her': Trump reportedly called for removal of Ukraine ambassador

Donald Trump told associates to “ get rid ” of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , a year before she was recalled from Kyiv over what she called “ unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives ” , according to a recording released by ABC News .
The recording , details of which were reported by ABC News on Friday and a clip of which was later released , appears to have been made at a small 2018 gathering that included Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , two former associates of Trump ’ s personal lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been indicted on campaign-finance charges and implicated in the Ukraine controversy , which lays at the heart of the ongoing impeachment trial against Trump .
“ Get rid of her !
” Trump is heard saying , in response to Parnas ’ suggestion that they get rid of the Ukraine ambassador .
“ Get her out tomorrow .
I don ’ t care .
Get her out tomorrow .
Take her out .
OK ?
Do it.
” A lawyer for Parnas told PBS the report of the recording was accurate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has repeatedly denied knowing Parnas , a Soviet-born American , who appears to speak to Trump directly in the recording , ABC News reported .
Federal prosecutors in New York ’ s southern district , which indicted Parnas and Fruman on the campaign finance related charges , have a copy of the recording , according to ABC .
News of the recording came as Democrats prepared to lay out the details of the second of two impeachment charges against Trump – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – on Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their arguments against the president , before Trump ’ s team will begin presenting its defense on Saturday .
Over the past week , Democrats have presented the case against Trump in the Senate trial .
Evidence gathered by the impeachment inquiry shows Giuliani and his associates , including Parnas and Fruman , were part of an effort to press the Ukrainian president to investigate Trump ’ s political rival Joe Biden , and Biden ’ s son , on baseless corruption charges as well as a discredited theory that Ukraine , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
Nearly $ 400m in US military aid to Ukraine was temporarily frozen during the same period .
Yovanovitch was abruptly recalled from her post in May after coming under attack from Giuliani , as he attempted to persuade Ukrainian officials to carry out the investigation .
The recording is not part of the evidence being presented at the impeachment trial .
Negotiations are expected to resume next week on whether new documents could be examined and new witnesses called .
During the third full day of the impeachment trial on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told senators that in the United States , “ right matters ” and “ you know that what he did was not right ” .
“ You know you can ’ t trust this president to do what ’ s right for this country , ” said Schiff .
“ You can only trust this president to do what ’ s right for Donald Trump.
” Quoting the national security aide Alexander Vindman , who testified in November in public hearings before the intelligence committee and whose family were Soviet refugees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
Dozens of video clips , reams of emails and text messages , and hours of narration were presented , but so far , all the signs are that Republicans are unmoved .
“ It seems like Groundhog ’ s Day , ” the Republican senator John Barrasso of Wyoming told reporters .
“ It is the same thing , day after day after day .
As if you could impeach by repetition.
” Trump seems almost certain to be acquitted by the 100-member Senate , where there are 53 Republicans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is needed to convict and remove him from office .
But the political impact of the trial remains uncertain .
On Friday Trump unleashed a stream of Twitter attacks against Democrats as the impeachment managers prepared for their final day of opening arguments , accusing them of spreading “ lies , fraud & deception ” .

Joan E Greve in Washington and Tom McCarthy in New York

Donald Trump told associates to “get rid” of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, a year before she was recalled from Kyiv over what she called “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives”, according to a recording released by ABC News.
The recording, details of which were reported by ABC News on Friday and a clip of which was later released, appears to have been made at a small 2018 gathering that included Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two former associates of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Parnas and Fruman have been indicted on campaign-finance charges and implicated in the Ukraine controversy, which lays at the heart of the ongoing impeachment trial against Trump.
“Get rid of her!” Trump is heard saying, in response to Parnas’ suggestion that they get rid of the Ukraine ambassador. “Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.”
A lawyer for Parnas told PBS the report of the recording was accurate, and matched his recollections of the meeting. Trump has repeatedly denied knowing Parnas, a Soviet-born American, who appears to speak to Trump directly in the recording, ABC News reported.
Federal prosecutors in New York’s southern district, which indicted Parnas and Fruman on the campaign finance related charges, have a copy of the recording, according to ABC.
News of the recording came as Democrats prepared to lay out the details of the second of two impeachment charges against Trump – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – on Friday afternoon. House Democrats will then wrap up their arguments against the president, before Trump’s team will begin presenting its defense on Saturday.
Over the past week, Democrats have presented the case against Trump in the Senate trial. Evidence gathered by the impeachment inquiry shows Giuliani and his associates, including Parnas and Fruman, were part of an effort to press the Ukrainian president to investigate Trump’s political rival Joe Biden, and Biden’s son, on baseless corruption charges as well as a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 presidential election. Nearly $400m in US military aid to Ukraine was temporarily frozen during the same period.
Yovanovitch was abruptly recalled from her post in May after coming under attack from Giuliani, as he attempted to persuade Ukrainian officials to carry out the investigation.
The recording is not part of the evidence being presented at the impeachment trial. Negotiations are expected to resume next week on whether new documents could be examined and new witnesses called.
During the third full day of the impeachment trial on Thursday, the lead prosecutor, Adam Schiff, told senators that in the United States, “right matters” and “you know that what he did was not right”.
“You know you can’t trust this president to do what’s right for this country,” said Schiff. “You can only trust this president to do what’s right for Donald Trump.”
Quoting the national security aide Alexander Vindman, who testified in November in public hearings before the intelligence committee and whose family were Soviet refugees, Schiff urged that Trump be removed from office.
Dozens of video clips, reams of emails and text messages, and hours of narration were presented, but so far, all the signs are that Republicans are unmoved.
“It seems like Groundhog’s Day,” the Republican senator John Barrasso of Wyoming told reporters. “It is the same thing, day after day after day. As if you could impeach by repetition.”
Trump seems almost certain to be acquitted by the 100-member Senate, where there are 53 Republicans and where a two-thirds majority of those present is needed to convict and remove him from office. But the political impact of the trial remains uncertain.
On Friday Trump unleashed a stream of Twitter attacks against Democrats as the impeachment managers prepared for their final day of opening arguments, accusing them of spreading “lies, fraud & deception”.


theguardian--2020-01-25--Welcome to the Trump show: defense argues president is a victim and Democrats are villains

Welcome to Day One of the Trump Show .
It was , admittedly , an inauspicious start to what was teased as a “ trailer ” for the rollicking show to come next week in the historic impeachment trial of Donald Trump .
The president ’ s legal team , ever performing for an audience of one , kept Saturday ’ s opening session short and sweet at just under two hours , less time than the entirety of the opening statement delivered by the House ’ s lead impeachment manager , congressman Adam Schiff .
Jay Sekulow , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his legal team , had promised that there would be “ plenty ” of material to delight the Sunday talk shows .
He vowed to fill their 24 hours of allotted time over three days with all manner of conspiracies that ping from Fox News segments to the president ’ s Twitter feed : the Bidens , the FBI warrants , FISA court orders and the like .
But on Saturday , the team mostly avoided the fever swamps , focusing instead on rebutting the prosecution ’ s case .
Pat Cippolone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecution never quite agreed on how to pronounce ( it ’ s SIP-uh-loan-ee ) , began with a time-honored trick of the trade : he flipped the script , seeking to turn those trying to impeach Trump into the villains who undermine American democracy .
“ They , ” he said , his voice indignant as he faced the prosecution , “ are here to perpetuate the most massive interference in an election in American history.
” The Democrats – who just laid out a comprehensive case accusing Trump of soliciting help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the next presidential election – are asking the Senate to not only remove the president from office , Cippolone said , but to “ remove president Trump from the ballot ” in 2020 .
“ They are asking you to tear up all of the ballots across this country on your own initiative , take that decision away from the American People , ” he implored .
Left unsaid were the political repercussions for any Republicans tempted to defy the president .
After all , his unwaveringly loyal base fully endorses a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leftist plot and are swift and unforgiving in their punishment of those who betray him .
Ever mindful of the television ratings , Trump himself was uneasy with a Saturday morning debut ; a weekend window known as “ Death Valley ” in TV parlance , the president explained on Twitter .
But before the proceedings got underway he urged supporters to tune in : “ Our case against lyin ’ , cheatin ’ , liddle ’ Adam “ Shifty ” Schiff , Cryin ’ Chuck Schumer , Nervous Nancy Pelosi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AOC , & the entire Radical Left , Do Nothing Democrat Party , starts today at 10:00 A.M. on @ FoxNews , @ OANN or Fake News @ CNN or Fake News MSDNC !
” Still to come , presumably , are the conservative superstars of the president ’ s defense team .
Among them , the celebrity lawyer Alan Dershowitz , best known for defending a long list of high-profile clients such as OJ Simpson , disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein , film director Roman Polanski , boxer Mike Tyson and former Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former independent counsel whose investigation culminated in the impeachment of Bill Clinton two decades ago .
In the chamber on Saturday , there was a shift in mood , a changing of the guard after three very long days .
Now it was Republicans who took furious notes , nodding their heads in agreement while Democrats sat stone-faced , occasionally shaking their heads in disagreement .
As Trump has demanded for months , Cipollone “ READ THE TRANSCRIPT ” of his now-famous call with the Ukrainian president , Volodymyr Zelenskiy .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the the bits that suited their defense .
In short order , Trump ’ s legal team cued a video clip of Schiff , a one-time aspiring screenwriter whose district includes the Sunset Strip , delivering a dramatized reading of the 25 July call .
His rendition of the call as “ a classic organized crime shakedown ” blared from the monitors installed on the Senate floor .
No matter that Schiff said explicitly that he was only conveying “ the essence ” of Trump ’ s words “ shorn of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a staunch conservative from Wyoming , told reporters he watched the “ blood drain ” from Californian ’ s face when the defense played his “ made up words ” , which Trump has said amount to “ treason ” .
But Schiff had predicted this play , quite literally .
In his closing remarks on Friday , he recalled the president ’ s wrath : “ For a man who loves to mock others , he does not like to be mocked.
” In the coming days , the defense is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s long litany of grievances .
In particular , they will spend time promoting the evidence-free claim that the Democratic frontrunner , Joe Biden , pushed to remove a Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma , a Ukrainian energy company that employed his son Hunter on its board .
Sekulow said the House managers , by devoting time to a lengthy pre-buttal of the claim , had not simply opened the door to calling the Bidens as material witnesses but “ kicked the door down ” on raising the matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll hear about that , ” Sekulow said .
The chamber is riven over calling witnesses , especially Biden .
Democrats argue the baseless corruption allegations are a red herring promoted by Republicans to confuse and distract from the charges against Trump .
A handful of Republicans are also uncomfortable with the idea , warning that it could turn the Senate into a “ circus ” .
Allowing any witnesses at all would be a stunning plot twist .
And the prospect has tempted Trump .
“ Honestly , we have all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press conference in Davos this week .
“ They don ’ t have the material.
” Whatever the president is withholding , Trump ’ s team seemed to argue on Saturday , is immaterial to the case at hand .
And for the most part , Republicans agreed , which is all that matters at the end of the day .
The defense has the votes .
The trial resumes on Monday .
And the only question that remains : were the ratings high enough to satisfy the reality TV star in @ @ @ @

Welcome to Day One of the Trump Show.
It was, admittedly, an inauspicious start to what was teased as a “trailer” for the rollicking show to come next week in the historic impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
The president’s legal team, ever performing for an audience of one, kept Saturday’s opening session short and sweet at just under two hours, less time than the entirety of the opening statement delivered by the House’s lead impeachment manager, congressman Adam Schiff.
Jay Sekulow, Trump’s personal lawyer and a member of his legal team, had promised that there would be “plenty” of material to delight the Sunday talk shows. He vowed to fill their 24 hours of allotted time over three days with all manner of conspiracies that ping from Fox News segments to the president’s Twitter feed: the Bidens, the FBI warrants, FISA court orders and the like.
But on Saturday, the team mostly avoided the fever swamps, focusing instead on rebutting the prosecution’s case.
Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel whose surname the prosecution never quite agreed on how to pronounce (it’s SIP-uh-loan-ee), began with a time-honored trick of the trade: he flipped the script, seeking to turn those trying to impeach Trump into the villains who undermine American democracy.
“They,” he said, his voice indignant as he faced the prosecution, “are here to perpetuate the most massive interference in an election in American history.”
The Democrats – who just laid out a comprehensive case accusing Trump of soliciting help from Ukraine to undermine his political rivals in the next presidential election – are asking the Senate to not only remove the president from office, Cipollone said, but to “remove president Trump from the ballot” in 2020.
“They are asking you to tear up all of the ballots across this country on your own initiative, take that decision away from the American People,” he implored.
Left unsaid were the political repercussions for any Republicans tempted to defy the president. After all, his unwaveringly loyal base fully endorses a world view of Trump as victim of a leftist plot and are swift and unforgiving in their punishment of those who betray him.
Ever mindful of the television ratings, Trump himself was uneasy with a Saturday morning debut; a weekend window known as “Death Valley” in TV parlance, the president explained on Twitter.
But before the proceedings got underway he urged supporters to tune in: “Our case against lyin’, cheatin’, liddle’ Adam “Shifty” Schiff, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, Nervous Nancy Pelosi, their leader, dumb as a rock AOC, & the entire Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrat Party, starts today at 10:00 A.M. on @FoxNews, @OANN or Fake News @CNN or Fake News MSDNC!”
Still to come, presumably, are the conservative superstars of the president’s defense team.
Among them, the celebrity lawyer Alan Dershowitz, best known for defending a long list of high-profile clients such as OJ Simpson, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, film director Roman Polanski, boxer Mike Tyson and former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and Kenneth Starr, the former independent counsel whose investigation culminated in the impeachment of Bill Clinton two decades ago.
In the chamber on Saturday, there was a shift in mood, a changing of the guard after three very long days. Now it was Republicans who took furious notes, nodding their heads in agreement while Democrats sat stone-faced, occasionally shaking their heads in disagreement.
As Trump has demanded for months, Cipollone “READ THE TRANSCRIPT” of his now-famous call with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Not in its entirety, of course, but the the bits that suited their defense.
In short order, Trump’s legal team cued a video clip of Schiff, a one-time aspiring screenwriter whose district includes the Sunset Strip, delivering a dramatized reading of the 25 July call. His rendition of the call as “a classic organized crime shakedown” blared from the monitors installed on the Senate floor. No matter that Schiff said explicitly that he was only conveying “the essence” of Trump’s words “shorn of its rambling character”.
Senator John Barrasso, a staunch conservative from Wyoming, told reporters he watched the “blood drain” from Californian’s face when the defense played his “made up words”, which Trump has said amount to “treason”.
But Schiff had predicted this play, quite literally. In his closing remarks on Friday, he recalled the president’s wrath: “For a man who loves to mock others, he does not like to be mocked.”
In the coming days, the defense is expected to use their time to air the president’s long litany of grievances. In particular, they will spend time promoting the evidence-free claim that the Democratic frontrunner, Joe Biden, pushed to remove a Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that employed his son Hunter on its board.
Sekulow said the House managers, by devoting time to a lengthy pre-buttal of the claim, had not simply opened the door to calling the Bidens as material witnesses but “kicked the door down” on raising the matter.
“Believe me, you’ll hear about that,” Sekulow said.
The chamber is riven over calling witnesses, especially Biden. Democrats argue the baseless corruption allegations are a red herring promoted by Republicans to confuse and distract from the charges against Trump. A handful of Republicans are also uncomfortable with the idea, warning that it could turn the Senate into a “circus”.
Allowing any witnesses at all would be a stunning plot twist. And the prospect has tempted Trump.
“Honestly, we have all the material,” Trump said blithely during a press conference in Davos this week. “They don’t have the material.”
Whatever the president is withholding, Trump’s team seemed to argue on Saturday, is immaterial to the case at hand.
“The president did nothing wrong,” Sekulow declared.
And for the most part, Republicans agreed, which is all that matters at the end of the day. The defense has the votes.
The trial resumes on Monday. And the only question that remains: were the ratings high enough to satisfy the reality TV star in the White House?


theguardian--2020-01-25--Trump impeachment trial: president’s defense holds brief first day of opening arguments – as it happ

Trump impeachment trial: president’s defense holds brief first day of opening arguments – as it happened

White House counsel Pat Cipollone says today ’ s argument should only take two to three hours and promises to be out by 1pm at the latest .
He says the defense ’ s case will make two points .
The first appears to be that his argument will focus on the president not having done anything wrong .
“ You heard the house manager speak for nearly 24 hours over three days , ” Cipollone says .
“ We don ’ t anticipate using that much time .
We don ’ t believe they have come anywhere close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking you to do.
” “ In fact , ” Cipollone says , today he will focus on facts .
And once the Senate hears those facts , he says : “ You will find the president did absolutely nothing wrong.
” Cipollone moves on to the second point : “ They are asking you not only to overturn the results of the last election , but as I ’ ve said before , they are asking you to remove president Trump from the ballot in an election that is occurring in approximately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the November election already exist , and will be torn up if the Senate votes for removal from office .
Since each party hasn ’ t formally named its candidate in the 2020 election , this is a rhetorical flourish which shows the president ’ s legal team is ready to make politics a significant part of its defense .
Minutes later , Cipollone returns to the idea that Democrats are asking to “ tear up the ballots ” by calling for impeachment .

25 Jan 2020 18.57 GMT Summary Today, Trump’s defense team began their case arguing against the president’s removal from office. In just under two hours, they outlined their main points: White House counsel Pat Cipollone opened the defense by positioning impeachment as a referendum on the upcoming 2020 election. “They are asking you not only to overturn the results of the last election, but as I’ve said before, they are asking you to remove president Trump from the ballot in an election that is occurring in approximately nine months.”
opened the defense by positioning impeachment as a referendum on the upcoming “They are asking you not only to overturn the results of the last election, but as I’ve said before, they are asking you to remove president Trump from the ballot in an election that is occurring in approximately nine months.” Mike Purpura, deputy counsel to the president, named six key facts pertinent to the case. He said each of these facts alone is “ enough to sink the Democrats case.”
Trump’s defense frequently tried to cast doubts on the Democrats depiction of events by showing clips from the House impeachment inquiry which supported their case and asked why the Democrats didn’t include those in their statements.
which supported their case and asked why the Democrats didn’t include those in their statements. Trump’s lawyer, Jay Sekulow, brandished a copy of a section of the Mueller report in an effort to draw a parallel between that investigation and the impeachment inquiry. Trump team begins argument president broke no laws at impeachment trial Read more
25 Jan 2020 18.49 GMT “This should never be allowed to happen again!” is Donald Trump’s first tweeted reaction to today’s hearing. Any fair minded person watching the Senate trial today would be able to see how unfairly I have been treated and that this is indeed the totally partisan Impeachment Hoax that EVERYBODY, including the Democrats, truly knows it is. This should never be allowed to happen again! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2020 He went on to retweet supportive statements made by Republican representatives Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, and Bradley Byrne, of Alabama.
25 Jan 2020 18.21 GMT What happens next Each side has 24 hours to make their opening arguments. Trump’s team emphasized brevity in their first day and is set to present the bulk of their case on Monday and Tuesday.
After these arguments, senators can ask questions of each side in writing. US supreme court chief justice, John Roberts, is presiding over the trial and will read the questions out loud. Following the question period, the Senate will vote on whether to continue the trial and allow the teams to subpoena witnesses or to end the trial with a vote on whether to convict or acquit the president. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell walks near the Senate chamber before the Senate impeachment trial in the US Capitol Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA
25 Jan 2020 17.52 GMT Now the House impeachment managers are speaking at a press conference. They are responding to “misrepresentations” made by Trump’s defense, lead prosecutor Adam Schiff says. “They don’t contest the basic architecture of the scheme,” Schiff said. This suggests the facts are overwhelming that the president tried to get Ukraine’s government involved in the 2020 election, Schiff says. “We are meant to, I guess, believe from the presentation today that the call was all about burden sharing,” Schiff says. “As if that was really the thrust of the call,” Schiff said. Schiff says if the call was about burden sharing, it would make more sense for the president to speak to European leaders, and mention European leaders in calls, instead of people such as his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
25 Jan 2020 17.33 GMT In a press conference, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said Trump’s defense team made a “compelling case” for why the Senate should request witnesses and documents. “Why shouldn’t we have witnesses and documents here?” he says. “I don’t think the president’s counsel did a very good job - there are gaping holes in their testimony,” Schumer said. He continued: We have been making the argument that we need witnesses, we need documents. We are making the argument it won’t take very long to get them as part of a trial. Today, we thank the president’s counsel for one thing: they made our case even stronger.
25 Jan 2020 17.20 GMT Lead impeachment prosecutor, Adam Schiff, has shared his first thoughts on the president’s defense. Trump’s lawyers made Schiff a prominent character in their narrative, sharing video clips of his previous statements while he watched and listened nearby. After listening to the President’s lawyers opening arguments, I have three observations:
They don’t contest the facts of Trump’s scheme.
They’re trying to deflect, distract from, and distort the truth.
And they are continuing to cover it up by blocking documents and witnesses. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 25, 2020 In Schiff’s closing statement on Friday, the Democratic congressmen pre-empted much of the Trump legal team’s defense.
25 Jan 2020 17.04 GMT Trump defense concludes for the day Back to Cipollone, who promises this will only last “a few more minutes.” He puts on the screen three instances in which Trump invited Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Washington, by phone. There was also a letter invitation, he says. “Impeachment shouldn’t be a shell game, they should give you the facts,” Cipollone said. “That’s all we have for today.” In a speedy two hours, the first part of Trump’s defense wraps and the Senate is adjourned. We will continue to have analysis and reaction in the live blog today. The trial continues Monday afternoon.
25 Jan 2020 16.50 GMT Patrick Philbin, deputy counsel to the president, is here to speak about the issues of obstruction and due process. Philbin says the House did not follow procedure when it issued subpoenas and therefore the White House committed no wrongdoing by defying those subpoenas.
Meanwhile, reports are coming in from reporters in the Senate chamber, who are able to see the Senate’s reaction to the arguments. The Senate has limited the television broadcast to focus on the speakers, not the reaction in the room. Sen Susan Collins took vigorous notes especially when Michael Purpura played video of EU Amb Gordon Sondland saying several times that it was his presumption and his assumption that Pres Trump wanted an investigation into the Bidens in exchange for giving Ukraine $391M in aid. — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) January 25, 2020
25 Jan 2020 16.28 GMT Sekulow lists multiple instances in which the Trump White House withheld foreign aid from countries which weren’t Ukraine. Scene from the chamber: McConnell seems more animated today than he has been as Trump's legal team got off the ground. He smiled when Purpura made a crack about how Dem managers omitted some facts and it's "not like they didn't have enough time" to share everything (paraphrase) — Emma Dumain (@Emma_Dumain) January 25, 2020 Maybe it’s the prospect of a short day, or maybe it’s hearing arguments they agree with, but GOP senators in the chamber today are much more alert, attentive and engaged with the WH lawyers’ presentation today than they had been w/ much of managers’. — Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) January 25, 2020
25 Jan 2020 16.14 GMT Trump’s lawyer, Jay Sekulow, has taken over. He brandishes a copy of the Mueller report, highlighting that investigators did not find any overarching conspiracy between Trump’s team and Russian operatives. The report did find 11 instances in which Trump or his campaign engaged in potential obstruction of justice and suggested Congress might prosecute these acts as crimes.
“This, for that,” Sekulow keeps repeating while waving a section of the 450-page report, in an effort to draw a parallel between that investigation and the impeachment inquiry. Sekulow blasts the Mueller report while holding a printed section of it:
"This cost $32million....All to reach the following...this investigation did not establish that the campaign coordinated or conspired with the Russian government in selection interference activities." — Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) January 25, 2020
25 Jan 2020 15.59 GMT Purpura is repeatedly highlighting video clips from the House impeachment hearings, then asking why Democrats didn’t share them. The clips he is sharing support the president’s case and were usually prompted by Republican House members, similar to how Democrats shared video clips that supported their case and were prompted by Democratic House members. PURPURA repeatedly suggests that Democrats' witnesses only "presumed" hold on aid was linked to investigations.
The few people who could conclusively prove or refute this — Mulvaney, Blair, Duffey — are being blocked from testifying by Trump. — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 25, 2020
Updated at 10.40 GMT
25 Jan 2020 15.43 GMT Trump defense outlines six "key facts" Mike Purpura, deputy counsel to the president, outlined six key facts pertinent to the case. He said each of these facts alone is “enough to sink the Democrats case.” The transcript (which the White House said is not verbatim) shows that the president did not condition either security assistance or a meeting on anything.
Ukrainians have said there was no quid pro quo .
. Ukraine did not know security assistance was paused until a month after the 25 July call.
did not know security assistance was paused until a month after the 25 July call. No Ukrainian investigation into Joe Biden took place.
took place. Ukraine received assistance without such an investigation.
Trump has been a bigger supporter of Ukraine than his predecessor, Barack Obama. In this screenshot taken from a Senate Television webcast, deputy White House counsel Mike Purpura speaks during impeachment proceedings Photograph: Handout/Senate Television via Getty Images
25 Jan 2020 15.34 GMT Cipollone rounds out his opening statement: “They are here to perpetrate the most massive interference in an American election in US history.” Up next, Mike Purpura, deputy counsel to the president. He begins by showing video of lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff paraphrasing a White House transcript of the 25 July call between Trump and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Purpura says what Schiff is reading was fake, which is a well-trodden critique from the president’s defenders. Schiff paraphrased a White House summary of the call, which was not verbatim, and reporters who analyzed Schiff’s recounting of the transcript said he was accurate. I compared how off-base Schiff's paraphrasing of that July 25th call was with the rough transcript ... he paraphrased it accurately.
Trump lawyers now bringing this up in the first few minutes of their opening arguments. https://t.co/nTpGIWjJnN pic.twitter.com/JGcwN7xd9v — Amber Phillips (@byamberphillips) January 25, 2020 The summary of the July 25 call, which the president's legal team is describing as a transcript, says it is "not a verbatim transcript" pic.twitter.com/SmBPIa74Uj — Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) January 25, 2020
25 Jan 2020 15.16 GMT White House counsel Pat Cipollone says today’s argument should only take two to three hours and promises to be out by 1pm at the latest. He says the defense’s case will make two points. The first appears to be that his argument will focus on the president not having done anything wrong. “You heard the house manager speak for nearly 24 hours over three days,” Cipollone says. “We don’t anticipate using that much time. We don’t believe they have come anywhere close to meeting their burden for what they are asking you to do.” “In fact,” Cipollone says, today he will focus on facts. And once the Senate hears those facts, he says: “You will find the president did absolutely nothing wrong.” Cipollone moves on to the second point: “They are asking you not only to overturn the results of the last election, but as I’ve said before, they are asking you to remove president Trump from the ballot in an election that is occurring in approximately nine months.” Cipollone then suggests ballots for the November election already exist, and will be torn up if the Senate votes for removal from office. Since each party hasn’t formally named its candidate in the 2020 election, this is a rhetorical flourish which shows the president’s legal team is ready to make politics a significant part of its defense. Minutes later, Cipollone returns to the idea that Democrats are asking to “tear up the ballots” by calling for impeachment.
Updated at 15.48 GMT
25 Jan 2020 15.06 GMT Trump's defense team to deliver opening arguments The Senate impeachment trial has begun its new phase, with the case moving to the president’s legal team. Trump’s lawyers have said today they would outline their argument to defend the president, with plans to deliver the brunt of their case in longer sessions on Monday and Tuesday. They are expected to argue that the president was justified in seeking the investigation because of a history of corruption involving the company and that he committed no crimes.


theguardian--2020-01-25--Pompeo says NPR reporter is part of 'unhinged' US media conspiracy

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo launched an extraordinary attack on a respected NPR journalist on Saturday , a day after reports emerged of him swearing at and trying to humiliate her by asking her to identify Ukraine on a map .
In a sharply-worded statement issued by the state department , Pompeo accused the reporter , Mary Louise Kelly , of lying to him and being part of an “ unhinged ” media conspiracy “ in a quest to hurt President Trump and this administration ” .
The bizarre final line of the brief statement – “ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” – appears to suggest that Pompeo believes Kelly identified a different country when he asked her to point out Ukraine on an unmarked map produced by aides .
The claim contradicts the experienced foreign correspondent and radio host ’ s own recollection of the encounter , in which she said she had no trouble identifying Ukraine , after which Pompeo put the map away and insisted : “ People will hear about this.
” The release of the statement further suggests that the politician , who has a notoriously short fuse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aftermath of his interview with Kelly , which ended prematurely when Pompeo refused to answer questions about Ukraine .
Kelly said Pompeo then called her into a separate room and attempted to browbeat her , asking “ Do you think Americans care about Ukraine ?
” and launching into a foul-mouthed tirade .
The state department statement , however , seeks to shift blame to Kelly .
“ It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency , ” it said , claiming Kelly had lied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the interview and secondly by breaching an apparent agreement to keep the contents of the post-interview conversation off the record .
“ It is no wonder the American people distrust many in the media when they consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity , ” it read .
NPR has stood by its reporter .
“ Pompeo proceeded to shout his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine , ” the organization said in a statement .
“ He used repeated expletives.
” In an interview with NPR on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ for about the same amount of time as the interview itself ” .
In response to Pompeo ’ s statement NPR ’ s senior vice-president for news , Nancy Barnes , said : “ Mary Louise Kelly has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity , and we stand behind this report .
”

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo launched an extraordinary attack on a respected NPR journalist on Saturday, a day after reports emerged of him swearing at and trying to humiliate her by asking her to identify Ukraine on a map.
In a sharply-worded statement issued by the state department, Pompeo accused the reporter, Mary Louise Kelly, of lying to him and being part of an “unhinged” media conspiracy “in a quest to hurt President Trump and this administration”.
The bizarre final line of the brief statement – “It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine” – appears to suggest that Pompeo believes Kelly identified a different country when he asked her to point out Ukraine on an unmarked map produced by aides.
The claim contradicts the experienced foreign correspondent and radio host’s own recollection of the encounter, in which she said she had no trouble identifying Ukraine, after which Pompeo put the map away and insisted: “People will hear about this.”
The release of the statement further suggests that the politician, who has a notoriously short fuse, was stung by media coverage of the aftermath of his interview with Kelly, which ended prematurely when Pompeo refused to answer questions about Ukraine.
Kelly said Pompeo then called her into a separate room and attempted to browbeat her, asking “Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?” and launching into a foul-mouthed tirade.
The state department statement, however, seeks to shift blame to Kelly.
“It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency,” it said, claiming Kelly had lied to Pompeo twice, first in setting up the interview and secondly by breaching an apparent agreement to keep the contents of the post-interview conversation off the record.
“It is no wonder the American people distrust many in the media when they consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity,” it read.
NPR has stood by its reporter. “Pompeo proceeded to shout his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine,” the organization said in a statement. “He used repeated expletives.”
In an interview with NPR on Friday, Kelly said Pompeo had shouted at her “for about the same amount of time as the interview itself”.
In response to Pompeo’s statement NPR’s senior vice-president for news, Nancy Barnes, said: “Mary Louise Kelly has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity, and we stand behind this report.”


theguardian--2020-01-25--'I really hope she is the future': AOC's support of Sanders fuels 2024 speculation

It was billed as a rally for Bernie Sanders ’ presidential campaign .
But the only aging white man on the platform was the film-maker Michael Moore , and attendee Brittany Springmeier wasn ’ t there to see him .
She was in Iowa City for real star of the show , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
“ She ’ s speaking for us .
She ’ s speaking for the people .
She has a passion for the millennials .
She ’ s speaking for everyone in America who doesn ’ t have a voice , ” said Springmeier , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of a disability .
With the Vermont senator trapped in Washington DC by the impeachment hearings , Ocasio-Cortez was fronting for him at the University of Iowa on Friday evening in the last days before the Iowa Democratic caucuses .
Much of the crowd had already made up its mind to back Sanders , which was just as well because the New York congresswoman gave a 26-minute speech without once mentioning the man she was ostensibly there to promote .
A passionate discourse on healthcare and the case for comprehensive public insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders campaign , then gave way to a rousing appeal to build a movement to transform “ a nation in decline ” .
Ocasio-Cortez disparaged the Democratic leadership in Congress as fearful of any radical policies that might cost votes and called on supporters to “ come together and organise ” to repeated cheers .
But through it all , even as Sanders picture stared down on her , his name did not once cross the congresswoman ’ s lips .
Ocasio-Cortez has been unstinting in her support of Sanders ’ presidential bid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reinforce the perception that his campaign also provides her with a platform to push a more visionary agenda .
That in turn has fueled media speculation about the extent of the 30 year-old ’ s ambitions , and the possibility she might run for the White House herself in 2024 – should Trump win a second term .
Whatever her plans , the congresswoman will not have been discouraged by the reception in Iowa City , where she was greeted with an enthusiasm bordering on adulation .
Jonathan Katz , a high school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travelled to Iowa to canvass for Sanders , was at the rally specifically to see Ocasio-Cortez .
“ When she showed the courage after Bernie ’ s heart attack to say ‘ I ’ m going to be supporting Bernie ’ , my respect went up 1,000 % .
Because here ’ s someone at Bernie ’ s most difficult moment in the campaign saying ‘ I ’ m with you Bernie ’ , ” said Katz .
Ocasio-Cortez ’ s backing has meant more than throwing her weight behind Sanders ’ positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not least on the environment with her push for a Green New Deal , and injected a much greater diversity of voices into the Vermont senator ’ s campaign , which he has frankly admitted were lacking in his 2016 run .
“ She ’ s been very important to Bernie , bringing people in , especially young people , ” said Springmeier .
“ She ’ s helped bring in minorities , bring some light to the fact that they don ’ t really have a voice .
I think a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who may not otherwise have been interested in politics , and that helps Bernie .
“ I really hope she continues on the politics .
She ’ s a force to be reckoned with .
I really think she ’ s going to do great things for the people , for we the people .
She ’ s working in the establishment but I think she ’ s going to be speaking for us.
” If Ocasio-Cortez has reinforced the Sanders campaign , it ’ s clear she can also draw from that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters , she offers a vision beyond his presidential campaign .
Wendy Stevenson , a librarian who caucused for Sanders four years ago , came to the rally with her 11-year-old daughter , Estelle , who wanted to see Ocasio-Cortez after watching a Netflix documentary about her .
“ I love her vision .
I love her guts to go in first term as a representative and propose the Green New Deal .
It changes the way our economy will work .
It ’ s exciting .
You need that kind of energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not scared to challenge the establishment .
Even the Democrats , she ’ s pushing them further than they feel comfortable going .
I love having that voice , ” she said .
But for all that , Stevenson is not sure on where Ocasio-Cortez should set her sights .
For now she wants to see her remain in Congress , where she thinks she could rise to great heights and have real power and influence over the policies that matter most .
“ I hope she ’ ll be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way things are done .
I feel like she really feels strongly about representing her people in her district .
She ’ s still young .
I ’ m excited that things are moving further to the left with a lot more fresh ideas .
I really hope she is the future .
”

It was billed as a rally for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. But the only aging white man on the platform was the film-maker Michael Moore, and attendee Brittany Springmeier wasn’t there to see him.
She was in Iowa City for real star of the show, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“She’s speaking for us. She’s speaking for the people. She has a passion for the millennials. She’s speaking for everyone in America who doesn’t have a voice,” said Springmeier, a millennial herself who is unable to work because of a disability.
With the Vermont senator trapped in Washington DC by the impeachment hearings, Ocasio-Cortez was fronting for him at the University of Iowa on Friday evening in the last days before the Iowa Democratic caucuses.
Much of the crowd had already made up its mind to back Sanders, which was just as well because the New York congresswoman gave a 26-minute speech without once mentioning the man she was ostensibly there to promote. A passionate discourse on healthcare and the case for comprehensive public insurance, a cause at the heart of Sanders campaign, then gave way to a rousing appeal to build a movement to transform “a nation in decline”.
Ocasio-Cortez disparaged the Democratic leadership in Congress as fearful of any radical policies that might cost votes and called on supporters to “come together and organise” to repeated cheers.
But through it all, even as Sanders picture stared down on her, his name did not once cross the congresswoman’s lips.
Supporters of Bernie Sanders Friday Iowa City, Iowa. Photograph: Sue Ogrocki/AP
Ocasio-Cortez has been unstinting in her support of Sanders’ presidential bid but Friday’s rally will only reinforce the perception that his campaign also provides her with a platform to push a more visionary agenda. That in turn has fueled media speculation about the extent of the 30 year-old’s ambitions, and the possibility she might run for the White House herself in 2024 – should Trump win a second term.
Whatever her plans, the congresswoman will not have been discouraged by the reception in Iowa City, where she was greeted with an enthusiasm bordering on adulation.
Jonathan Katz, a high school math teacher from New York City who travelled to Iowa to canvass for Sanders, was at the rally specifically to see Ocasio-Cortez.
“When she showed the courage after Bernie’s heart attack to say ‘I’m going to be supporting Bernie’, my respect went up 1,000%. Because here’s someone at Bernie’s most difficult moment in the campaign saying ‘I’m with you Bernie’,” said Katz.
Ocasio-Cortez’s backing has meant more than throwing her weight behind Sanders’ positions. She has amplified some of them, not least on the environment with her push for a Green New Deal, and injected a much greater diversity of voices into the Vermont senator’s campaign, which he has frankly admitted were lacking in his 2016 run.
“She’s been very important to Bernie, bringing people in, especially young people,” said Springmeier. “She’s helped bring in minorities, bring some light to the fact that they don’t really have a voice. I think a lot of people are drawn to her who may not otherwise have been interested in politics, and that helps Bernie.
“I really hope she continues on the politics. She’s a force to be reckoned with. I really think she’s going to do great things for the people, for we the people. She’s working in the establishment but I think she’s going to be speaking for us.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez takes part in a march following antisemitic attacks in New York City. Photograph: John Lamparski/Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media
If Ocasio-Cortez has reinforced the Sanders campaign, it’s clear she can also draw from that enhanced strength. For some of Sanders supporters, she offers a vision beyond his presidential campaign.
Wendy Stevenson, a librarian who caucused for Sanders four years ago, came to the rally with her 11-year-old daughter, Estelle, who wanted to see Ocasio-Cortez after watching a Netflix documentary about her.
“I love her vision. I love her guts to go in first term as a representative and propose the Green New Deal. It changes the way our economy will work. It’s exciting. You need that kind of energy and ideas out there. And she’s not scared to challenge the establishment. Even the Democrats, she’s pushing them further than they feel comfortable going. I love having that voice,” she said.
But for all that, Stevenson is not sure on where Ocasio-Cortez should set her sights. For now she wants to see her remain in Congress, where she thinks she could rise to great heights and have real power and influence over the policies that matter most.
“I hope she’ll be a powerful future politician that can change the way things are done. I feel like she really feels strongly about representing her people in her district. She’s still young. I’m excited that things are moving further to the left with a lot more fresh ideas. I really hope she is the future.”