Dems say oust Trump or he’ll do it again; ‘He is who he is’

WASHINGTON — House Democrats warned as they closed their arguments Friday in President Trump’s impeachment trial that the president will persist in abusing his power and endanger American democracy unless Congress intervenes to remove him before the 2020 election.

“He is who he is,” declared Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He told the senators listening as jurors that Trump put the U.S-Ukraine relationship on the line in a way that benefited Russia just so he could take a political “cheap shot” at Democratic foe former Vice President Joe Biden.

“You cannot leave a man like that in office,” Schiff said. “You know it’s not going to stop. It’s not going to stop unless the Congress does something about it.”

Trump is being tried in the Senate after the House impeached him last month, accusing him of abusing his office by asking Ukraine to probe alleged corruption involving Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden while withholding military aid. The second article of impeachment accuses him of obstructing Congress by refusing to turn over documents or allow officials to testify in the House probe.

As Democrats finished their third day before skeptical Republican senators, Trump’s legal team prepared to start his defense, expected on Saturday. Trump, eyes on the audience beyond the Senate chamber, bemoaned the schedule in a tweet, saying “looks like my lawyers will be forced to start on Saturday, which is called Death Valley in T.V.”

Said Trump attorney Jay Sekulow: “We’re going to rebut and refute, and we’re going to put on an affirmative case tomorrow.”

Republicans say Trump’s actions were appropriate and are calling the impeachment trial a politically motivated effort to weaken him in his re-election campaign. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and eventual acquittal is considered likely.

Before that, senators will make a critical decision next week on Democratic demands to hear more testimony from top Trump aides, including acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton who refused to appear before the House. It would take four Republican senators to join the Democratic minority to seek witnesses, and so far the numbers appear lacking.

“This needs to end,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2uyF2Bu