Democrats present case against President Trump in Senate impeachment trial

Led by Congressman Adam Schiff, House Democrats on Wednesday began making a strong case before Senators to remove President Donald Trump in the third ever impeachment trial in the American history.Knowing that they are unlikely to succeed in ousting Trump from the White House as Republicans enjoy a 53-47 majority in the 100-membered Senate, the managers of the House, wherein Democrats enjoy a majority, had their arguments on the Senate floor with an eye on the November elections.
Making a strong plea before Senators, Democratic Congressman Schiff, who is the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, accused Trump of using his power to cheat in the elections.Today we will begin our trial with the factual chronology. The facts are damning. We’re going to lay them out in great detail in our chronology today, Schiff told reporters before he went to the Senate to argue against the president.In his opening argument, Schiff quoted founding father Alexander Hamilton who imagined a scenario in which future president would put personal interest ahead of that of the nation.We are here today in this hallowed chamber, undertaking this solemn action for only the third time in history, because Donald J Trump, the 45th President of the United States, has acted precisely as Hamilton and his contemporaries had feared,” he asserted.President Trump solicited foreign interference in our democratic elections, abusing the power of his office by seeking help from abroad to improve his reelection prospects at home. And when he was caught, he used the powers of that office to obstruct the investigation into his own misconduct,” Schiff said.The 435-member House on December 18 charged Trump with “high crimes and misdemeanors” and impeached him for pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a potential Democratic rival for the current president in the 2020 elections.The days proceedings on Wednesday began with Senate Chaplain Barry Black prayer.”Help them remember that patriots reside on both sides of the aisle, that words have consequences, and that how something is said can be as important as what is said. Give them a civility built upon integrity that brings consistency in their beliefs and actions,” Black said.The impeachment trial is being presided over by the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice John Roberts. As per the ruled of the trial passed by the Senate Tuesday, House managers and lawyers on behalf of Trump will have 24 hours to present their cases over the three days.As per the decorum guidelines, during the impeachment trial, Senators are supposed to stick to their seats and not talk to others, and not bring cell phones or tablets to the floor.