Washington: US President Donald Trump’s legal team has wrapped up their three days of opening arguments in the impeachment trial, saying the head of state should be swiftly acquitted on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
“It is time for this to end, here and now,” White House counsel Pat Cipollone said in his closing remarks in the Senate on Tuesday.
Cipollone has repeatedly criticized what he says is a dangerous “shell game” launched by Democrats to remove Trump from office, reports Efe news.
Earlier Tuesday, one of Trump’s personal lawyers, Jay Sekulow, argued that the case against the President was weak and that he had been impeached over mere policy differences, adding that if he was removed from office it would set a dangerous precedent.
“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.”
The defense attorneys’ brief final arguments contrasted with lengthy sessions last week in which House of Representatives impeachment managers (prosecutors) led by California Democrat Adam Schiff insisted there was overwhelming evidence of Trump’s guilt.
Now that both sides have concluded their opening arguments, the senators, who are serving as jurors in the trial, will have two days - Wednesday and Thursday - to present their questions in writing to either the prosecution or defense via Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is overseeing the trial.
A crucial day then looms on Friday, when the Senate will debate and then vote on whether to allow additional evidence and witnesses.
Democrats say it is essential that new materials be introduced, while Trump’s attorneys and his Republican allies in the Senate oppose the idea. The vote of a simple majority will decide that matter.
Since Republicans have a 53-47 majority, that means that Democrats need the support of four Republican senators to prevent the trial from ending quickly with a vote on the two articles of impeachment.
The focus now is on four Republican senators who may support additional evidence and witnesses: Mitt Romney (Utah), Susan Collins (Maine), Lamar Alexander (Tennessee) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).
One key witness who did not testify during the House’s impeachment probe but has said he will appear before the Senate is Trump’s former National Security Adviser, John Bolton. (IANS)