Republicans voted down three amendments brought by the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer – get the latest live 1.51am GMT The first day of the trial has been far less dramatic than expected. The Guardian’s David Smith fills in what the Senate cameras aren’t showing: This moment had been much hyped by cable TV but viewers hoping for the political equivalent of the OJ Simpson trial were in for a disappointment. There was no prisoner in the dock; Trump is thousands of miles away in Davos. This was reality TV without the reality TV president.There was, however, the California Democrat Adam Schiff, the lead House manager in the impeachment trial, who once wrote a screenplay for a Hollywood crime thriller. He was not quite Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men or Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men, but he did put Republicans on the spot over their pledge on oath to be impartial jurors.“The American people want a fair trial. They want to believe their system of government is still capable of rising to the occasion,” Schiff entreated. “They want to believe we can rise above party and do what’s best for the country, but a great many Americans don’t believe that will happen. Let’s prove them wrong. Let’s prove them wrong!” Related: As Trump goes on trial, so does the conscience of the Republican party 1.36am GMT The trial has resumed after a 30-minute dinner break. Hakeem Jeffries, one of the House impeachment managers, is now making the case to subpoena Mick Mulvaney. The congressman from New York said Donald Trump makes Richard Nixon “look like a choir boy”. Trump is “personally responsible for depriving the Senate of information important to consider in this trial”, Jefferies said, referring to the president’s efforts to block House investigators from accessing documents and witnesses throughout the impeachment inquiry. Related: As Trump goes on trial, so does the conscience of the Republican party Continue reading…
Via: Trump impeachment: senators kill Democratic efforts to subpoena more evidence – live
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