Trump Impeachment Live Updates: Debate Over Rules Governing Senate Trial
Top stories
A debate is under way in the Senate over the ground rules the majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, has proposed for President Trump’s trial.
President Trump’s historic impeachment trial began with acrimony as lawyers for the president and House members known as impeachment managers clashed in personal and bitter arguments over the rules that will govern the trial.
The Senate has voted to block attempts by Democrats to subpoena documents and witnesses for the impeachment trial that the White House has refused to provide to the House investigators. The votes were cast along party lines.
Senator Mitch McConnell’s proposed rules were changed even since he had unveiled them, allowing both sides to present their cases for and against removing Mr. Trump from office over three days, not two (though each side is still limited to 24 hours total). He also allowed the House’s evidence from its inquiry to be admitted into the Senate record.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. early Wednesday morning delivered an extraordinary admonishment of Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, an impeachment manager, and Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, after the two men traded insults in a particularly biting exchange.
Senate rejects bid to subpoena Bolton for testimony.
The Senate on Wednesday rejected a Democratic effort to subpoena John R. Bolton, the former national security adviser, for testimony in President Trump’s impeachment trial. The vote fell along party lines, with the Republican majority prevailing.
At least one Republican, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, has indicated that he might eventually support summoning Mr. Bolton, but only after opening arguments and senators have a chance to question each side. Others have expressed openness to doing so.
Mr. Bolton said this month that he would comply with a Senate subpoena if he received one, and other witnesses told House investigators that Mr. Bolton was deeply troubled by Mr. Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. But with the White House prepared to try to sue in federal court to restrain him from speaking, any subpoena could set off a messy and protracted legal fight over whether he could answer questions in the trial.
Debate between Nadler and Cipollone grows testy.
As the debate limped into 1 in the morning, the back-and-forth between Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and an impeachment manager, and Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, grew remarkably testy, as the two men hurled undisguised barbs at each other on the Senate floor.
After Mr. Nadler told Republican senators they showed all the signs of being ready to aid the president’s “cover up” in voting down a measure to compel John R. Bolton, the president’s former national security adviser, to testify during the trial, Mr. Cipollone replied with a retort of his own.
“The only one who should be embarrassed, Mr. Nadler, is you, for the way you address this body,” he said. “This is the United States Senate. You’re not in charge here.”