Thread by @meganmineiro

Press ready and waiting for Schumer to kick off day 3 of the Senate impeachment trial. Stand by. @CourthouseNews

.@SenSchumer says Repubs voted in lock step last night against relevant evidence and witnesses, that they claimed to want a fair trial but “their votes belie that.”

.@SenWhitehouse’s take on where the historic proceedings are headed: “It is clear from last night that we are now on a partisan forced march to a predetermined outcome.”

Schumer also stressed though that the last minute changes to McConnell’s rules resolution yesterday shows the GOP members hold the power to enforce a fair trial. Says they will now have to vote for witnesses and docs after the days for openings arguments and senator questions.

.@ChrisMurphyCT “The American public is not going to stand for a rigged trial” adds there is going to be hell to pay in their districts if senators don’t get a fair trial

.@SenSchumer not giving a yes/no on whether he would trade Bolton’s testimony for Repubs calling Hunter Biden as witness. “We don’t need to have witnesses that have nothing to do with this...right now we haven’t heard them wanting any witnesses at all.”

On the trial rules debate that ran to 2AM yesterday @SenSchumer “We didn’t want to go late into the night. That was McConnel’s choice...they want it to go into the dark of night. They want as much of this hidden from the American people as possible.”

asked if the late night vote will turn off GOP moderates that Dems need votes from to get witnesses @SenSchumer says what should determine senators votes is their conscious.

“The arguments of the President’s lawyers was like a Fox News show. A lot of finger pointing and nothing to do with the actual facts.” @SenSchumer

Schumer says this might be the first time some senators are hearing the case against Trump and they’re listening now without the distraction of laptops and iPhones. “I’m looking forward to it,” @SenSchumer says of the House Managers arguments.

.@ChrisMurphyCT asked by reporters if Dems are willing to trade Bolton’s testimony for Hunter Biden’s he said that’s not a conversation that is happening.

“We’re not in the business of trading away relevant witnesses for re-election gambits from the President.”

@ChrisMurphyCT No phones allowed in the Senate press gallery. So I'll be headed in shortly with pen and pad to see what I can spot perched above the trial as it kicks off again at 1PM.

Sen Rand Paul was doing a crossword puzzle for over an hour in the #SenateImpeachmentTrial during Schiff's opening this morning.

Schiff opened starting at 1PM, not this morning. I have just lost all sense of time sitting in the press gallery.

Sanders could also be seen on more than on occasion nodding off, slouched in his chair with his chin bobbing down to his chest.

Senators are also limited to water only in the chamber. But I saw more than one lawmakers ask for hot water, and Sen Scott asked for water "with bubbles" which I later noticed others ordering as well.

ICYMI: word surfaced yesterday of a witness swap, Democrats get Bolton and Republicans call Hunter Biden. But Schumer told reporters “No, that’s off the table.” @CourthouseNews
courthousenews.com/democrats-deny…

@CourthouseNews Gavel sounds, Roberts just closed out the impeachment trial where exhaustion and disinterest struck the senators-turned-jurors during today’s historic proceedings after a series of votes last night stretched to 2AM. courthousenews.com/sleepy-hungry-…