Thread by @MMineiro_CNS

Good morning from Washington where I will be slipping in and out of the Senate press gallery (where phones are prohibited) bringing you all the updates from the first day of arguments from Trump’s legal team at the impeachment trial. @CourthouseNews

@CourthouseNews Awaiting the arrival of Chief Justice John Roberts to begin today's proceedings. McConnell instructing the senators to take their seats...

@CourthouseNews McConnell saying to expect 2-3 hours of session today, with breaks as needed. Pat Cipollone up now. Here we go...

@CourthouseNews "We don't believe that they have come anywhere close to meeting their burden," Cipollone says of the House managers and explains the Trump legal team does not plan to use all 24 hours over three days, as Dems did.

@CourthouseNews They're asking you to tear about all of the ballots across this country...to take that decision away from the American people

@CourthouseNews Cipollone reading out the call transcript now, focusing on burden sharing, which WH claims was one of Trump's reasons for holding aid.

"Much more than European countries are doing and they should be helping you more than they are..."

@CourthouseNews Schiff read out the full transcript this week but most of the Dem case focused on testimony from Trump admin officials and diplomats about meetings/communications re the aid hold up. But Cipollone is focusing on the call, says the transcript is best evidence.

@CourthouseNews Turning over now to Michael "Mike" Purpura, Cipollone says Trump team will address the merits of the Dem case.

And briefly touching on process, says Dems locked out everyone from president's side...says more talk about process arguments to come that he links to merits

@CourthouseNews Cip says Dems hid evidence

"They're here to perpetrate the most massive interference in an election in American history....we can't allow that."

@CourthouseNews "We will finish quickly so that we can all go have an election." Cipollone

@CourthouseNews Purpura, deputy counsel to the president, up now, quickly turns to video of Schiff

@CourthouseNews Purpura calling the House deposition "closed door interviews" and the hearings fake

@CourthouseNews Purpura -- "The truth is simple and it's right before our eyes. The president was at all times acting in our national interests and pursuant to his oath of office"

@CourthouseNews Trump team focusing on Dem case being based entirely on what Purpura just called "precleared in a break in a basement bunker" and says they will present senators the evidence on records that house managers didn't bring to the floor over the last 24 hours of presentations.

@CourthouseNews Still on the call transcript, says Dems are trying to wrap everything into their framed argument rather than present all the fact

@CourthouseNews Ok, now we're into Vindman's testimony about the call. Purpura says elected officials like Trump makes policy, and career officials like Vindman implement it.

@CourthouseNews Video now of Tim Morrison, former nat sec council russia director, that he didn't hear Trump make a demand or do anything improper (responding to GOP members)

@CourthouseNews Saying the Ukrainians were not aware of the aid hold (editor note>Uk govt reached out Aug 29, after Politico article) Purpura: "There can't be a threat without the person knowing they're being threatened. There can't be a quid pro quo without a quo."

@CourthouseNews Purpura firmly and repeatedly arguing no quid pro quo on call, focusing on the Ukrainians not knowing about the aid freeze.

"Most of the Democrat witnesses have never spoken to the president at all, let along about security assistance."

@CourthouseNews Short montage now of Dem witnesses in short clips saying guesswork, presumption, speculation, etc.

"They didn't show you any of this testimony, not once during their presentation, 21 hours, more than 21 hours."

@CourthouseNews My colleague @JackRodgersCNS from the gallery reporting that Klobuchar, Coons and Carper were in late and walked in back to back to back speaking. Graham as of aprx 10:30 was still not in the chamber -- told reporters yesterday he had been "sick as a dog" all week.

@CourthouseNews @JackRodgersCNS Video of Ukrainian Ambassador Kurt Volker now, Purpura says it puts Ambassador Taylor's testimony into context

@CourthouseNews @JackRodgersCNS and yields to Jay Sekulow...

@CourthouseNews @JackRodgersCNS "You can not simply decide this case in a vacuum...let's for a moment put ourselves in the shoes of the president of the united state right now."

Sekulow raising Crossfire Hurricane investigation

@CourthouseNews @JackRodgersCNS Says Dems in House Ukraine probe tried to re-litigate the Mueller case

@CourthouseNews @JackRodgersCNS Running through the numbers on the Mueller report now, Sekulow says this had

$32 million
500 search warrants
230 orders for comm records
500 witness interviews

"The Mueller report resulted in this, that for this,"

@CourthouseNews @JackRodgersCNS "Just 6/10th of a mile from this chamber sits the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court," FISA secret court, Sekulow says.

My guess is most senators know the FISA court is down the street, that mileage seems to be for the audience watching on tv

@CourthouseNews Sekuow reading the FISA court order now, read about it here>>>courthousenews.com/surveillance-c…

@CourthouseNews "We can ignore this, we can make believe this did not happen, but it did." Sekulow says about the DOJ Horowitz report

@CourthouseNews Heavy focus on burden sharing, Sekulow notes that one Dem witness said foreign aid generally was undergoing a review in 2019 (page 84 House report on Ukraine).

"They didn't talk about that in the 23 hour presentation."

@CourthouseNews Sekulow reading Hill's testimony from page 188/9 of her deposition transcript that Trump was very skeptical about US assistance in Ukraine.

Earlier, Cipollone emphasized Trump gave more to Ukraine than the Obama admin, specifically anti-tank javelin missiles.

@CourthouseNews Sekulow listing examples of Trump holding aid because of burden sharing/corruption concerns including Honduras, Guatemala, Lebanon etc.

Might also hear about Egypt aid hold by Obama admin today, but Schiff pointed out yesterday that freeze was approved by Congress

@CourthouseNews From the gallery, hear Barrasso laugh loudly at clip of Schiff saying "we should hear the unfiltered testimony of the whistleblower."

Schiff said yesterday he changed his tune after Trump called the whistleblower a traitor/spy

@CourthouseNews Cipollone back at the lectern and reassured the senators he's almost done.

@CourthouseNews From the gallery:

>most senators focused in this short Sat session
>much less wandering and note passing than the long winding weekday sessions
>handful appear to be suffering from bad colds
>7-8 on both D & R side taking notes, inc Collins, Murkowski
>Roberts also taking notes

@CourthouseNews Nearing the end, I'm headed back into the press gallery to catch any interactions at the end. Will then hit the halls for comments from senators, legal teams.

That’s a wrap. Chamber emptying out.

Graham at the end there approached the Trump counsel table and Pam Bondy passed him a small folded note that he slipped in his pocket.

After Roberts gaveled out just now, McConnell gave Trump’s legal team a thumbs up.

In what’s became a routine end to the trial each day, Murkowski and Collins discuss with heads leaned together while the chamber empties out.

Senate staffer just walked by the press pen on the phone and said “they want to meet with the Chief Justice? Okay.”

Wonder what that’s about.

Blumenthal tells reporters Trump team was cherry picking today.

Schumer in post trial press conference says he thanks the Trump legal team for making the Dem case even stronger.

Merkley calling a trial without docs or witnesses a rigged trial.

“That’s the kind of trial you would expect in Russia or in China but not here in the United States of America.”

Merkley says Trump attorneys have no case to make for completely stonewalling witnesses, docs.

Duckworth calls out GOP for questioning Lt C Vindman’s loyalty.

“So let me make it clear. You may not agree with the witnesses but we do not attack them and we do not attack especially a combat veteran’s service and dedication and duty to this country.”

Senator Smith up now in Dem press conference, says Senate saw today Walmart Schiff predicted yesterday: attacks on house managers, whistleblower, misrepresentation of facts.

Correction, that should be what Schiff, not Walmart

“The president’s lawyers totally speculate. They say oh well he’s fighting corruption elsewhere...but no direct facts about why he cut off the aid here.”

That quote from Schiff who then knocked on the lectern and said “witnesses, documents.”

About subpoenas that CJ Roberts could sign Schumer says “In terms of length of time I think that’s a red herring...I don’t think that any court is not going to honor that subpoena.”

On why Dems didn’t take the subpoenas to court, Schumer says they did.

But in quick slip up, he blanked on fmr WH Counsel Don McGahn’s name. “What’s his name?” he asked turning over his shoulder to Duckworth.

Schumer “They had a case that was totally full of holes. They didn’t contest any of the facts.”

House managers up next to address points made by Trump attorneys. Schiff starts out “They’re not contesting the basic architecture of this scheme. They don’t contest that president trump solicited a foreign nation to it interfere in our election.”

Schiff addressing the heavy focus by Trump attorneys on July call. “He goes right to the favor.”

Schiff says that if Trump cared about burden sharing then “you would have heard him saying call Angela [Merkel]. Instead you have him saying call Rudy.”

(summarizing) Schiff points out Ukrainian foreign minister got a cable within days of the aid freeze that the money was on hold but was instructed by a top Zelensky aide not to raise the issue because of the sought after White House visit.

Schiff “If this was really about fighting corruption then why did they hide it from congress?”

Schiff says it’s dangerous that Trump attorneys argue he did nothing wrong.

“That means basically you can seek as president of the United States to get a foreign nation to help you cheat in an election.”

On no mentions of chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Schiff says it’s not the Trump team’s goal to get the senators all the facts.

“John Bolton has some of these facts,” he adds.

“The president’s men know exactly what the president did,” Schiff says arguing for witnesses.

Nadler adds “remember the president gave a blanket order not to testify.”

McGahn and others will eventually testify, Nadler says, “when the courts force them to.”

Nadler reading off letter sent to Trump’s attorneys inviting them and the president to participate in the House investigation.

“There’s always elections. What do you need an impeachment process for?” Nadler says ironically, countering the Trump attorneys’ argument that Dems are tying to wipe the president’s name from the ballot in 2020.

Nadler says the framers “weren’t all seeing but they were foreseeing that a Donald Trump might arise someday.”

Asked if the “head on a pike” comment last night was mishandled Schiff says:

“If the worst they can point to is that I referred to a published report by CBS, that's pretty thin rule.”

To give you a sense of the press room, it’s getting pretty warm with dozens of reporters and photographers crowded in. Dem attorney are mixed in with press along the walls. Camera shutters fluttering with each move of hands by a house manager.

Schiff laying out the 16hr question period that follows the Trump attorneys’ arguments, with Qs submitted in writing to CJ Roberts.

“In those questions we hope to have the opportunity to respond and rebut.”

Schiff opted not to answer “Should the president’s lawyers be sanctioned for lying?” The reporter threw it out again as they exited.

No response from managers. But House Dem attorney smiled at the back of the pack and told the reporter as he passed him “that’s a good question.”

Lots of input from Democrats post trial today, senators and House managers. No press conference or public statements from Trump's attorneys.