Thread by @PaulaChertok

Like all things Trump, the #ImpeachmentTrial hovers somewhere between high drama & high farce. The Senate just broke out in laughter b/c Trump's personal injury lawyer demanded 100 witnesses be deposed, and in his office in Philly, dammit. Senators now voting on witnesses.

#Breaking 5 GOP Senators Vote to Call Witnesses. There will be witnesses at Trump's #ImpeachmentTrial.

First it was 4, then Lindsey Graham changed his vote.

Meanwhile, McConnell will acquit Trump w/ or w/o witnesses. He also says that Republicans can vote their conscience. Which just highlights how Banana Republican the GOP is. They have to be told to vote their conscience by their leader who has none. #ImpeachmentTrial

https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1360607614598606848

The Senate voted for one specific witness, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, the Republican congresswoman from WA whose conversations with GOP leader Kevin McCarthy about his convos w/ a derelict Trump during the insurrection (she has notes!) made news last night. #ImpeachmentTrial

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1360608832251166729

Comic relief break: The My Cousin Vinnie moment: Senate (w/ many lawyers) erupts in laughter after Trump’s Philly PI lawyer pounds the podium demanding Pelosi, VP Harris & another 100 witnesses be deposed in his office in Phillydelphia. #ImpeachmentTrial

House Managers, Trump Lawyers Agree to Enter Statement of GOP Rep. Herrera Beutler Into Evidence.

Looks like Democrats are now foregoing calling witnesses after all, after vote to call them. #ImpeachmentTrial

CNN: Senate Foregoes Calling Witnesses, Begins Closing Arguments

@RepRaskin is making his closing argument now:

Trump assembled the mob & lit the flame. He didn't intervene to stop it. There has never been a greater betrayal by a president.

#ImpeachmentTrial #impeachmentTrial2

@RepRaskin Trial lawyers always have to make tough calls, keeping their end goal paramount at all times. The #ImpeachmentTrial's goal shifted from convict Trump to bear witness & inform the public. Because Republicans refuse to convict their monster. Disappointing. Our democracy is weak.

https://twitter.com/joelockhart/status/1360653153834835974

@RepRaskin Democrats reversed course, making the tough call that witnesses won't change the #ImpeachmentTrial's outcome. Witnesses carry risks, especially with bad-faith lawyers like Trump's, who have no qualms lying and distorting.

Unfortunately, this will smell like weakness to 🍌Repubs.

https://twitter.com/PaulaChertok/status/1360658405627600902

@RepRaskin .@RepJoeNeguse: This trial is not borne of hate. It's borne of love—of country. What happened on Jan 6 can happen again. I fear the violence we saw that day is only the beginning. That's why we must rise to the occasion & defend our republic by convicting Trump.
#ImpeachmentTrial

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse It's hard to listen to Trump's silly PI lawyer after the masterclass in the art of legal argument & storytelling by @RepRaskin, and the entire team @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette
@ericswalwell

#ImpeachmentTrial

https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/1360675545055432707

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette @ericswalwell Van der Veen has trouble pronouncing words, but his hit parade of propaganda laced w/ lies are clear, & gross:
—both sides
—antifa
—whatabout left mob
—false narrative
—cancel culture
—fake news
—Dems fabricated evidence
—Ds hate Trump
—fraud
—Hoax
—show trial

#ImpeachmentTrial

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette @ericswalwell The voting has begun. GOP Senator Cassidy: Guilty.

#ImpeachmentTrial

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette @ericswalwell 57-43. Trump is acquitted. A majority of Senators vote GUILTY to convict Trump of inciting a violent insurrection, including 7 Republicans. But a majority is not enough. 67 is required in impeachment trials.

Burr
Cassidy
Collins
Murkowski
Romney
Sasse
Toomey

#ImpeachmentTrial

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette @ericswalwell Schumer: I salute those Republican patriots who did the right thing. It wasn't easy… This is the most bipartisan impeachment trial in history. It is a stain on Donald J. Trump… Let the record show before God, history and our solemn oaths…there is only one just verdict—guilty.

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette @ericswalwell 🧐McConnell is now oddly making the case to convict Trump, although he voted to acquit: There's no question Trump is practically & morally responsible for the Capitol siege. The mob believed his conspiracy theories and reckless lies. #ImpeachmentTrial

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette @ericswalwell Talk about wanting it both ways, 😒McConnell just squirmed his way into a process pretext to acquit Trump. On jurisdiction grounds b/c Trump's not POTUS now. Despite Senate vote on constitutionality before the #ImpeachmentTrial began!

And makes clear Trump is absolutely guilty.

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette @ericswalwell Nancy Pelosi calls out McConnell for creating the pretext to acquit Trump. He put off the impeachment trial until after Jan. 20 & recessed the Senate. And now it's his excuse not to find Trump guilty, while conceding Democrats proved their case to convict him. #ImpeachmentTrial

@RepRaskin @RepJoeNeguse @StaceyPlaskett @MadeleineDean @davidcicilline @tedlieu @Joaqucastro @RepDianaDeGette @ericswalwell .@JoaquinCastrotx: Trump is guilty. He got off on a technicality.

#ImpeachmentTrial