Democrats accuse Trump at impeachment trial of corrupt scheme to pressure Ukraine
US Rep. Mark Meadows
Democratsaccused President DonaldTrumpat hisimpeachmenttrialon Wednesday of acorruptschemetopressureUkraineto help him get re-elected and warned that America's global prestige would suffer if the USSenate acquits him.
The RepublicanTrump, who has denied wrongdoing, sounded a defiant note, telling reporters in Switzerland theDemocratsdid not have enough evidence to find him guilty and remove him from office.
In a two-hour opening argument for the prosecution after days of procedural wrangling, USRepresentative Adam Schiff saidTrumphad pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and Biden's son on unsubstantiatedcorruption charges last year.
"To implement thiscorruptscheme, PresidentTrumppressured the president ofUkraineto publicly announce investigations into two discredited allegations that would benefit PresidentTrump's 2020 presidential campaign," said Schiff, leading the HouseDemocrats' prosecution team of “managers."
The Democratic team pressed its case againstTrumpin eight hours of arguments, which will resume on Thursday.
They contend thatTrumpwas trying to find dirt on Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination for the November election, and his son Hunter Biden who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, to help the president win a second term.
Trumpwas impeached last month by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for his dealings withUkraineand impeding the inquiry into the matter.
Trumpis almost certain to be acquitted by the Republican-controlled 100-member Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed to remove him from office. But thetrial's effect on his re-election bid is unclear.
His fellow Republicans in the Senate say his behavior does not fit the description of "high crimes and misdemeanors" outlined in the USConstitution as a reason to oust a USpresident.
"We believe without question that the president will be acquitted,"Trumplawyer Jay Sekulow told reporters at the end of Wednesday's session.
Democratshave two more days to make their case.Trump's defense team will have three days after that for rebuttal in atrialthat could potentially conclude next week.
The case againstTrumpis focused on a July 25 telephone call in which he asked Zelenskiy to open acorruption investigation into the Bidens as well as a discredited theory thatUkraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 USelection. USmilitary aid toUkrainewas frozen for a period of time.
"We have the evidence to prove PresidentTrumpordered the aid withheld, he did so to forceUkraineto help his re-election campaign ... we can and will prove PresidentTrumpguilty of this conduct and of obstructing the investigation into his conduct," Schiff said as the day concluded.
Making references to 18th century USfounding father Alexander Hamilton and the late Republican President Ronald Reagan, Schiff said the world was watching.
"For how can any country trust the United States as a model of governance if it's one that sanctions precisely the politicalcorruption and invitation to foreign meddling that we have long sought to eradicate in burgeoning democracies around the world?"
He said senators would "also undermine our global standing" if they did not oustTrumpthree years into his tumultuous presidency.
Tuesday's start of theimpeachmenttrialdrew about 11 million TV viewers, according to Nielsen ratings data, a figure that fell short of the roughly 13.8 million who watched last November for the first day of the Houseimpeachmentinquiry intoTrump.
It is the third presidentialimpeachmenttrialin UShistory. The opening days have been dominated by arguments over Democratic requests for more witnesses and records.
TheTrumpadministration has not complied with subpoenas for documents and has urged officials like former national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to participate in theimpeachmentinvestigation.
A Reuters-Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found a bipartisan majority of Americans wanting to see new witnesses testify in theimpeachmenttrial.
It said about 72per centagreed that thetrial"should allow witnesses with firsthand knowledge of theimpeachmentcharges to testify," including 84per centofDemocratsand 69 per centof Republicans.
In Davos, Switzerland,Trumptold reporters at the World Economic Forum that he was happy with the way thetrialwas going.
"I thought our team did a very good job. But honestly, we have all the material. They don't have the material,"Trumpsaid.
Democratic USRepresentative Val Demings, one of the Houseimpeachmentmanagers, saidTrump's comment amounted to boasting about obstruction of Congress.
"This morning, the president not only confessed to it, but he also bragged about it: 'Honestly, we have all the material. They don't have the material,'" she said.
But a senior administration official asked to explain whatTrumpwas referring to, said: "What he's clearly saying is we have all the facts on our side, and those facts prove he's done nothing wrong."
Trumpsaid allowing Bolton to testify at thetrialwould present national security concerns.
"He knows some of my thoughts, he knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals what I think about a certain leader and it's not very positive?"Trumpsaid.
Bolton, a foreign policy hawk who was fired byTrumplast year, has disdainfully described theUkrainepressurecampaign as a "drug deal" and testimony from him could be awkward for the president.
A parade of current and former officials spoke at Houseimpeachmenthearings last year of a coordinatedTrumpeffort topressureUkraine.
But those televised hearings did little to change support for and againstTrump'simpeachment. Reuters/Ipsos polling since the inquiry began showsDemocratsand Republicans responding largely along party lines.