Credit score...Artwork Lien for The New York Instances4 Democratic senators running for president — Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy
4 Democratic senators running for president — Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Michael Bennet — have been dashing between the campaign trail and the impeachment trial in Washington. The frantic schedule seemed to be catching up with Mr. Sanders, who’s main current polls in Iowa.
The courtroom artist Artwork Lien has been protecting the trial for The New York Instances. See all of Mr. Lien’s drawings here.
As he campaigns to reclaim his former Senate seat in Alabama, the previous legal professional normal Jeff Periods has been making an attempt laborious to restore his relationship with President Trump since he fired him in 2018. He seems to consider the saga of John R. Bolton may assist.
Mr. Periods posted a collection of ideas on Twitter on Wednesday because the trial was unfolding, contrasted himself with Mr. Bolton, the president’s former nationwide safety adviser. His message boiled right down to this: I had each motive to gripe publicly, Mr. President, however I didn’t!
“With regard to the @AmbJohnBolton state of affairs, let me simply say this: I didn’t write a ebook or go on CNN or criticize @realDonaldTrump for three VERY IMPORTANT REASONS…” Mr. Periods wrote.
First, discretion is “the honorable factor to do,” he mentioned. Second, talking out is “an act of disloyalty to the administration one serves.” And third, it “units a really damaging and harmful precedent” that might undermine the power of the president to have “candid” conversations together with his aides, Mr. Periods mentioned.
Mr. Periods, notably, didn’t embrace amongst his causes that he had no criticisms for Mr. Trump.
Mr. Periods is concerned in a aggressive Republican major race in Alabama. An endorsement from Mr. Trump, his former boss, may very well be decisive and the candidate has mentioned he’ll ”work for” it.
The senators wrapped after greater than two hours of uninterrupted questions, together with the occasional cross-examination by Republicans of the Democratic Home managers and by Democrats of President Trump’s attorneys.
Not less than just a few of the questions handed over by senators appeared typed, somewhat than handwritten, although with some cross outs and additions in pen.
The questioning may go deep into the night time.
Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska collectively raised one of many extra attention-grabbing questions of the afternoon: At what level did President Trump resolve that Ukraine wanted to research former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son, Hunter Biden?
Patrick Philbin, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, didn’t reply instantly. However he tried to recommend that the president’s curiosity was not prompted by Mr. Biden’s announcement in late April that he was operating for president.
Mr. Trump’s private lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani apparently briefed the president on Ukraine, he mentioned. And “months earlier than Vice President Biden introduced his candidacy, Mr. Giuliani is wanting into this difficulty and interviewing individuals and getting info.”
He additionally mentioned that no matter Mr. Giuliani instructed Mr. Trump was protected by attorney-client privilege, which means that even Mr. Trump’s crew may acknowledge he can be of restricted use as a witness. That’s notable as a result of one other protection lawyer, Jane Raskin, particularly criticized the Home managers for by no means subpoenaing him to testify.
Because the minority chief, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, performed down the chance of witnesses within the impeachment trial, a recent wave of protesters appeared on the Capitol to press for witnesses and new proof.
The few dozen demonstrators, organized by the advocacy group Refuse Fascism, chanted, “Trump, Pence, out now,” accompanied by the beat of a drum. A few dozen officers from the Capitol Police herded them off the pavement and onto the grounds of a park close by.
“The concept you will have a jury, a Senate coordinating in lock step with the defendant, working to suppress proof, to suppress witnesses — that’s not justice,” mentioned Sunsara Taylor, a co-founder of the group. “That’s a sham. That is illegitimate.”
After about 30 minutes, the demonstrators started to march by way of the town. They plan to return daily till the trial concludes, Ms. Taylor mentioned.
Because the questioning started on Wednesday, yet one more Republican, Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, made it official: He wouldn’t vote for witnesses and paperwork. Mr. Gardner was by no means a number one…