U.S. Democratic lawmakers laid out their case Friday on the obstruction of Congress charge against President Donald Trump as they wrapped up their final day of closing arguments in Trump's historic Senate impeachment trial, paving the way for Trump's legal team to present his defense.
Trump is facing two articles of impeachment that accuse him of abusing the office of the presidency and obstructing congressional efforts to investigate his actions related to Ukraine.
"At the heart of Article Two, obstruction of Congress, is a simple troubling reality: President Trump tried to cheat, he got caught, and then he worked hard to cover it up," said Hakeem Jeffries, one of seven House Democrats who are serving as managers of the trial.
Jeffries said Trump administration officials were aware of the president's alleged misconduct last year.
House impeachment manager Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 24, 2020, in this image taken from video.
"By July of 2019, White House officials were aware of serious allegations of misconduct by President Trump regarding Ukraine. But instead of halting the president's corrupt scheme, they worked overtime to conceal it from the American people," Jeffries said.
Trump is accused of pressuring Ukraine to open a corruption investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden — a major Democratic challenger to Trump's reelection bid this year.
The president also allegedly withheld military aid to Ukraine unless President Volodymyr Zelenskiy publicly announced a probe into Biden and his son's lucrative job with a Ukrainian gas company. No evidence against the Bidens ever surfaced.
"The aid was ultimately lifted on September 11," said House manager Jason Crow, "but it wasn't lifted for any legitimate reason. It was only lifted because President Trump had gotten caught."
Lead House manager Adam Schiff said earlier this week that all Trump cared about was investigating Biden, especially after early polls showed the former vice president would soundly beat Trump in the election.
House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks to reporters on the fourth day of the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 24, 2020.
Florida's Val Demings said Republicans believe the only thing Democrats are worried about is winning the next election and keeping Trump from a second term. She said the case is truly about making sure the vote of every American matters.
Trump and his lawyers were invited to appear before the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment inquiry, but declined.
Once the Democratic impeachment managers have finished the last day of opening arguments, the president's legal team is set to begin three days of laying out its case on Saturday.
"After having been treated unbelievably unfairly in the House ... looks like my lawyers will be forced to start on Saturday, which is called Death Valley in T.V.," Trump said early Friday in one of a series of tweets.
Witnesses, documents
As their closing arguments continued, Democrats remained concerned they may not have won the support of four Republican senators needed to bring witnesses and documents to trial, a development that could see the trial end next week.
An intense battle along party lines over witnesses and documentation has been under way for weeks, with much of the focus on Republican Senators Lamar Alexander, Susan Collins, Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski.
Murkowski said Thursday on Twitter the rules governing the trial allow for the "Senate to decide whether or not we need more information" after closing arguments and a 16-hour session allowing senators to question House managers.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) returns to the Senate Chamber after a break as the impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump continues in Washington, Jan. 23, 2020.
"I have sworn an oath as all members of the Senate have to deliver impartial justice under the Constitution and the law," Murkowski said. "And, in my view, what that requires is that we listen to both sides. We then have an opportunity to present our questions and then after that, if we determine that we need more information we will have that opportunity to do so," Murkowski said.
Conviction unlikely
Trump has said throughout the process he did nothing wrong in his discussions with Zelenskiy, frequently describing a half-hour phone call that is central to impeachment trial as "perfect."
A Trump conviction is highly unlikely in the Senate, where Trump's Republican Party holds a 53-47 majority and impeachment rules require a two-thirds vote for conviction in order to remove him from office. Democrats would need to convince 20 Republicans to vote for conviction, and no Republican has yet called for his removal from office.
Trump eventually released the military aid to Ukraine and Zelenskiy never opened an investigation into the Bidens — proof, Republicans say, that Trump did not engage in a quid pro quo with Ukraine — the Biden probes in exchange for the defense assistance.
But Schiff said Trump only released the funds because "he got caught," when a still unidentified intelligence whistleblower filed a complaint that Trump in the July 25 telephone call asked Zelenskiy to "do us a favor," to start the investigation against Biden.
Trump is only the third U.S. president to be impeached and tried before the Senate. Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 because of a post-Civil War dispute over states that seceded from the union.
Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 for lying to a grand jury over a sex scandal. Both Johnson and Clinton were acquitted and remained in office until the end of their terms.