WASHINGTON, DC — House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) argued on Tuesday that a refusal by the Senate to agree to Democrats’ demand to allow new witnesses and evidence in the impeachment trial without a vote would deem President Donald Trump guilty regardless of the verdict.
In other words, if the Republican-led Senate does not carry out the impeachment trial the way the Democrats want it to, Trump will be considered guilty even if the upper chamber acquits him. A guilty verdict in the Senate would remove Trump from office.
Schiff told reporters:
If the Senate and the senate leadership … will not allow the calling of witnesses or the presentation of documents, If [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell makes this the first impeachment trial in history without witnesses or documents, it will not prove the president innocent. It will merely prove the Senate guilty of working with the president to obstruct the truth from coming out, so I do think that by structuring the trial this way, it furthers our case that what’s going on here really is a cover-up of evidence to the American people.
Dem rising star’s SOTU rebuttal ripped by conservatives: ‘Anyone who claims she is a “moderate” is a liar’
Trump’s former Ukraine envoy criticizes US abstention on UN peace vote
WATCH: Fiery Brit Squares Up to Muslim and Savages Islamism to His Face – “Every Inch of This Land Is Mine”
CNN Poll: Majority of Viewers Felt More Optimistic About America’s Future After Watching Trump’s Speech
Trump Excoriates Democrats for Supporting Child Mutilation During SOTU Speech: ‘These People Are Crazy’
Dem Protests to SOTU: Bad Singing, Radical Giraffe Furries, Fake Tears, Pro-Trump Crashers, and Almost Zero Audience
Voters react as Trump calls Dems ‘crazy’ for not applauding ban on secret teen gender transitions
Trump hands to-do list to Congress with 7 priorities during State of the Union address
Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor saw suspicious man walking nearby 2 weeks before suspected abduction
Trump celebrates ‘turnaround for the ages’ in State of the Union address and more top headlines
Trump’s ‘home run’ SOTU speech sparks praise from conservatives online while leaving Democrats seething
Fox Nation releasing four-part documentary on David: King of Israel
Jasmine Crockett trashes Trump, boycotts his speech: ‘The current state of our union is grim’
House Democrats ignore Hakeem Jeffries’ plea to sit silent at State of the Union
Car barrels into crowd outside California bar, gunfire erupts in chaotic scene caught on video
While McConnell says his newly unveiled resolution outlining the rules that will govern the Senate trial makes the process fair, Schiff argues otherwise, saying the guidelines “make it impossible to hear a fair trial.”
The Senate, nevertheless, is expected to approve the resolution.
Speaking from the Senate’s floor on Tuesday, McConnell noted that the resolution that lays out the rules for how Senators will carry out the impeachment trial allows for a vote on whether both parties can introduce new evidence and witnesses.
McConnell made it clear that he will not pre-commit to allowing new evidence before hearing the Democrats’ arguments for convicting Trump. Moreover, he acknowledged that no one pushed the House’s hand to rush the impeachment inquiry, noting that they could have waited for more evidence if they thought it necessary.
Dem rising star’s SOTU rebuttal ripped by conservatives: ‘Anyone who claims she is a “moderate” is a liar’
Trump’s former Ukraine envoy criticizes US abstention on UN peace vote
WATCH: Fiery Brit Squares Up to Muslim and Savages Islamism to His Face – “Every Inch of This Land Is Mine”
CNN Poll: Majority of Viewers Felt More Optimistic About America’s Future After Watching Trump’s Speech
Trump Excoriates Democrats for Supporting Child Mutilation During SOTU Speech: ‘These People Are Crazy’
Dem Protests to SOTU: Bad Singing, Radical Giraffe Furries, Fake Tears, Pro-Trump Crashers, and Almost Zero Audience
Voters react as Trump calls Dems ‘crazy’ for not applauding ban on secret teen gender transitions
Trump hands to-do list to Congress with 7 priorities during State of the Union address
Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor saw suspicious man walking nearby 2 weeks before suspected abduction
Trump celebrates ‘turnaround for the ages’ in State of the Union address and more top headlines
Trump’s ‘home run’ SOTU speech sparks praise from conservatives online while leaving Democrats seething
Fox Nation releasing four-part documentary on David: King of Israel
Jasmine Crockett trashes Trump, boycotts his speech: ‘The current state of our union is grim’
House Democrats ignore Hakeem Jeffries’ plea to sit silent at State of the Union
Car barrels into crowd outside California bar, gunfire erupts in chaotic scene caught on video
McConnell stressed that the GOP-led Senate would not do the Democrat-controlled House’s investigation.
Key congressmen have recently threatened to call new witnesses to testify in the House if the Senate does take their deposition. They have also said they are continuing with their impeachment inquiry. Their comments came after House Democrats transmitted the two articles of impeachment — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — to the Senate, a move that is supposed to end the House’s role in the impeachment process.
Story cited here.
