The Story
President Trump's impeachment trial could be coming to an end.
What do you mean?
First, a quick reminder of how we got here. Last year, the House impeached Trump over his dealings with Ukraine. This year, the Senate kicked off its trial. Impeachment managers and the president's legal team presented their case for and against conviction in front of the Senate. Then there were 16 hours of questions.
Who went first?
The impeachment managers aka House Democrats. They relied on new and old evidence to support their arguments to convict Trump. And focused on:
Abuse of power…as in the first charge against Trump. Democrats argued that he abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival – former VP Joe Biden (and his son, Hunter) – while withholding military aid to the country. It's a narrative that former national security adviser John Bolton's unpublished book seems to support.
Obstruction of Congress...as in the second charge against Trump. Democrats argued that he obstructed Congress by blocking documents and witnesses during the House's investigation.
And Trump's legal team?
Trump's defense team argued the charges don't amount to impeachable offenses, and focused more on:
Quid pro quo…as in, one of Trump's lawyers argued that a president running for reelection cannot be impeached for quid pro quo if it's done in the best interest of the country.
The Bidens...as in, they argued that Trump didn't "specifically" ask Ukraine to investigate the Bidens, but instead asked for an investigation into the firing of a prosecutor investigating Burisma (a company Hunter Biden was on the board of).
Partisanship…as in, they claimed this impeachment was just an effort by Dems to overturn the results of the 2016 election and interfere in 2020's.
What happens now?
Today, the Senate will vote on whether to allow witnesses into the trial – something Dems have pushed for. Those calls grew after news of Bolton's unpublished manuscript came to light. But Dems still need four Republican senators to vote with them for this to happen – and only two seem ready to do it. If the vote passes, the trial continues. If not, the Senate could vote as early as today on whether to convict the president and remove him from office...or not. With a Republican-majority Senate, all bets are on acquittal.
theSkimm
Trump is the third-ever US president to be impeached. As early as today, the country could find out whether he's convicted or acquitted of the charges leveled against him. It's a decision that – whether it comes today or not – could reverberate over the course of this year's election, and for years to come.
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