House Democratic Impeachment Managers Claim Trump Tried To ‘Cheat’ In 2020 Election [Video]

The seven Democratic House impeachment managers began delivering formal arguments against President Donald Trump on the second day of the Senate trial on Wednesday, in a heated proceeding led by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff (D-California). Schiff presented formal oral arguments against Trump, noting that the president needed to be removed from office because he has demonstrated the willingness to “cheat” in the 2020 election.

Trump had become the third U.S. president to be impeached in history after the Democratic House passed two Articles of Impeachment against him – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in December.

Schiff took the stand in the chamber and unveiled supporting details, which bolstered his argument that Trump had abused his power to manipulate Ukraine into helping him cheat in the 2020 election. Article I, abuse of power, charges the president with attempting to coerce a foreign entity for political gain at the expense of his rivals.

Article II, or obstruction of Congress, charges the president with misconduct and obstruction of Congressional efforts to conduct an investigation regarding Article I.

Schiff stated that if the Senate does not remove Trump from office, Trump would permanently damage the necessary checks and balances system which exists between the branches of government. “The president has shown that he believes that he is above the law and scornful of restraint,” he said.

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Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-New York) backed Schiff citing Trump’s firing of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. “Please remember that the object of the president’s Ukraine scheme was to obtain a corrupt advantage for his re-election campaign,” Nadler said. “As we will show, the president went to extraordinary lengths to cheat in the next election. That scheme begins with the attempt to get Ambassador Yovanovitch’ out of the way.'”

Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) pointed the finger at the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. “For this campaign to be truly beneficial to his boss, President Trump, Giuliani needed access to the new government in Ukraine. He dispatched associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, to try to make inroads with the Zelensky team,” Garcia said. “As Giuliani and his associates worked behind the scenes to get access to the new leadership in Ukraine, President Trump was publicly signaling his interest in the investigation.

Schiff called on the 100 members of the Senate, “it is up to you to show the American people and yourselves his confidence and those of the other founders was rightly placed. The Constitution entrusts you to the responsibility of acting as impartial jurors, have a fair trial and weigh the evidence before you, no matter what your party affiliation or vote in the previous election or the next. Our duty is to the Constitution and the rule of law.”

“It is up to you to be the tribunal Hamilton envisioned,” Schiff said, quoting founding father Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Papers.

Article by Emily Bevacqua