House Democrats have launched into marathon arguments in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, appealing to Republican senators to join them in voting to oust Mr Trump from office to "protect our democracy".
Mr Trump's lawyers sat by, waiting their turn, as the President blasted the proceedings from Davos, threatening to face off with the Democrats by coming to "sit right in the front row and stare at their corrupt faces".
Democrats have 24 hours over three days to prosecute the charges against Mr Trump, trying to win over not just fidgety senators sitting silently in the chamber but an American public, deeply divided over the President and his impeachment in an election year.
Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, outlined what the Democrats contend was the President's "corrupt scheme" to abuse his presidential power and then obstruct the congressional investigation.
He called on senators not to be "cynical" about politics, but to draw on the intent of the nation's Founding Fathers, who provided the remedy of impeachment.
"Over the coming days, we will present to you — and to the American people — the extensive evidence collected during the House's impeachment inquiry into the President's abuse of power," Mr Schiff said.
"You will hear their testimony at the same time as the American people. That is, if you will allow it."
Partisan divides hold firm
Several Republican senators said they had seen no evidence to support the allegations against Mr Trump even though, just 24 hours earlier, they had rejected subpoenas for witnesses and documents.
Democrats, meanwhile, described the evidence against the President as overwhelming but said senators had a duty to gather more and to hear from more witnesses.
Mr Trump, who was in Davos, Switzerland, attending a global economic forum, praised his legal team, and suggested he would be open to his advisers testifying, but said there were "national security" concerns that would stand in the way.
"There's a lot of things I'd like to rebut," Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said at the Capitol, "and we will rebut."
You can catch up on the full events of the day in our live blog below.
ABC/AP
