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Vivian Ho in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (previously)

Democrats say impeachment case 'has been proved' as they make final pitch – as it happened

Live coverage of Trump’s impeachment trial continues on Saturday’s blog:

Evening summary

  • Day 4 of the impeachment trial, and Democrats wrapped up their presentation with impeachment manager Adam Schiff calling on Republicans to exercise “moral courage”. “Give America a fair trial,” he said. “She’s worth it.”
  • Schiff rattled some Republicans by alluding to a CBS News report that alleged Republican senators were warned: “Vote against the president, and your head will be on a pike.” “Methinks doth thou protest too much,” Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said, of the Republican reaction to Schiff’s remarks.
  • Everyone is preparing for the president’s legal team to take the floor of the impeachment trial on Saturday morning, with Schiff anticipating some of their tactics. Jay Sekulow, attorney for Donald Trump, told reporters that the impeachment managers “decided to not just open the door, but kick the door open on the Burisma-Biden matter.”
  • Elsewhere, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly reacted furiously when hed learned that Ukraine was of interest to the American public. He reportedly swore at NPR host Mary Louise Kelly and forced her to point out Ukraine on a map for him.

Thanks for tuning in, everyone. As we head into Day 5 of the impeachment trial, starting at 10am EST, please follow us for updates - and live long and prosper.

Because everybody needs a hug after this week.

Most of the Republican ire focused in on the reference to the “head on a pike” threat. But others were also not that impressed with impeachment manager Adam Schiff for other reasons:

With the eyes on Washington on the impeachment trial, Tulsi Gabbard goes on Fox.

ABC News has posted audio from the recording in which Donald Trump purportedly talks about firing then-US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch a year before she was recalled from Kyiv.

“Get rid of her!” said a voice that appears to be Trump’s voice. “Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.”

Yovanovitch was recalled from Kyiv over what she called “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives”.

As we prepare to head into Day 5 of the impeachment trial tomorrow morning, the brilliant Matthew Cantor has a rundown of all the ways the senators are getting through the proceedings:

If you want the full account of the impeachment trial today, my colleague Tom McCarthy has the details:

In non-impeachment news, if you were wondering what Marianne Williamson was up to these days since dropping out of the presidential race, well, here she is with Andrew Yang:

Here’s some more reaction to Schiff’s allusion to the alleged “head on a pike” comment:

Updated

CBS News reported last night that Republican senators were very threateningly warned: “Vote against the president, and your head will be on a pike.”

Impeachment manager Adam Schiff alluded to this in his closing remarks.
“I don’t know if that’s true, but when I read that I was struck by the irony,” he said. “I hope it’s not true. But I was struck by the irony of the idea that when we’re talking about a president who would make himself a monarch, that whoever it was that said that would use a penalty that was posed by a monarch.”

Outside Senate chambers, the Republican Senator James Lankford told reporters that the president never told Republican senators that their heads would be on a pike if they voted against him (note: CBS News never outright states if the warning came from the president himself).

“None of us have been told that by the president,” Lankford said. “I was visibly upset by it, the whole room was visibly upset by it.”

The Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown thought the reaction from the Republican senators spoke of something else.

“The fact when Adam Schiff said that about the head on a pike, that was the only time I heard a loud audible reaction from the Republican side,” Brown told reporters. “Methinks thou doth protest too much.”

“They’re afraid to do the right thing here,” Brown said.

Updated

It appears to be the Tweeting Hour for Donald Trump, who continued on his retweet tirade, who has reposted six more tweets along with two more original tweets hyping up Sean Hannity.

“Give America a fair trial,” impeachment manager Adam Schiff said, wrapping up the Democrats’ opening statements. “She’s worth it.”

And just like that, Senate has adjourned for the night. The impeachment trial continues tomorrow morning.

Updated

As impeachment manager Adam Schiff continues to talk, Donald Trump has gone on a retweeting frenzy. He reposted a tweet of his from earlier today, as well as one from the Senate Republicans account, and one each from Republican senators John Barrasso and Marsha Blackburn.

After hours of impeachment trial this week:

Politico is reporting that “a small minority” of Republican senators may “end up mildly criticizing president’s behavior in requesting investigations into Joe Biden and delaying military aid to Ukraine”.

“But any expressions of disapproval are muted, or explained away as an honest mistake by a frustrated president who just wanted to fight corruption in Ukraine.”

“I do things every week that are inappropriate. So no, I’m not going to go down that road,” Senator Roger Wicker told Politico. “This is a constitutional remedy that was designed for the most extreme of cases and we’re just not anywhere in that [ball] park.”

Updated

While we were all busy at the impeachment trial, the White House was tweeting about Donald Trump accepting that Russia meddled in the 2016 election.

But the clip tweeted out on the official White House account was from July 2018.

Schiff is now going point by point over what he anticipates the White House will say tomorrow.

Schiff warned that the legal team will attack the impeachment managers, “those managers are just awful, they’re terrible people, especially that Schiff guy, he’s the worst, he’s the worst.” He warned that they will try to distract with Biden and Burisma, corruption and burden-sharing, and question the motives of the whistleblower.

“Do you want to know why the president is mad at the whistleblower?” Schiff said. “Because but for the whistleblower, he wouldn’t have been caught. And that is an unforgivable sin.”

Schiff: That has been proved

Impeachment manager Adam Schiff read out each allegation laid out against President Trump in the articles of impeachment, ending each statement with, “That has been proved”.

“The facts have been proved,” Schiff said. “Those facts are not contested. We have met our burden.”

This portion of the impeachment trial is winding down, with Schiff taking the floor to lay out the significance of this particular trial. As noted many, many times by the Democrats, this is the first president in history to defy an impeachment inquiry in the way Trump has, by ordering various members of his administration to not comply with congressional subpoenas.

Article 1 of the articles of impeachment focuses on abuse of power, and Article 2 focuses on obstruction of Congress. Schiff said there will be no more Article 1 with no Article 2 this time around - that if the Senate does not hold the president accountable for obstruction of Congress, Congress will never have the power of impeachment again.

“As I said before, our relationship with Ukraine will survive,” Schiff said. “God willing, our relationship with Ukraine will survive and Ukraine will prosper and we will get beyond this ugly chapter in our history. But if we’re to decide here that a president of the United States can simply say, under Article 2 I can do whatever I want and I don’t have to treat a branch of this government like it exists...that will be an unending injury to this country.”

Senator Tim Kaine gets carded outside the impeachment trial.

While we were watching the impeachment trial, Donald Trump was accepting that Russia meddled in the 2016 election.

“I have felt very strongly that while Russia’s actions had no impact at all on the outcome of the election, let me be totally clear in saying, and I’ve said this many times, I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place,” Trump said.

“There was no collusion,” he added.

Jay Sekulow, attorney for President Trump, addressed the media during the dinner recess: “Look, for whatever reason, the house managers decided to not just open the door, but kick the door open on the Burisma-Biden matter,” he said, hinting at what his focus will be during the impeachment trial.

In addressing the situation with former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, whom Trump was caught on recording calling to be removed, Sekulow said, “An ambassador serves at the pleasure of the president. You know who said that? The ambassador herself.”

Just before the dinner recess, impeachment manager Hakeem Jeffries spoke about the president’s procedural complaints.

“The constitution provides the House with the sole power of impeachment and the sole authority to determine the rules of its proceedings,” he said. “Given the constitution’s priority on this point, the president’s argument that he can engage in blanket obstruction is just dead wrong.”

Back to the impeachment trial. Impeachment manager Zoe Lofgren is on the floor, talking about precedents set by the impeachment process of Richard Nixon as well as presidents’ general obligation to comply with impeachment inquiries.

“Presidents are still free to raise privacy, national security or other concerns in the course of an impeachment inquiry,” she said. “But when a president abuses his office, abuses his power, to completely defy house investigators’ impeachment inquiry, when he does that without lawful cause or excuse, he attacks the constitution itself. When he does that, he confirms that he sees himself as above the law.”

Updated

NPR has posted the transcript to the interview that the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, is reportedly furious about:

I just want to give you another opportunity to answer this, because as you know, people who work for you in your department, people who have resigned from this department under your leadership, saying you should stand up for the diplomats who work here. [crosstalk]

I don’t know who these unnamed sources are you’re referring to. I can tell you this, when I talked to my team here --

These are not unnamed sources. [crosstalk] This is your senior adviser Michael McKinley, a career foreign service officer with four decades experience, who testified under oath that he resigned in part due to the failure of the state department to offer support to foreign service employees caught up in the impeachment inquiry on Ukraine.

I’m not going to comment on things that Mr McKinley may have said. I’ll say only this. I have defended every state department official. We’ve built a great team. The team that works here is doing amazing work around the world.

Sir, respectfully [crosstalk] where have you defended Marie Yovanovitch?

I’ve defended every single person on this team. I’ve done what’s right for every single person on this team. [crosstalk]

Can you point me toward your remarks where you have defended Marie Yovanovitch?

I’ve said all I’m going to say today. Thank you. Thanks for the repeated opportunity to do so. I appreciate that.

Updated

Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, was reportedly furious about host Mary Louise Kelly daring to ask him about Ukraine on All Things Considered.

Updated

The impeachment manager Jerry Nadler takes the floor to talk about the administration not complying with congressional subpoenas.

“If the president chooses to ignore our subpoena, our power as a branch of government, our ability to do our jobs, our ability to keep an administration in check, our ability to make sure the American people are represented by a congress and not just a president, are diminished,” he said.

“We must act,” he continued. “Is there a consequence for a president that defies our subpoenas absolutely, who says to all branches of the administration, ‘Do not obey a congressional subpoena, categorically’?”

Updated

So there’s much to-do over the new logo for the US space force, which for better or for worse, looks an awful lot like the Star Trek Starfleet Command logo.

But it appears the United States has been all about that “live long and prosper” life for a while now.

Updated

Hello all, Vivian Ho on the west coast, taking you through all the US politics developments this evening, with the focus on the impeachment trial. I’m taking the baton from my colleagues Joan E Greve and Maanvi Singh, who have been keeping everyone up to date on the drama in the impeachment trial so far this week.

Updated

Evening summary

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Vivian Ho, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • House impeachment managers wrapped up their opening arguments about the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, and are now making their case for the second article, obstruction of Congress. Today is the Democrats’ final day to present opening arguments.
  • Concluding the managers’ opening arguments about the first article, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff said Trump represented an “imminent threat to the integrity of our democracy.”
  • ABC News published a report about a 2018 recording appearing to show Trump calling for the removal of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch, whose ouster has become a key issue in the impeachment trial.
  • The Pentagon confirmed 34 US soldiers suffered concussions or traumatic brain injuries from the Iranian missile strike in Iraq, contradicting Trump’s earlier statements that there were no casualties.
  • Trump unveiled the new logo for the US Space Force, which prompted instant comparisons to the “Star Trek” logo.

Vivian will have more updates and analysis as the impeachment trial continues, so stay tuned.

Concluding her presentation about Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress, impeachment manager Sylvia Garcia said Trump’s actions were “beyond comparison.”

“This president should be removed,” Garcia said.

She then ceded the floor to fellow impeachment manager Zoe Lofgren, who has jumped into a presentation about Trump’s efforts to keep administration officials from cooperating with the House impeachment inquiry.

Almost immediately after Trump unveiled the new logo for the US Space Force, Twitter pointed out its many similarities to the logo for a certain fictional space fleet.

George Takei, one of the stars of “Star Trek,” quickly jumped into the conversation to suggest the Trump administration pay the cast “royalties.”

Trump unveils Space Force logo

As impeachment managers accuse his of orchestrating a cover-up to conceal his impeachable actions toward Ukraine, Trump is busy unveiling the new logo for the US Space Force.

The massive defense spending bill Trump signed last month created the Space Force, which he has been pushing for since early 2018.

Trump’s signature made the Space Force the sixth branch of the US military, the first new service since the creation of the Air Force in 1947.

Updated

Garcia says Trump 'orchestrated a cover-up'

Impeachment manager Sylvia Garcia accused Trump of committing obstruction of Congress in a “historic fashion.”

“In other words, he orchestrated a cover-up, and he did it in plain sight,” Garcia said.

The Texas Democrat pointed to three key points to demonstrate Trump’s obstruction: his refusal to turn over the initial whistleblower complaint, his instructions to administration officials not to cooperate with the House inquiry and his attacks on key impeachment witnesses.

Presenting impeachment managers’ arguments about Trump’s alleged obstruction of Congress, Val Demings said, “We must stop this president.”

Demings outlined the managers’ planned arguments, saying they would show Trump “took extraodinary measures” to obstruct Congress and committed impeachable offenses that merit his removal from office.

Demings has now stepped off the floor, and fellow manager Sylvia Garcia has taken the podium.

Impeachment managers begin arguments on obstruction of Congress

The Senate trial has resumed, and impeachment managers are now moving on to the second article of impeachment, obstruction Congress.

Impeachment manager Val Demings kicked off her team’s opening arguments on the second article of impeachment, calling Trump’s refusal to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry “categorical, indiscriminate and historically unprecedented.”

“This was a declaration of total defiance of the House’s authority to investigate credible allegations of the president’s misconduct and a wholesale rejection of the Congress’ ability to hold the president accountable,” Demings said.

Jay Sekulow, one of the president’s lawyers, confirmed that they intend to present opening arguments for three hours tomorrow morning.

Trump’s legal team will also have Monday and Tuesday to present their opening arguments. The president said in a tweet today that Saturday was considered “Death Valley” for TV ratings, which he reportedly tracks very closely.

The Senate trial is still in a brief recess, but Trump ally Lindsey Graham used the break to tell reporters that the Senate judicicary committee, which he leads, might investigate Joe Biden and his son’s connections to Ukraine.

The South Carolina Republican complained about no other body probing the baseless corruption claims peddled by the president and his allies. “If I have to, I will do it,” Graham told reporters.

Interestingly, Graham said earlier today that he would not support a subpoena of Hunter Biden if the Senate decided to call new witnesses for the trial.

The impeachment managers spent an additional two and a half hours today presenting opening arguments on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power.

The managers spent nine hours yesterday detailing Trump’s alleged abuse of power and have now spent more than 11 collective hours focusing on the first article of impeachment.

When the Senate trial resumes, the managers are expected to begin making their opening arguments about the second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress.

Schiff concludes presentation on abuse of power article of impeachment

Closing the impeachment managers’ opening arguments about the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, Adam Schiff warned that Trump “remains a threat to national security and the constitution.”

The California congressman described the president as an “imminent threat to the integrity of our democracy” and predicted he would abuse his power again.

“He is who he is,” Schiff said. “That will not change and nor will the danger associated with him.”

Schiff then yielded back to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, who called for a 15-minute recess.

Moments ago, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff appealed to the senators acting as jurors in the impeachment trial by asking them to imagine if Trump had asked for them to be investigated by a foreign power.

“Do you think for a moment that any of you, no matter what your relationship is with this president, no matter how close you are to this president, do you think for a moment that if he felt it was in his interest he wouldn’t ask you to be investigated?” Schiff asked.

Schiff warns Trump is 'still trying to cheat in the next election'

Delivering a fiery denunciation of the sitting president, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff warned that Trump’s abuse of power, the first article of impeachment, is “continuing.”

“[Trump] is still trying to cheat in the next election,” Schiff said. “Do you think it’s going to stop now? It’s not going to stop unless the Congress does something about it.”

The California congressman again warned that Trump posed a threat to American democracy. “You cannot leave a man like that in office when you think he violated the constitution,” Schiff said.

Schiff plays clip from Trump-Putin press conference

Lead impeachment manger Adam Schiff just played a clip from Trump’s 2018 press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In that Helsinki press conference, Trump cast doubt upon the US intelligence community’s conclusion that the Kremlin had interfered in the 2016 election and instead peddled a baseless claim about a missing DNC “server.”

Schiff described the moment as “breathtaking” and “the most incredible propaganda coup” for Russian intelligence. “Whatever profile Russia did of our president, boy did they have it spot on,” Schiff said.

That assessment was echoed by a New Yorker staff writer who co-authored a book about Putin’s rise to power:

Senator Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign said in a memo Friday that the candidate is preparing for an extended fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, going through the early primary contests and even beyond.

Elizabeth Warren speaks to the media at the Capitol.
Elizabeth Warren speaks to the media at the Capitol. Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

“We expect this to be a long nomination fight and have built our campaign to sustain well past Super Tuesday and stay resilient no matter what breathless media narratives come when voting begins,” campaign manager Roger Lau writes in the memo sent to supporters.

The memo, released to the general public on Friday, comes a few weeks before the Iowa caucuses. That contest is valued as an early springboard for any presidential candidate.

The memo suggests that the Warren campaign is ready to stay in the race even if it doesn’t place well in Iowa or the subsequent primaries in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

Recent polling has shown Senator Bernie Sanders and former vice-president Joe Biden gaining ground in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Lau said that the campaign has grown to 1,000 across 31 states and Washington D.C. Oftentimes campaigns move staff out of early primary states after those contests are decided. Lau said that would not happen in Iowa.

“This means that as we build our campaign to win delegates in every state and territory to secure the Democratic nomination, we’re doing it with an eye towards sustaining it through the general election,” Lau continued.

“For instance, after the very first contest, we will keep staff on the ground and offices open in Iowa. For states that will be part of Elizabeth Warren’s path to victory in the Electoral College, it’s especially critical that we don’t lose momentum or stall the infrastructure after the primary has passed when we have a chance to keep building for the even bigger contest in November.”

He also took a subtle dig at former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and billionaire Tom Steyer, two of Warren’s rivals who have poured their personal fortunes into the race.

“We knew that this primary process was never going to be easy. We also know that you can’t just stand up an organization overnight or buy your way to the nomination,” Lau added. “While billionaires may be able to buy their way into the conversation, it will be a broad, grassroots effort and organization that delivers the Democratic nomination.”

Schiff calls for 'revolution of dignity'

Speaking on the Senate floor, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff reflected upon the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, which resulted in the ouster of then-president Viktor Yanukovych.

Schiff noted the uprising was also known as the “Revolution of Dignity.” “Maybe that’s what we need here at home,” Schiff said. “A revolution of dignity. A revolution of civility.”

Lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff warned that the Trump administration’s freeze on Ukrainian military assistance jeaopardized the crucial alliance between Washington and Kyiv.

“Colleagues, this is how alliances wither and die,” Schiff said. “This is how Russia wins.”

Schiff noted that the Trump administration backed Ukrainian military assistance in 2017 and 2018, but he said the White House had abandoned that support last year because officials were prioritizing the president’s electoral prospects.

“If our allies cannot trust us to stand behind them in a time of need, we will not have a single ally left,” Schiff warned.

Schiff quotes McCain to explain importance of US-Ukrainian alliance

To underscore the significance of the US-Ukrainian alliance, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff quoted a Republican lawmaker who also appreciated the importance of Ukraine: the late senator John McCain.

“We are all Ukrainians,” McCain said in 2014 in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. “This is a chess match reminiscent of the Cold War and we need to realize that and act accordingly.”

Concluding his team’s presentation about the abuse of power article of impeachment, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff offered an explanation about the importance of the US-Ukrainian alliance.

The House intelligence committee chairman said Ukraine was a key ally in “fighting our fight against authoritarianism.”

“At least that used to be our fight,” Schiff said. “And God help us if it’s not our fight still.”

Lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff just said he would now present the final argument on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power.

Once Schiff concludes, the managers will move on to the second article, obstruction of Congress.

Schiff said Trump’s actions toward Ukraine had “harmed our national security.” “That is without a doubt,” Schiff added.

Trump approval rating increases amid impeachment trial

As the impeachment trial continues, Trump’s approval rating has seen a slight increase, according to a new poll.

The Washington Post/ABC News poll found that the president’s approval rating currently sits at 44%, up 6 points since late October.

Meanwhile, his disapproval rating has hit a new low of 51%, down 7 points since late October.

But two-thirds of Americans think the Senate should call new witnesses to testify in the impeachment trial, while the public remains evenly divided on whether Trump should be removed from office.

Impeachment manager Hakeem Jeffries warned that Trump’s actions toward Ukraine had put the country in jeopardy.

“President Trump tried to cheat,” Jeffries said. “He got caught. And then he worked hard to cover it up.”

The New York Democat also warned of a “toxic mess” emanating from the White House. “I humbly suggest it is our collective job on behalf of the people to try and clean it up,” Jeffries said.

Updated

As the impeachment trial continues to unfold in Washington, Politico reported that Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer and a key figure in the Ukraine controversy, was seen at JFK Airport in New York.

The former New York mayor was reportedly complaining about people being unable to find his podcast and offering a flattering quote about Trump.

During an erratic interview on “Fox and Friends” this morning, Giuliani claimed he would offer evidence against Joe Biden on his podcast this afternoon.

Shortly before the Senate trial resumed, Lindsey Graham explained his absence from the chamber yesterday, as impeachment manager Jerry Nadler played a 1999 clip of Graham.

In the clip taken from Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial, Graham argued a president does not necessarily have to commit a crime to warrant impeachment, a stance that contradicts his current defenses of Trump.

Nadler played the clip yesterday as part of the impeachment managers’ opening arguments, but reporters noted Graham was not in his seat to see it.

The South Carolina Republican explained today that he was in the bathroom at the time because he has been “sick as a dog” but expressed regret about not being able to see the clip of himself.

Pence defends Trump after report of recording calling for Yovanovitch's removal

Mike Pence defended Trump after a report emerged that a 2018 recording showed the president pushing for the removal of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch.

“I have not heard the tape and would not be prepared to comment on it,” Pence told reporters in Italy, according to a pool report. “All of the ambassadors for the United States of America serve at the pleasure of the president of the United States.”

The audio, Pence added, “will only confirm what people already know: is that the President had concerns, and in his authority this president made a decision.“

Trump claimed in November that didn’t “know much” about Yovanovitch when he signed off on recalling her from Kyiv, but this recording clearly contradicts that.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell kicked off today’s proceedings by confirming that the trial would resume tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET, earlier than recent days, and run for “several hours.”

Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts said the impeachment managers have nearly eight hours left to finish presenting their opening arguments.

Impeachment manager Jason Crow has now taken the floor to wrap up his team’s presentation about the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, before the Democrats move on to the second article, obstruction of Congress.

Final day of impeachment managers' opening arguments begins

Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts has assumed his post in the Senate chamber, and the impeachment trial will now resume.

Today is the final day for the House impeachment managers to present their opening arguments for why Trump should be removed from office.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill just before the impeachment trial resumed, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff warned that Trump’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation could set a dangerous precedent.

Trump just finished speaking at the March for Life on the National Mall, becoming the first sitting president to address the annual anti-abortion event.

“It is my profound honor to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life,” Trump told the crowd. “Today, millions of extraordinary women across America are using the power of their votes to fight for the first right in the Declaration of Independence – the right to life.”

Trump’s unprecedented appearance at the event is his latest effort to lock down evangelical support heading into his reelection race.

Afternoon summary

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • ABC News has reviewed a 2018 recording of Trump appearing to call for the removal of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch. The president has repeatedly denied pushing for the longtime diplomat’s ouster.
  • Trump has unleashed a stream of Twitter attacks against Democrats as the impeachment managers prepare for their final day of opening arguments.
  • The Pentagon has confirmed that 34 US troops suffered concussions or traumatic brain injuries from the Iranian missile strike in Iraq, contradicting Trump’s claims that there were no casualties. Trump also dismissed the soldiers’ concussionas as “headaches.”

The blog will have more updates and analysis as the impeachment trial resumes in about 30 minutes, so stay tuned.

Pentagon confirms 34 troops injured in Iraq attack

The Pentagon has confirmed that 34 US soldiers were diagnosed with concussions or traumatic brain injuries following the Iranian missile attack in Iraq.

Administration officials, including Trump, initially claimed there were no casualties from the strike, which followed the US drone attack that killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.

When asked about the soldiers’ injuries on Wednesday, Trump dismissed the concussions as “headaches,” sparking intense criticism.

“I don’t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I’ve seen,” Trump told reporters in Davos. “I’ve seen what Iran has done with their roadside bombs to our troops. ... I’ve seen people that were horribly, horribly injured in that area, in that war.”

A lawyer for Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani who reportedly appears on the recording that includes Trump calling for the removal of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, confirmed the accuracy of ABC News’ report.

Federal prosecutors in New York’s Southern District reportedly have a copy of the 2018 recording, which appears to include Trump calling for the removal of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch, in their custody.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, former associates of Rudy Giuliani who have been implicated in the Ukraine controversy, are facing campaign-finance charges in the Southern District of New York.

Parnas has been cooperating with House investigators who led the impeachment inquiry, while Fruman has not.

The recording reviewed by ABC News, which appears to include Trump calling for the removal of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch, was reportedly made by Igor Fruman.

Fruman is a former associate of Rudy Giuliani who has been indicted on campaign-finance charges, and another one of his associates, Lev Parnas, has turned over documents related to Trump’s impeachment to House Democrats.

ABC News reports:

During the conversation, several of the participants can be heard laughing with the President. At another point, the recording appears to capture Trump praising his new choice of Secretary of State, saying emphatically: ‘Pompeo is the best.’ But the most striking moment comes when Parnes and the President discuss the dismissal of his ambassador to Ukraine.

Parnas appears to say: ‘The biggest problem there, I think where we need to start is we gotta get rid of the ambassador. She’s still left over from the Clinton administration,’ Parnas can be heard telling Trump. ‘She’s basically walking around telling everybody ‘Wait, he’s gonna get impeached, just wait,’ he said. (Yovanovitch actually had served in the State Department since the Reagan Administration.)

Trump caught on recording pushing for Ukraine ambassador's ouster

ABC News has reviewed a recording of Trump calling for the removal of then-US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, a year before she was recalled from Kyiv over what she called “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives.”

The president appears to have been recorded at a small 2018 gathering that included Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two former associates of Rudy Giuliani who have been indicted on campaign-finance charges and implicated in the Ukraine controversy.

ABC News reports:

The recording appears to contradict statements by President Trump and support the narrative that has been offered by Parnas during broadcast interviews in recent days. Sources familiar with the recording said the recording was made during an intimate April 30, 2018 dinner at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Trump has said repeatedly he does not know Parnas, a Soviet-born America who has emerged as a wild card in Trump’s impeachment trial, especially in the days since Trump was impeached.

‘Get rid of her!’ is what the voice that appears to be President Trump’s is heard saying. ‘Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. Okay? Do it.’

Updated

Schumer says Trump's lawyers 'have their work cut out for them'

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer once again praised the performance of the House impeachment managers as the Democratic team prepares for its final day of opening arguments.

“The House managers have already set a very high bar for the president’s counsel to meet,” Schumer said.

Trump’s lawyers will have up to 24 hours spread over three days, starting tomorrow, to present their opening arguments in the president’s defense.

“The president’s counsel have their work cut out for them,” Schumer said.

Whitmer and Escobar to deliver Democrats' State of the Union response

House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer have announced that Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and Texas congresswoman Veronica Escobar will deliver the Democratic response to the Trump’s State of the Union.

The president will deliver the annual address on Feb. 4, a day after the Iowa caucuses kick off the Democratic presidential primary.

Whitmer and Escobar were both elected to their current posts in 2018, when a wave of young, Democratic women were swept into office. The selection of the two women reflects Democratic hopes of keeping that enthusiasm alive with the 2020 election.

It has become tradition for the party who does not control the White House to deliver a response to the State of the Union, but past responses have met with mixed success.

Republican senator Marco Rubio became an instant GIF when he took a water break in the middle of his 2013 response, but former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams was widely praised for her response last year.

Trump continues to lash out against Democrats on his favorite form of social media, claiming that the impeachment trial is political retribution for his reshaping of the federal judiciary.

At the risk of stating the obvious, Trump has been nominating federal judges at a record clip since he assumed office, largely thanks to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell’s blocking of Barack Obama’s nominations during the final years of his presidency.

But many Democrats only came around to supporting impeachment after a whistleblower raised national-security concerns about Trump’s July phone call with the Ukrainian president.

So the suggestion that the impeachment trial is only occurring because of political animus toward Trump seems rather baseless.

Don McGahn, Trump’s former White House counsel, joked about the ongoing impeachment trial during an event at Stockton University yesterday.

“It’s timely that you’re here. Couldn’t come at a better time,” said William Hughes, who was posing questions to his friend McGahn. “You have some on one side saying actions were necessary — almost required — and on the other side saying actions aren’t justified — it was rash and an institution is in jeopardy. I ask you about ... Harry and Meghan?”

“That’s a tough one,” McGahn replied. “Not as tough as where I thought you were going. I heard she called the queen and said she thought it was a perfect call.”

Trump has repeatedly referred to his July call with the Ukrainian president, the source of the whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry, as “perfect.”

In the call, the US president asked Volodymyr Zelenskiy for “a favor” and went on to discuss possible investigations of Joe Biden and the 2016 election.

In some other non-impeachment news, Trump will address the March for Life on the National Mall today, becoming the first sitting president to speak at the annual anti-abortion event.

The AP reports:

It’s Trump’s latest nod to the white evangelical voters who have proven to be among his most loyal backers. And it makes clear that, as he tries to stitch together a winning coalition for reelection, Trump is counting on the support of his base of conservative activists to help bring him across the finish line. ...

It also shows how much times have changed.

Past presidents who opposed abortion, including Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, steered clear of personally attending the march to avoid being too closely associated with demonstrators eager to outlaw the procedure. They sent remarks for others to deliver, spoke via telephone hookup or invited organizers to visit the White House.

Trump has taken steps to lock down his evangelical support in recent weeks, after a prominent evangelical magazine published an editorial calling for the president’s removal from office.

Biden releases ad focused on electability

As the impeachment trial continues, the Iowa caucuses get closer, with just 10 days remaining until voting begins in the Democratic presidential primary.

Joe Biden has released a new ad focused on polling that shows he has the largest current advantage over Trump in a hypothetical general election.

“This is no time to take a risk. We need our strongest candidate,” the ad’s narrator says. “So let’s nominate the Democrat Trump fears the most. Vote Biden. Beat Trump.”

The ad comes as Bernie Sanders has seen his national polling numbers steadily climb, even taking a solo lead in CNN’s polling for the first time since the start of the race.

Many Democratic voters are prioritizing a candidate’s perceived ability to defeat Trump as they make their final primary choices, and Biden is clearly seeking to capitalize on Democrats’ fears of the current president.

The House impeachment managers will begin their final day of opening arguments at 1pm ET.

The managers’ final conclusion today will almost certainly be the same one they drew yesterday: that Trump represents a danger to the country and should be removed from office.

“You know you can’t trust this president to do what’s right for this country,” lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff said at the end of yesterday’s arguments. “You can only trust this president to do what’s right for Donald Trump.”

Updated

The House impeachment managers will have to wrap up their opening arguments today, and then Trump’s lawyers will be given up to 24 hours, spread over to three days, to begin their defense of the president.

Because the Senate remains in session on Saturdays for impeachment trials, the president’s team will start presenting tomorrow, but there is widespread speculation that Trump’s lawyers will save most of their arguments for Monday and (if necessary) Tuesday.

Trump attacks impeachment managers for 'lies, fraud & deception'

Good morning, live blog readers!

House impeachment managers will finish presenting their opening arguments today, capping three full days of senators hearing evidence that Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses and should be removed from office.

Yesterday’s arguments focused on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power. The managers will spend today laying out their case for the second article, obstruction of Congress.

Although today’s proceedings won’t begin until 1pm ET, the president is already tweeting about the trial, attacking Democrats for allegedly spreading “lies, fraud & deception”.

In reality, of course, the impeachment team led by Adam Schiff have been mostly replaying clips from the House hearings and using Trump’s own words about Ukraine to make the argument for his removal from office. That presentation of evidence will continue in a few hours.

Pope Francis shares a word with Mike Pence.
Pope Francis shares a word with Mike Pence. Photograph: Alessandro Di Meo/AP

Here’s what else the blog is keeping its eye on today:

  • Trump will speak at the 47th annual March for Life at 12.15pm ET and later deliver a speech to US mayors about “Transforming America’s Communities.”
  • Mike Pence is in Rome, where he will meet the Italian prime minister at 11.15am ET.
  • Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg are campaigning in New Hampshire today.

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Updated

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