In Impeachment Trial, Both Sides Make Final Pitch on Conviction vs. Acquittal

The NPR Politics Podcast

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News, Politics, Daily News

4.4 • 25.7K Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2020

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The White House legal team and House managers made their closing arguments today in the Senate impeachment trial. With an acquittal looking almost certain after Friday's vote against witnesses and evidence, House managers asked Senators how they want their legacy remembered while the White House defense said to let the voters decide. All of this happened as Iowans prepare to caucus tonight, kicking off voting in the presidential primary.

This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, and Congressional correspondent Susan Davis.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast.
0:05.8	It is 3.34 pm on Monday, 3.00 pm.
0:10.2	I'm Tamer Keith, I cover the White House.
0:12.0	I'm Ayis Gerosco, I also cover the White House.
0:14.4	And I'm Susan Davis, I cover Congress.
0:16.2	And we are here on this day of the Iowa caucuses to talk about impeachment.
0:21.1	Because today is also the day when the President's legal team and the House managers delivered
0:26.8	their closing arguments in the Senate impeachment trial.
0:30.1	Each side had up to two hours each to make their case.
0:33.6	Sue, how did it play out?
0:35.3	Well, I think it was echoes of a lot of the greatest hits of the arguments we've heard
0:39.4	from both the House impeachment managers and the White House defense team.
0:43.0	It also fit with form that the White House didn't take all their time.
0:45.6	They had up to two hours each side.
0:47.6	The White House, I think, took maybe a little bit over an hour, but the House team again
0:50.8	took all of their time closing again by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, who gave
0:55.5	a pretty fiery close in the end.
0:58.0	Because I think he realizes that the outcome is clear, right?
1:01.3	After that witness vote failed on Friday, the outcome, which wasn't really in doubt
1:05.2	all along, but truly was no longer in doubt that the President will be acquitted.
1:09.4	There will be no more witness testimony or evidence.
1:12.2	And that vote is now scheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m.
	...

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