Closing arguments in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial unfolded Monday as much for history as any effort to sway votes, one final chance to influence public opinion and set the record ahead of his expected acquittal in the Republican-led Senate.
Impeachment Trial: House Managers, White House Counsel Deliver Closing Arguments
Closing arguments in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial unfolded Monday as much for history as any effort to sway votes, one final chance to influence public opinion and set the record ahead of his expected acquittal in the Republican-led Senate.
The House Democratic prosecutors drew on history, the Founding Fathers and common sense to urge senators - and Americans - to see that Trump's actions are not isolated but part of a pattern of behavior that, left unchecked, will allow him to "cheat"' in the 2020 election. Senators acknowledge the House Democratic managers have essentially proven their case, that Trump abused power and obstructed Congress, by leveraging U.S. military aid to push Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden to thwart the 2020 election. But key Republicans have decided the president's actions toward Ukraine do not rise to the level of impeachable offense that warrant the dramatic political upheaval of conviction and removal from office. His acquittal in Wednesday's vote is all but assured. Today on AirTalk, we recap the closing arguments and discuss what comes next.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Anna Edgerton, politics editor for Bloomberg; she tweets
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News; he tweets
Jennifer Haberkorn, congressional reporter for the LA Times who is reporting from Washington D.C.; she tweets at
The Iowa Primaries Are Here… We Check In
The Iowa primaries are finally here and it may start to provide a clearer picture of which candidate will lead the Democratic party into the general election.
Candidates are giving their last speeches, shaking hands with as many Iowans as they can, and are making their final case as to why they should be the candidate voters should put on their ballot sheet. Polls have shown Senator Bernie Sanders leading the pack, with former Vice President Joe Biden only an average of a few points behind. Former mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Elizabeth Warren trail in third and fourth respectively. This past year, the field was swelling with candidates that have come and gone. While the list of candidates have dwindled significantly, that still hasn’t provided any clarity on who the Democrtic party’s nominee will be in the general election. Iowa is the first state in the country to cast their ballots and could be the first indicator of which candidate might be the eventual nominee for president.
Today on AirTalk, we look into what’s happening on the ground in Iowa as voters head to caucus.
Guest:
James Lynch, reporter for The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; he covers politics, government and the Iowa legislature; he tweets at
What You Need To Know As Confirmed Cases Of Coronavirus In California Jumps To Six
As the U.S. steps up its response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Department of Homeland Security is warning airline passengers that their flights may wind up rerouted if officials discover mid-flight that someone onboard has been in China in the last 14 days.
And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a “handful” of flights will be heading to China to bring Americans back home from Hubei Province, which is at the heart of the outbreak.
“The exact timing of those we’re still coordinating with the Chinese government,” Pompeo said at a news conference Monday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. “We anticipate that they will happen in the next handful of days and we’ll return those American citizens.”
Pompeo said: “We may well end up bringing some citizens back from other countries as well. We’re working through the details on that.” And he said the U.S. may try to deliver some medical supplies to the region.
“We’re working closely and hand-in-hand with the Chinese government to try and resolve what is now this global epidemiological challenge, and so we’ll have more details exactly on when those flights will depart and when they return and how they’ll return to the United States before too long,” he said.
The DHS guidance on airline flights was included in a notice released by the department Sunday as new travel restrictions officially go into effect for flights commencing after 5 p.m. EDT.
Under the new rules, U.S. citizens who have traveled in China within the last 14 days will be re-routed to one of eight designated airports, where they will undergo enhanced health screening procedures.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Alex Wigglesworth, staff writer for The Los Angeles Times who has been covering the story; she tweets