inside story on al-jazeera. a showcase of the best documentary films from across the neck. the 1st step in the impeachment trial of u.s. president donald trump is underway in washington right now is a live picture from capitol hill as managed as the u.s. house of representatives and to the senate chamber they're going to read the articles of impeachment triggering the beginning of the trial against president donald trump. the presiding judge for the trial in the senate will soon be sworn in all $100.00 senators will also be sworn in and act as jurors during the proceedings the trial which donald trump has denounced as

a cold job by his democratic rivals will begin on tuesday hello this is al-jazeera adrian finnegan here with our coverage in doha let's bring in our correspondent joe castro who's on capitol hill right now heidi just explain to us once again what it is we're seeing right now. well sure you're seeing the senate members are preparing to receive the articles of impeachment which in minutes time we were told they are to be serum only only walked across the building the u.s. capitol building from the u.s. house of representatives side which is where all of the impeachment proceedings thus far have unfolded those hearings those votes and those articles would have been printed out they allege that trump abused his the power of this office and. who did not cooperate with. investigators in obstruction of congress with the

impeachment investigation and those articles will be delivered by hand accompanied by 7 appointed impeachment managers these are the democratic members of the house who have been appointed to argue the case now before the senate the case to remove president donald trump from office and upon delivering these articles to the senate floor expect that lead in piece from manager adam schiff who is chair of the house intelligence committee at the center of much of the proceedings thus far he will read aloud those impeachment articles there are 9 pages of print documenting what the accusations are at the heart of this impeachment effort force is the. accusation that president trump withheld security aid to ukraine in order to compel its government to announce investigations into joe biden which would thus help trump with his own reelection efforts in coming months so this $100.00 senators

will be seated at their tables at their desks to hear the reading of these articles and then we expect the senate to adjourn for a short recess for the of the traditional lunch break and then right after that we will see the supreme court chief justice john roberts cross the street from where the u.s. supreme court house is located and be escorted by senators into the u.s. capitol building into the u.s. senate chambers he will take an oath of office to become the president officer of the impeachment trial that will be the moment we when we can officially say the trial has begun and then he will swear the oath to 100 u.s. senators who will be the supposedly impartial jurors that to weigh the guilt or innocence of president trump all right so when does the trial itself actually get on the well know that these are the 1st steps that we're going through here but

when one of the senators actually begin to hear evidence against and in favor of the president. sure mitch mcconnell who is the top republican in the senate he has said on tuesday will be the day when we expect opening statements from both sides ok many thanks indeed let's go live now to the white house actually not the white house's white house correspondent kimberly how could use it in our washington studio what will the white house be making a little of this kimberly. you know well the white house is trying to control this process particularly when it comes to witnesses and whether or not they will appear the white house is trying to push for a speedy trial in order to see the president acquitted there are a number of republican supporters of the president in the u.s. senate who are also trying to push for a very quick trial but that's becoming more and more challenging adrian in light of some of these new revelations in terms of evidence text messages e-mails that have

been uncovered by house democrats as part of their overall impeachment inquiry essentially there are claims that have been backed up by the person at the center of all of this a man by the name of lev harness he is an associate of rudolph giuliani yes the personal lawyer of president trump he went on national television in the last 24 hours to say that the president knew exactly what was going on when there was this parallel channel to try and pressure ukraine into an investigation into the president's political rival former vice president joe biden this man love parness says the president was aware of my movements why is this a problem because democrats are saying that this is evidence that needs to be heard in a senate trial even as the white house is trying to shut this down right so we're watching that the house managers now. moving to the senate led by.

not lend and shift as you say they are at walking into the senate itself let's let's just listen in for mode if we can. to the previous order at 12 noon the senate will receive the managers of the house of representatives to give it the articles of impeachment against donald trump president of the united. the hour of 12 noon having arrived and of corn being present the sergeant at arms were present the managers on the part of the house representatives with the president and members of the announce the presence of the managers on the part of the house of representatives to conduct proceedings on behalf of that house and cerny impeachment of donald john trump president of the united states. on the part of the house will be received an escorted to the well of the senate.

the sergeant at arms will make the proclamation. harry hear you hear the all persons are commanded to keep silent on pain of imprisonment while the house of representatives is exhibiting to the senate of the united states articles of impeachment against donald john trump president of the united states. the managers on the part of the house will now proceed.

mr president the managers on the part of the house of representatives are present and ready to present the articles of impeachment which have been preferred by the house of representatives against donald john trump president of the united states the house adopted the following resolution which with the permission of the senate i will read. house resolution 798 appointing and authorizing managers for the impeachment trial of donald john trump president of the united states resolve that mr shift mr navl or ms lofgren mr jeffries ms deming's mr crow and ms garcia of texas are appointed managers to conduct the impeachment trial against donald john trump president of the united states that a message be sent to the senate to inform the senate of these appointments and at the managers so appointed may in connection with the preparation and conduct of the

trial exhibit articles of impeachment to the senate and take all other actions necessary which may include the following employing legal clerical and other necessary assistance and incurring such other expenses as may be necessary to be paid for amounts of able to the committee on the judiciary under applicable expense resolutions or from the applicable account of the house of representatives number 2 sending for persons and papers and filing with the secretary of the senate on the part of the house of representatives and the pleadings in conjunction with their subsequent to the exit bishan of the articles of impeachment that the managers may consider necessary with the permission of the senate i will now read the articles of impeachment house resolution 755 house resolution 755 impeaching donald john trump president of the united states for high crimes and

misdemeanors resolved that president that donald j. trump president of the united states is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the united states senate. articles of impeachment exhibited by the house of representatives of the united states of america in the name of itself and of the people of the united states of america against donald john trump president to the united states of america in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors article one abuse of power the constitution provides that the house of representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment and that the president shall be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of treason bribery or other high crimes and

misdemeanors in his conduct of the office of the president of the united states and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of president of the united states and to the best of his ability preserve protect and defend the constitution of the united states and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed donald j. trump has abused the powers of the presidency in that using the powers of his high office president trump solicited the interference of a foreign government ukraine in the 2020 united states presidential election he did so through a scheme or course of conduct that included soliciting the government of ukraine to publicly announce investigations that would benefit his re-election harm the election prospects of

a political opponent and influence the 2020 united states presidential election to his advantage. president trump also sought to pressure the government of ukraine to take these steps by conditioning official united states government acts of significant value to ukraine on its public announcement of the investigations present trump and gauged in this scheme or course of conduct for corrupt purposes in pursuit of personal political benefit in so doing president trump use the powers of the presidency in a manner that compromised the national security of the united states and undermined the integrity of the united states' democratic process he thus ignored and injured the interests of the nation president trump and gauged in the scheme a course of conduct through the following means number one president trump acting

both directly and through his agents within and outside the united states government corruptly solicited the government of ukraine to publicly announce investigations into a a political opponent former vice president joseph r. biden jr and b. a discredited theory promoted by russia alleging that ukraine rather than russia interfered in the 2016 united states presidential election number 2 with the same corrupt motives president trump acting both directly and through his agents within and outside the united states government condition to official acts on the public announcement that he had requested a the release of $39091000000.00 of united states taxpayer funds that congress had appropriated on a bipartisan basis for the purpose of providing vital military and security

assistance to ukraine to oppose russian aggression and which president trump had ordered suspended. and b. a head of state meeting at the white house which the president ukraine sought to demonstrate continued united states support for the government of ukraine in the face of russian aggression number 3 faced with a public revelation of his actions president trump ultimately released the military and security assistance to the government of ukraine but has persisted in openly and corruptly urging and soliciting ukraine to undertake investigations for his personal political benefit these actions were consistent with president trumps previous invitations of foreign interference in the united states elections in all of this president trump abused the powers of the presidency by ignoring and injuring national security and other vital national interests to obtain an improper

personal political benefit is also betrayed the nation by abusing his high office to unless they foreign power in corrupting democratic elections where for president trump by such conduct has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security and the constitution if allowed to remain in office and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self governance and the rule of law president trump thus warrants impeachment and trial removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor trust or profit under the united states article 2 obstruction of congress the constitution provides that the house of representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment and that the president

shall be removed from office an impeachment for and conviction of treason bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. in his conduct of the office of president of the united states and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of president of the united states and to the best of his ability preserve protect and defend the constitution of the united states and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed donald j. trump has directed the unprecedented categorical and indiscriminate defiance of subpoenas issued by the house of representatives pursuant to its sole power of impeachment president trump has abused the power of the presidency in a manner offensive to and subversive of the constitution in that the house of representatives has engaged in an impeachment inquiry focused on president trumps corrupt solicitation of the government of ukraine to interfere in the 2020 united

states presidential election as part of this impeachment inquiry the committee's undertaking the investigation serves subpoenas seeking documents and testimony deemed vital to the end corey from various executive branch agencies and offices and current and former officials in response without lawful cause or excuse present trump directed executive branch agencies offices and officials not to comply with those subpoenas present trump thus interpose the powers of the presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the house of representatives and assume to himself functions and judgments necessary to exercise the sole power of impeachment vested by the constitution in the house of representatives present trump abused the powers of his high office through the following means. number one

directing the white house to defy a lawful subpoena by withholding the production of documents sought their end by the committee's number 2 directing other executive branch agencies and offices to defy lawful subpoenas and withhold production of documents and records from the kapiti from the committees in response to which the department of state the office of management and budget department of energy and department of defense refused to produce a single document or record directing current and former number 3 directing current and former executive branch officials not to cooperate with the committees in response to which 9 administration officials defied subpoenas for testimony namely john michael mick mulvaney robert b. blair john a eisenberg michael ellis preston wells griffith russell t.

voght michael duffy brian mccormick and t. all rick brecht will these actions were consistent with president trump's previous efforts to undermine united states government investigations into foreign interference in united states elections through these actions president trump sought to air a gate to himself the right to determine the propriety scope and nature of the impeachment inquiry into his own conduct as well as the unilateral parag have to deny any and all information to the house of representatives in the exercise of its sole power of impeachment in the history of the republic no president has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry or sought to obstruct and impede so comprehensibly the ability of the house of

representatives to investigate high crimes and misdemeanors. this abuse of office served to cover up the president's own repeated misconduct and to seize and control the power of impeachment and thus to nala fi a vital constitutional safeguard vested solely in the house of representatives in all of this present trump acted in a manner contrary to his trust as president and subversive of constitutional government to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the united states wherefore president trump by such conduct as demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the constitution if allowed to remain in office and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self governance and the rule of law. president

trump thus warrants impeachment and trial removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor trust or profit under the united states mr president that completes the exhibition of the articles of impeachment against donald john trump president of the united states the manager's request that the senate take order for the trial the managers now request leave to withdraw thank you mr 5th the senate will duly notify the house of representatives when it is ready to proceed to trial.

as rajan majority leader of the information. the ration of the articles of impeachment. the chief justice of united states will preside over the trial as required in article one section 3 clause 6 of the united states constitution also under the previous order the presiding officer has been authorized to appoint a committee of 4 senators to upon the recommendation of the majority leader and to upon the recommendation of the democratic leader to his court the chief justice and of the senate chamber. s. that the presiding officer do so now the chair pursuant to order january 15th 2020 i'm behalf of the majority leader and the democratic leader appoints mr blunt of missouri mr leahy of vermont mr graham of south carolina and mrs feinstein

of california to escort the chief justice of the united states into the senate chamber. so for the further information of senators there will be a law called prior to the arrival of the chief justice that 2 pm today as you know i don't understand that the senate stand in recess subject to the call of the chair that without objection the senate stands in recess subject to the call of the chair . u.s. senate formally beginning the impeachment trial of president trump. the house force accuses arrived. in the senate chamber of the articles of impeachment were read for the left let's bring in a 0 us how does your castro use live for us on capitol hill i just took us through what it was we actually saw but. sure well you saw a lot of ceremonial aspects of this that really in u.s.

legislative politics it's a rare thing we saw the sergeant of arms saying that on pain of imprisonment the senators had to guard their silence as these articles were read this is a process so in shrine in the u.s. constitution dating back hundreds of years and only ever played out for the 3rd time in u.s. history for trump to be the 3rd u.s. president to now face an impeachment trial and what we're about to see now in about an hour's time or so as you just heard there are 4 senators who have just been appointed to escort u.s. supreme court chief justice john roberts from the supreme court house which is just across the street from where we stand today he will be escorted by those 4 senators 2 republicans and 2 democrats he will then enter the senate chambers and get another ceremonial display that he will take the oath of office to become the presiding officer of the senate impeachment trial there is

a key distinction between that title chief provide presiding officer and that of his other title being a judge because what we're about to see now played out in the coming days and weeks is very dissimilar to a judicial court trial that we may be more accustomed to this is a far more political process with the chief justice really being the person to direct. the movement forward but he legal decisions will be decided by the republican held in the jora t. in the senate with arguments opening arguments expected on tuesday ok party many thanks indeed let's speak from white house correspondent kimberly how could so the senate has formally accepted the articles of impeachment we now know the charges against the president can be yeah that's right and what's really striking in all of this is the fact that one of the president's biggest legislative priorities

has also been passed in the senate today and is not getting even a mention this is his u.s. m.c.a. or the trade deal that replaces nafta something that the president campaigned on it should be a big shining moment for him but instead with the 7 what's getting the headlines and the coverage is the impeachment trial that has now formally kicked off underway now the white house is trying to inject this sort of juxtaposition the press secretary in just the last few moments tweeted after yesterday's historic trade deal with china and u.s.m.c. a pasty the dems are now reading their sham articles of impeachment which they manufactured in order to stop real donald trump from his continued success of behalf of men an american flag he's working there whining it's pretty safe to assume that this white house is going to continue to try to discredit the events that are happening in the u.s. senate it's going to be a challenge though given the fact that there is this big push to call witnesses which would lengthen the trial committee many things such as here as white house

correspondent kimberly how could alan barron is a form especially preachment counsel to the house of representatives he was involved in the impeachment and removal of 4 federal judges and joins us now what live from washington mr bennett good to have you with us what are your thoughts on what we've been watching for the last 30 minutes or so. well it's obviously a very solemn occasion adam schiff presented the 2 articles of impeachment this is this is historic. regardless of the of the ultimate outcome is a very historic moment for the house of representatives to file these articles of impeachment and to trigger a trial in the senate of the united states. even though the senate is controlled by the republicans i think there is enormous pressure on them to allow witnesses and to make it much more like what we would think of as a trial in which witnesses are heard evidence is presented and

a judgment is reached on the basis of the witnesses' testimony and the evidence presented. that is not to say that this is not an extremely political proceeding and it may be that the politics will triumph so to speak bad pun the evidence. the fact is the republicans have the votes at this point and the likelihood of 20 republican senators crossing over to join the democrats to convict the president is extremely unlikely even the as you say the senate is supposed to be impartial and indeed they will they will swear to be impartial with a yes they will but. that's not going to keep them from following of their political best interests and that doesn't mean that well leave it at that what do you make of the articles of impeachment themselves i mean

and the surprises there. no surprises but they're very powerful they were obviously very carefully crafted out of shift shifa is someone with whom i worked for over a year on 2 judicial impeachments he's a very very smart. honorable guy who i think had a definitely had a hand in the crafting of those articles they set forth a very powerful case that the president should not remain in office obviously that has to be supported by the evidence these are simply the allegations by the allegations that you make are controlled by the evidence you believe you have and so it's a very powerful statement in support of removal of trump as president. witnesses will be key to this trial for both sides and do you think the witnesses will be permitted could we see people such as. john bolton hunta by giving

evidence. at this point and you know we clearly do not know for certain but i think the pressure for that is building day by day especially with these latest revelations that. came out from parness mr parness who is a central figure in what went on i believe that the senate will be responsive to public opinion which seems to be they the public wants to hear witnesses and i will not be surprised at all if several witnesses are called on both sides ok thoughts on the the house managers. house speaker pelosi said yesterday the emphasis was on the cases. of the total force of the democrats or not strong enough you talked about adam schiff what about the rest of. well you know i think schiff will be the leader not only in terms of his title but in terms

of organizing and presenting the case and he is a consummate professional he will do a wonderful job professionally in terms of presenting the case. his loft granit is a veteran she has been through this several times before so i think that her experience is extremely valuable that one of the. members of the group is a. it spurred on internal affairs and security issues i think that will be important i think it's a it's a mixed bag but i think they all have the basic experience remember this is not a trial in the traditional sense and i think they're political act human and their prior experience even if not directly as trial lawyers will still become very relevant and they seem to be chosen carefully and i've got about 30 seconds left just a very quick question how long do you think this this trial this process is going

to take i'm betting the short version is 2 weeks the long version is 3 weeks and that all is that's going to turn on whether witnesses live witnesses are going to be called affect this apparent great still too many thanks indeed for being with us on a barren that live in washington so for the last 30 minutes or so we've been watching the formal beginning i suppose of the impeachment trial against president donald trump that is just from the u.s. house and to the senate chamber presented and read the articles of impeachment triggering the beginning of the trial against the president that he is continues here as era. of inside story thanks to.

donald trump has always said he'll be tough on china and now he's signed a deal with beijing he says it will correct what he calls the mistakes of the past but this is really the beginning of the end of the trade war between the u.s. and china and who stands to gain or lose this is inside story. hello and welcome to the program i'm richelle carey after more than 2 years of escalating tariffs and a seemingly never ending trade war the u.s. and china have a grade on a 1st step towards a truce if it holds it could be

a boost for u.s. president donald trump internet lection year but who will benefit the most from this initial phase of a broader trade agreement china's promise.