business leaders want to buy no brass power. oh i maryam namazie in london with a quick look at headlines now democratic party managers are again appealing to republicans in the u.s. senate to allow witnesses and additional evidence in the impeachment trial of president donald trump i have 4 hours to debate before the vote that will decide the child's future democrats need at least for republicans to vote for additional witnesses that looks highly unlikely after 2 key republican senate has confirmed they would not meaning the senate will not hear from former national security adviser john bolton trunk could now be acquitted in the coming out. house impeachment manager and democratic congressman adam schiff made an 11th hour plea for the senate to hear bolton's testimony. so here you have the president saying

john bolton is not telling the truth let's find out let's put john bolton under oath let's find out who's telling the truth the trial is supposed to be a quest for the truth. let's not fear what we will learn. as mr simple only said let's make sure that all the facts come out. our other top story in just under 3 hours person will officially leave the european union and being 47 years of membership u.k. prime minister boris johnson says it will be a moment of national when you are there is or challenge reports now on the day's events so far. i was pretty prepared to leave the e.u. a small party thrown in central london by a handful of bricks its most ardent supporters really great.

like that we can do now is your future if this country will prosper. much of the country is more muted go yes this is a moment of huge national significance but little actually changes until the transition period finishes at the end of the year and it's not yet clear where the country is heading this is the man currently in the u.k. is driving seat before he got the job many thought it was a natural fit. but in december boris johnson won a crushing landslide election victory on the promise that he'd finally get bricks it done. since. britain seemed to have voted to put 3 years of arguing in political paralysis behind them but plenty see the argument as something titanic has been achieved so much hot air. mike in northern ireland

for example which is more exposed to bricks it sounds certainties than anywhere else in the u.k. it completely recasts reshapes the political and economic conversation across the island between the island of ireland and britain right across the continent so this isn't an end point this is very much a beginning certainly the heavy lifting sorting out the u.k.'s trade relationship with europe everything from phishing to financial services is still to come all the political signs in the u.k. of the u.k. was. not part of the sort of. the european union but all the sort of dynamics of the negotiations point to a quick to. try to come up with alignment. in europe the message is clear bruce. this is the more the u.k. will diverged from e.u. standards the less access to the single market they will have. the e.u. will be looking to its own priorities and trying to solve its own challenges the

u.k. is already receding in importance we want to have the best possible relationship with the united kingdom but it will never be as good as membership of the e.u. wants to show there is little to be gained from working out the door. how does era london. evacuations from china have been stepped up as the corona virus spreads the number of confirmed cases worldwide has passed that of the sars epidemic in 2003 at least a 131 people in 24 countries outside mainland china have been diagnosed with the virus the death toll currently stands at 213 battlefield washington is the program coming up next examining the alleged russian meddling in the u.s. presidential election of 2016.

ah donald trump do solemnly swear donald trump do solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute i will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states he also spoke of the president of the united states the day trump the sworn in the 2016 election that secured his victory is already under investigation did russia help him get the presidency. so help me god threatened with. my.

as he walks on pennsylvania avenue from where he took the oath of office towards the white house he steps onto a political battlefield. pennsylvania avenue is the heart of washington that connects major political players congress the f.b.i. the department of justice. the press. the white house. this is the story set at one of the most powerful capitals in the world a political and judicial conflict. a battle that has pitted tromp against those who believe he was an accomplice and russia's interference in. a battle for the truth. about the president of the united states and for the principles of american democracy.

according to top u.s. intelligence chiefs the russians interfered in the 2016 presidential election putin they say developed a clear preference for trump over clinton so russia's intelligence services stole and leaked thousands of clinton's e-mails to discredit her. 2 weeks before his inauguration they briefed trump. trump rejects their conclusions he does not want his victory to be questioned. the intelligence agencies maintain their findings and partially release them to the public they say putin ordered an influence campaign to help trump win the election. role is immediately raised in congress which calls the chiefs of the intelligence community to testify. in.

their question by democratic party sen i just go down the line in. any of your careers have you ever seen this level of russian interference in our political process and start would recommend just going on the lord no. i have known. you know . i think very few documents that i can remember would have had the political weight and the political influence of this particular document. the purpose of making that report was to make sure the american people were aware

of some of the dynamics going on behind the scenes this was the 1st time that a major covert action major clandestine action against the united states at the very heart of our democratic process had been tempted because of the sophistication. and then the pervasiveness of those attempts to have a widespread impact it was broader than anything that had been seen in prior actions classified briefing to the u.s. intelligence community you know for sure he's blaming russian president vladimir putin's who were again i think. russia tried everything possible to lose the election only i pod intelligence and there are. only 3 days after the intelligence reports a new classified document makes the headlines want to be very precise here multiple u.s. officials with direct knowledge of the briefings tell c.n.n.

that classified documents included allegations that russian operatives claimed to have compromising personal and financial information about mr trump this is a confidential report written by an ex british spy christopher steele on secret links between trump his businesses and the russians. it claims moscow has been helping trump all along with the regular flow of intelligence and that the russians have compromising material on. the main point of the steel dossier that it was an ongoing attempt by the russians to get close to the trump campaign is undisputed at this point he doesn't like the fact that the press said it but it is out there no mr president i like the way president since you were trying to organize a decision in your with the still dossier made public news trucks battle with the

press intensifies rights are going to point mr rosen along the way you say categorically why should the president like can you give us are going to be reuniting us can you give us are going to be you know yesterday or today during his 1st weeks at the white house trump is on the defensive the man he just appointed national security adviser general michael flynn is caught in the eye of the storm. he lied about his contacts at moscow and the russian embassy and washington. the press reveals it and trump has to retreat mike flynn is a fine person and i asked for his resignation he respectfully gave it flynn is the 1st victim of the battle of washington but firing flint is not enough the question remains what are the relations between trump and moscow to knowingly.

cooperate with a hostile foreign power to take over the leadership of the united states. for many months to come finding the truth will test the pillars of the american political system the independence of justice of the freedom of the press and the rule of law. under pressure from the press and from the democrats congress gets involved. in congress before the 2018 midterm elections the republicans trumps party are the majority and the democrats are the opposition but on some crucial issues it's a tradition for the 2 parties to work together this is the spirit of bipartisanship . it's just. since keeping the american people safe and maintaining a such a strong homeland of national security is so important to this country it is the

issue that demands the most bipartisan support and so democrats and republicans demanded that there be a bipartisan investigation demanded that there be bipartisan hearings and i was hopeful that this would lead to bipartisan action congressional committees have power and they can summon whomever they want as witnesses and lying to them is a crime in public hearings are followed by millions of americans and so high ranking high level government officials came to the congress the united states in front of the american people under oath and gave their assessment about russia's interference in our election a key figure of these hearings is james combing the director of the f.b.i. who heads up a staff of more than 35000 men and women. i have been authorized by the department of justice to confirm that the f.b.i. as part of our counterintelligence mission is investigating the russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and that

includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the trump campaign and the russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and russia's efforts and early may 2017 as she is grilled over the involvement of tromping camp komi himself this gets into a minefield and have you ruled out the president out of state i don't. i don't want people over interpret his answer i'm not going to comment on anyone in particular so potentially the president ited states could be a target of your ongoing investigation. i just worry i don't want to answer that that that's seems to me unfair speculation that we will follow the evidence will try and find as much as we can will follow the evidence wherever it leads by refusing to say publicly that trump is not under investigation komi is just put himself on a collision course with the president. this is an n.b.c.

news special report here's mr holmes and good day everyone we learned a short time ago that president trump has fired f.b.i. director james comey we're in a less than a week after coleman's hearing in congress trump fires him an attack against the f.b.i. and explosive news. bombshell from the white house wait to be i director james coolly fired by president we can we don't know this is something that caught all the law enforcement community by surprise and it caught the intelligence community in washington d.c. and surprise you. and the dismissal came in harsh terms in a letter signed by the president you are terminated immediately.

i was stunned i think most of the american public was stunned i didn't even realize the president could fire the f.b.i. director the f.b.i. director serves by law for a 10 year period and so it came as a shock i talked to a number of friends colleagues after that happened who are still in the f.b.i. and it was this essence of i can't believe the president did this but i think he was just exercising what he believed was his authority just as if he was the c.e.o. of trump enterprises. and congress one question needs to be addressed by the investigative committee why did trump fire james komi. why do you believe you were fired. so i don't know for sure i believe the prick think the president at his word that i was fired because of the russian versification something about the way i was conducting it the president felt

created pressure on him they wanted to relieve he was asking for something and i was refusing to give it. and fact early in his term trump asked to speak to count me in private. there was a meeting at the white house a one on one meeting between trump and call me call me must have had his antenna up because he felt like something was wrong because as soon as he was done that meeting he wrote up these memos. after meeting with trump call me sat in his car and wrote down what was discussed the meeting was about general fled the advisor who had lied about his contacts with russia trump said he hoped komi come let the matter go. i hope you can let this go now those are his exact words is that correct correct and you wrote them here and you put them in quotes correct ok he did not order you to let it go it is a present united states with me alone saying i hope this i took it as this is what

he wants me to do now i mean i didn't obey that but that's why it took. colin's account is correct if if the president calls in the director the f.b.i. and says can you can you drop the case you guys have against this person for political reasons i think that absolutely is obstruction of justice. american law says anybody from an average citizen all the way up to the president who tries to block and a criminal investigation for the wrong reasons with what we call corrupt intent a bad motive. is guilty of obstruction of justice did you at any time the urge former f.b.i. director james comey in any way shape or form to close or to back down the investigation into michael flynn and also as you will know next question next

question. soon after firing the f.b.i. director trump is about to face a new challenge. will be a feature breaking news right now tonight i'm sure the aspect of the justice of putting the special counsel to counsel robert. bobb holder to now oversee the pressure probe and look at the possible connections between top campaign associates and rush and this is. only 8 days after the firing of james combing the justice department appoints robert muller to take over the russian probe. for this mission robert mueller was called out of retirement he had been director of the f.b.i. for 12 years and in 2013 he had left the law enforcement agency with full honors and his farewell speech he proclaimed his unshakable faith in the rule of law. have

always been proud to say that i work for the department of justice because of that for which it stands which is an unyielding commitment to the rule of law and to the safety and security of the citizens we serve a know. quite well. i worked with him for about 4 years when i was the cia deputy director and he was the director of the f.b.i. . he's not a self promoting individual and he has a very high standard for what is true and what is not true administrator pistole he pointed me as his number 2 person in the f.b.i. as a deputy director and so i had the chance to get to know him and then. work with him so let me say a few words about director ball or politics or just don't play any role in his calculations so he is all about finding the truth and doing it under the rule of

law so yeah he's a man of integrity. robert muller has placed under the authority of the department of justice and it's deputy attorney general rod rosenstein. his new orders give him far reaching powers. moller can investigate moscow's relations with the trump campaign and any other matters. most are waste no time immediately orders the preservation of millions of official documents forbidding the destruction of records that could be useful in the russia probe e-mails phone records audio recordings metadata and storage devices recordings eventually or exit of the building's video surveillance. once a person or a company or or a bureaucracy knows that there's

a criminal investigation to destroy evidence after that becomes a federal crime and so i think mahler's 1st move was a smart one but the order also shows that there is a concern that these documents might be destroyed by a white house that is trying to hide the truth from investigators. this was only the beginning of a bitter struggle between mahler and the president of the united states. so we have mr miller who's known as a tough cop he's a big impose in 6 foot something experienced justice department official he's a tough cop the press was saying he's a tough cop he always gets his man. and he will press and squeeze and he will find what is truth and what is fiction he is careful he is by the book he does not speak publicly other than his court filings

he is incredibly hard working and focused mr trump on the other hand is a bulldog and it is impulsive where i could stand in the middle if if they have a new and shoot somebody and i wouldn't lose any voters ok it's like incredible there are not 2 more different people on earth than bob mahler and president trump and very early on in the in this whole process i think the trump people realize that the best defense would be a political one and not a legal one legally they really don't have a lot to stand on trump and his people made a determination very early on we're going to claim that this whole thing is politically motivated is a witch hunt that whole way if they really were the witch hunt i would call it the rigged to which aren't. ok which are saying if you know when she was a democrat gets fired when you don't add something. on the phone to you which you

truly was of the. is washington celebrates the 4th of july and. and instead a major offensive against the president is about to be launched. the surprise attack comes from the center of washington from the press. the new york times claims the trump campaign was in secret contact with russian officials 5 months before the 2016 election a major scoop. this was the work of our washington vest it was over and over weeks that we learned more and more about the meeting and the fact is it occurred. so yes it was very exciting to have that scoop again we didn't know that

much about that meeting we didn't learn it all at once but we've built on it since then you know and mahler is looking at that meeting the meeting is organized to be a emails between the son of the president and an intermediary who offered quote information that would incriminate hillary and would be very useful to donald trump ultra sensitive stuff he adds don jr answers if it's what you say i love it the meeting takes place on the 9th of june 2016 in new york at trump tower around the table donald trump's son his son in law his campaign director paul manna for intermediary and for russian nationals the news spread like wildfire according to the new york times the right to new york times report on the new york times reports the president's son donald trump jr was promised damaging information about hillary clinton for agreeing to meet last summer with a russian lawyer a russian lawyer in question has been actions with the front leg when donald trump

jr responded enthusiastically to the idea of receiving information that would be harmful to hillary clinton i think that was a gift to russia it represented an attempt by. russia to have a base of influence if you will. the news comes at a time when trump is in hamburg for an international summit where he had a meeting with vladimir putin. but we're told to a lot of very positive things that russia is for the united states and for everybody. would want to be with you. immediately after this handshake the trunk can pass to do damage control over the new york times. they put out a statement saying the story was wrong. you know from air force one they were very very alarmed by it on the plane ride back to the united states is when the

president and his team come cox this story about how the trump tower meeting was about adoptions. flying back with his father trump jr sends an explanation to the press. at the meeting he says was merely about the adoption of russian children in the united states. so the $1000000.00 question with the trump tower meeting is what did the president know about it and when did his son tell him about the meeting at a time junior called his father and said hey we have this meeting coming up with some russian people that are offering us information and the president said great go for it let me know he's part of a conspiracy that is a not to bring someone into a conspiracy. back. i came up with the term fake news it's a lot of fake news this is fake news put out by the media schooled fake news people back there you know. those very dishonest people back there the. press.

the. words have meaning and power and a lot of people myself included good republicans were going on for pete's don't stone do they call us the enemy of the people is just going too far the press is trying to report the facts as they see them and the president has decided that he would like to shoot the messenger. from fossil fuels to modern day renewable as societies develop the energy demands increase requiring innovative solutions to meet such demands as a global power development of investment company nebraska power is uniquely positioned to deliver against the state monks we provide business growth promote

social economic benefits and provide innovative safe and environmentally sound energy solutions for future generation the breastpin i am hearing future energy. over 40 years ago the mysterious killing of the president of north yemen the nation . it's a story of deception and. one that still resonates today. al jazeera world reveals how a banquet for your many dignitaries became the backdrop to a brutal assassination. yemen the last launch. on al-jazeera in india identity politics on the rise what we're seeing is the construction of partitions in parts and loads of new units of people across the country and as a dark side is you do see the grit from his awful not just of the hindu faith into something more like the team i didn't see of the british today i meet with victims

of violence and discover what life is like for minorities in the country join me on my journey in search of india's soul on al-jazeera. hello i'm maryam namazie in london of a quick look at headlines now democratic party managers are again appealing for republicans in the u.s. senate to allow witnesses and additional evidence in the impeachment trial of president donald trump they have 4 hours to debate before the vote that will decide the trials future democrats needed at least for publicans to vote for additional witnesses but it's looking increasingly unlikely after 2 key republican senators confirmed they would not meaning the senate will not hear from former national security adviser john bolton could now be acquitted in the coming hours. so here you have the president saying. john bolton is not telling the truth

let's find out let's put john bolton under oath let's find out who's telling the truth the trial is supposed to be a quest for the truth. let's not fear what we will learn as mr simple only said let's make sure that all the facts come out evacuations from china have been stepped up as the corona virus spreads number of confirmed cases worldwide as poss that of the sars epidemic in 2310000 people have been diagnosed with the virus within china another 131 people in 24 countries outside mainland china have also tested positive the death toll currently stands at $213.00 in less than 3 hours from now burson will officially leave the european union ending 47 years of membership the union jack flag has been removed from the e.u. council building in brussels it's nearly 4 years since the u.k.

voted for brakes and prime minister boris johnson says it will be a moment of national renewal government buildings in london have been lit up in red white and blue and the countdown clock will be projected at number 10 downing street. and israel's military saying it launched as strikes on targets in the gaza strip in response to 3 rockets fired by palestinians oh no reports of casualties or major damage from the exchange of fire israel said it hit targets linked to hamas including underground infrastructure used to manufacture weapons tensions are high because of don't transplant for the middle east palestine ambassador to the u.n. has refused to engage in talks with washington battlefield washington is the program that now continues looking at alleged russian meddling in the 2016 u.s. election.

this is the story set in one of the most powerful capitals in the world a political and judicial conflict. a battle that has pitted donald trump against those who believe he was an accomplice and brushes interference. to knowing. cooperate with a hostile foreign power to take over the leadership of the state. this is the 1st time a major covert action major. action against the united states at the very heart of our democratic process has to do. an october 2017 special counsel robert muller issues his 1st indictments against people close to the president. made up for trump's campaign director and gates deputy director of the campaign are both charged for breaking

a series of laws papadopoulos foreign affairs adviser to the campaign is charged for having lied to the f.b.i. . investigation and 0 d. and on his 1st targets to the. right here by the f.b.i. . a string is a foreach. feel. about his contacts with foreign nationals in a series of people in d.c. suddenly in deep trouble those charged by muller become fair game for the press even if they're not directly linked to the russian. ference in the 2016 election. when the initial indictments were issued by mueller people rightfully said wait

a minute this is supposed to be about russia so what's going on and a lot of people have said none of this is collusion who cares why is moller charging these crimes if it's not pollution no collusion there's no collusion and it just seems to be the focus don't collude you know up front you know nothing there's no police no good whatsoever present trumps reactions or that any time one of his colleagues or friends has been indicted or even pled guilty for him the litmus test of the bottom line is did they stab us if there was collusion between president trump and his inner circle and the russians and thus far that has not been charged publicly so that's what he is. claiming as a victory one thing that people i think really misunderstand about the american federal criminal justice system is just how much we rely on cooperating witnesses the defendants the people of being charged the people who have done something wrong have the option of cooperating why then would incriminate characters cooperate with

the investigators it's all about leverage you have to charge someone with a crime that you have the evidence on and then hope that that person is unwilling to take the risk of going to jail for a long time and instead decides to come in and cooperate in this drama between miller and the white house there's there's a lot of behind the scenes negotiation and strategy play it's very much a game as muller builds up his case his investigation suddenly faces a setback. we start with new explosive information the key secure in the mold investigation in this job one of my trusted aides is discredited in time efficiently impeach bush shows name is peter strong to the f.b.i. agent peter struck and strikes alleged mistress and f.b.i. and we're name lisa page.

the press publishes the text messages of peter struck and lisa page. struck was a trusted advisor obama lawyer transcripts of his messages show that he was for family anti trump. oh my god he's an idiot says struck. he's awful says page. i have no idea how destabilizing his presidency would be. struck was dismissed but the damage was done and congress presidents can't can now use trucks opinion to claim that the f.b.i. and the special counsel are politically tanta now the investigations into donald trump have been infected. with the virus of severe bias the pro trump media escalates the attack it denounces it as a conspiracy theory definition was weaponized to destroy his presidency who is underway right here some sort of subversion campaign for trump diehards the

investigations that are closing in on the president are weapons in the hands of an anti trumped deep state we've been hijacked by a deep state it is so addition. father we pray for president trump yes lord give him extra calcium in his backbone yes god made his enemies confound his enemies alou not fall into their traps this we pray in the name of jesus hey man and the minute you for watching 'd. the idea of a deep state is one of the dumbest ideas i've ever heard. there is no such thing as a deep state i have not seen that the state this is another made up conspiracy theory that there is a deep state out to get trump he's always looking for ways to blame his own problems on other people and this is another one totally false. but the deep state

notion thrives. in congress well the consensus over investigating the russian meddling withstand the pressure. there was a hope an expectation that congress as a bipartisan institution could get to the bottom of all this and we've been through it well enough at that and. the leader of the democrats in the house intelligence committee has to admit that there will be no consensus on the issue. last night the majority on the intelligence committee made the decision to prematurely shut down the russian best occasionally only authorized investigation in the house of representatives that was a terrible disservice to the country and the american people this is no way to run investigation it is only a way to go through the motions to give the pretense of trying to find the truth

the truth that congress' failure to uncover the whole truth leads this task to only one man robert mueller. on the 9th of april 2018. a new york attorney becomes the latest target of bob muller michael cohen donald trump's personal lawyer michael cohen he's donald trump's long time for the lawyer and fixer is the city president super and he has the ball as the keys to the kingdom he knows all the secrets about donald trump. card with. the f.b.i. search cohens office at the request of a local prosecutor on charges of financial fraud. the move initiated by bob muller as a direct challenge to the president himself. so i just heard that they broke into the office 'd of one of my personal attorneys good man i said that it's really valid

a whole. new level of unfair that. cohen is someone who might know about alleged real estate dealings in russia that was fairly common knowledge in the real estate community and the international finance community in the political community the russians were funding in various ways many major trunk real estate projects cohen my also know if the president lie in a few months earlier he denied having anything to do with russia you know nothing in russia i have no loans in russia i don't have any deals in russian the lack of financial transparency of the trump organization and the extent to which they have received financing from russian oligarchs or russian interests is unknown to the american people even to this day i have nothing to do with russia haven't made a phone call to russia in years don't speak to people from russia not that i

wouldn't i just have nobody to speak to did putin help trump to win the election is there a secret pact between the 2 men if so cohen could be a key witness a major element of the special council straw. i immediately recognize the strategy that muller was following because my own background as a federal prosecutor was doing organized crime mafia cases it is incredibly rare that you're able to right off the bat make a case against the top guys usually the way you have to build these cases is you have to do it brick by brick and you have to start on the outside and work your way in start at the bottom and work your way up and so in the mafia cases we would start with the low ranking guys and if we could get one to flip and cooperate he would then give us information about these 2 guys higher up the chain and you have to build up and it seems that that's what robert mueller has done here the pressure on cohen builds investigators are digging into his life the f.b.i. also seems communications between michael campbell again to president true.

even one who comes in life and possibly in donald trump's life the question is asking himself at the white house tonight is will michael cohen cracker crumbs lawyer is faced with a choice remain silent and go to jail or reveal his client secrets and there his wrath there is this notion of loyalty one of donald trump sort of defining beliefs is you're either loyal to me or you're dead to me and that's consistent with the way the mafia. operates if you are loyal to the boss and the family how can trump keep his lawyer loyal. he enjoys an extraordinary constitutional power the right to pardon he said he makes an expeditious use of big. brother started to do with our far right commentary that we are not just hearing president donald trump has officially departed for america how confident foundation is considering a paladin our president especially which is one terminal

a very very good thing here specially given her character. the pardons are very positive thing for a president i think you see the way i'm using now yes there will be more bar. trump issued some high. i profile pardons and i think by doing that i think he was sending a message to some of the people who might slip on him michael cohen paul metaphor and others of hey i'm using this this part of power and perhaps there could be one for you down the line if you stay quiet there's basically a deal if you will informal deal that if you keep your mouth shut then i'll take care of. it witnesses keep silent it weakens mahler and his investigation. no i'm not above the law but yes i do have an absolute right to pardon myself i have. pat philbin. or anything. to find illicit motives for some perfectly

permissible action it becomes so malleable it's no different than now we are just hearing from philbin at the moment deputy counsel to the president but of course the key thing that we're waiting for is a vote on witnesses at the likelihood is that that will happen at some point on friday and it could actually result result in president trump's acquittal but nevertheless we're just hearing now from the deputy counsel to president trump and of course it is worth bearing in mind that it would take for publicans to break with that $53.00 seat majority to it to join with all the democrats to demand that the evidence provided at this trial and that we actually hear from witnesses including former national security adviser john bolton let's just listen in for you on the screen. and you've got over $28000.00 pages of documents and transcripts

you've got a lot of evidence already. but there's another principle that they overlook when they say well if you're going to have a trial there just have to be witnesses as if the most ordinary thing is you get to trial and then start subpoenaing new witnesses and documents that's not true either and we pointed this out there's in the regular chords the way things work is you've got to do a lot of work preparing a trial called discovery to find out about witnesses interpose them and find out about documents before you get to trial you can't show up the day of trial and say oh your honor actually we're not ready we didn't subpoena john bolton or witness x. or witness y. and now we want to subpoena that witness now we want to do discovery and why does that matter here because here to show up not having done the work and to expect that work to be done in the senate by this body.

has grave consequences for the institutional interests of this body and it sets a precedent really sets an important precedent for 2 bodies for the senate and for the house. because what the senate accepts as an impeachment coming from the house. determines not just precedent for the senate but really precedent for the house in the future as well. if the procedures used in the house to bring this proceeding here to this stage are accepted if the senate says yes we will start calling new witnesses because you didn't get the job done and whatever process you used to get it here then that becomes the new norm and that's important in a couple of ways one is as we've pointed out. the totally unprecedented process that was used in the house that violated all notions of due process. there are

precedents going back 150 years in the house ensuring that someone accused in an impeachment hearing in the house has due process rights to be represented by counsel to cross-examine witnesses to be able to present evidence they didn't allow the president to do that here. and if this body says that's ok. then that becomes the new normal and they stand up here the house managers and say this body would be unfair if this body doesn't call the witnesses they talk about fairness where was the fairness in that proceeding in the house and managership says things would be arbitrary if you don't do what they say and call the witnesses they want but wasn't arbitrary in the house when they wouldn't allow the president to be represented by counsel wouldn't allow the president to call witnesses. there was no precedent in

a presidential impeachment inquiry to have open hearings where the president and his counsel work skloot. it also would set a precedent. to allow a package of proceeding from the house to come here. that the house managers say well now we need new witnesses we haven't done all the work and it's witnesses they didn't even try to get they didn't subpoena john bolton. and they didn't go through the process when other witnesses were subpoenaed when dr copperman charlie cochran went to court they withdrew the subpoena. and now to say that well fairness demands that this body has to do all that work that sets a new president as well and it changes it would change for all the future. the relationship between the house and the senate and impeachment inquiries it would mean that the senate has to become the investigatory body. and the

principals that they assert the they did a process that wasn't fair they did a process. that was arbitrary that arbitrarily denied the president right they did a process that wouldn't allow witnesses and then they came here on the 1st night remember when we were all here until 2 o'clock and in very belligerent terms. said to the members of this body you're on trial. it will be treachery if you don't do what the house managers say. that's not right. when it was their errors when they were arbitrary and they didn't provide fairness they can't project that onto this body to try to say that. you have to make up for their errors and if you don't. the fault lies here

now they also suggest. that it's not going to take a long time. that they only want a few witnesses but of course if things are opened up to witnesses and it is going to be fair it's not just one side's not just the witnesses that they would want the president would have to be permitted to have witnesses. and with all respect mr chief justice the idea. that if a subpoena is sent to a senior adviser to the president and the president determines that he will stand by the principle of immunity that's been asserted by virtually every president since nixon. that that would just be resolved by the senate right here whether or not that privilege exists by the chief justice sitting as presiding officer that doesn't make sense that's not the way it works the the senate. even when the chief

justice is the presiding officer here can't unilaterally decide the privileges of the executive branch. that dispute would have to be resolved in another way and it could involve litigation and it could take a lot of time. so the idea that this will all be done quickly. if everyone just does what the house managers say is not realistic. it's not the way that the process would actually have to play out in accord with the constitution and that has another significant consequence again affecting. this institution as a precedent going forward because what it suggests the new normal that would be created then is kind of an express path for precisely the

sort. of impeachments that the framers most feared. the framers recognized that impeachment could be done for illegitimate reasons they recognize that there could be partisan impeachment. and if this is the new normal this is the very epitome of a partisan impeachment there was bipartisan opposition to it in the house and it was rushed through. unfair procedures $78.00 days total of inquiry think about that in nixon there had been investigating committees and there was a special prosecutor long before the house judiciary committee started its investigation in clinton there was a special counsel an independent counsel for the better part of a year before the house judiciary committee even started hearings everything. from start to finish in this case from september 24th to the articles of impeachment

were considered. in the judiciary committee was done in 78 days. and $78.00 days and for $71.00 of them the president was entirely locked out. so the new normal would be slapdash get it done quickly unfair procedures in the house to impeach a president then bring it to the senate and then all the real work of investigation and discovery is going to have to take place with that impeachment hanging over the president's head and that's the particular thing that the framers also were concerned about and i mentioned this the other day in federalist number 65 hamilton warned specifically. about what he called and i'm quoting the injury to the innocent from the procrastinated determination of the charges which might be brought against them because he understood that if an

impeachment charge from the house wasn't resolved quickly it was hang if it was hanging over the president's head that in itself would be a problem and that's why they structure the impeachment process so that the senate could be able to swiftly determine impeachment that were brought that's also suggest that's why there is a system for having thorough investigation thorough process done in the house and hamilton explained the way after the impeachment order for an opportunity for intrigue and corruption and it would also be as he put it a detriment to the state from the prolonged inaction of men whose firm and faithful execution of their duty might have exposed them to the persecution of an intemperate or designing majority in the house of representatives. and that's

what's happened here and if you create a system now. that makes the new normal. a half baked slapdash process in the house just get the impeachment done. and get it over to the senate and then once the president's impeached. and you have the head of the executive branch the leaders of 3 free world having something like that hanging over his head then we'll slow everything down and then we'll start doing the investigation and just drag it out. that's all part of what makes this even more political especially in an election year it's not the process that the framers had in mind and it's not something the senate should could dome in this case. the senate is not here to do the investigatory work that the house didn't do. where there's been a process that denied all due process that produced

a record that can't be relied upon the reaction from this body should be to reject the articles of impeachment not to condone and put its imprimatur on the way the proceedings were handled in the house and not to prolong matters further by trying to redo work that the house failed to do by not seeking evidence and not doing a fair and legitimate process to bring the articles of heat of impeachment here thank you. mr sekulow trip justice. members of the senate. over a 7 day period you did hear evidence you heard evidence from 13 different witnesses 192 video clips and as my colleague the deputy white house counsel said over 28000 pages of documents you heard testimony from gordon. he's the united states

ambassador to the european union you heard that testimony testified in the house proceedings. i did not have an opportunity to cross-examination to cross-examine him if we get witnesses i have to have that opportunity william taylor. former acting united states ambassador of the ukraine testified you heard his testimony we didn't get the opportunity to cross-examine him he would be called to marson the former senior director for europe and russia of the national security council you saw his testimony they put it up we didn't get an opportunity we did not have an opportunity to cross-examine him. jennifer williams special advisor in europe and russia for vice president mike pence you saw her testimony they put it up i did not have the opportunity to cross-examine her if we call witnesses we

would have to have that opportunity david holmes the political counsel of the united states embassy in ukraine so testimony from him we're not able to cope cross-examined if he's called or if we get witnesses we will call the ambassador and we will cross-examine lieutenant colonel alexander than you saw his testimony appear before the house we didn't have the opportunity to cross-examine him if we call witnesses we will of course have that right to cross-examine him fiona hill she is the former senior director for europe and russia on the national security council she testified before the house if we have witnesses we have the opportunity to call her then and cross-examine the on the hill kurt volker former united states special representative for ukraine negotiations they called him we did not have the opportunity to cross-examine if we're calling

witnesses these are witnesses you've heard from we would have the right to call witnesses and to cross-examine mr volcker george can't the deputy assistant secretary of state for the bureau of european and asian affairs you saw as testimony they call them. if we have witnesses we have the right to call that witness and to cross-examine deputy assistant secretary kent the former united states ambassador to ukraine and bassett are you gonna bitch they called or you saw that testimony we didn't have the opportunity to cross-examine her if we had witnesses we would have to call her laura cooper deputy assistant secretary of defense for russia ukraine and eurasia they called or you saw her witness's testimony right here we did not have the opportunity to cross-examine or

we would have to be given that opportunity these are witnesses against the president.