senate as it has convened today for the rest of this week as the impeachment trial will continue as of noon tomorrow. welcome to our coverage on c-span2. we will continue our coverage tomorrow at noon eastern and we want to hear from you and your thoughts on the impeachment process so far. the legal arguments on the constitutionality of the proceedings are done and they will begin 16 hours on each side beginning tomorrow presenting their case in favor of an peach mint and opposed to impeachment. here are the phone phone lines if you'd like to weigh in with your thoughts (202)748-8920 for democrats (202)748-8921 for republicans and all others 2-027-488-9202 and we will show you some of the arguments presented by the house managers who are trying the case for the u.s. house and the impeachment court and the lawyers for president trump bruce castor and

david schoen taking two full hours of oral arguments and legal arguments and the democrats, the democratic managers taking an hour and a half you start and jaime raskin at maryland who is the lead manager for the house yielding back that 33 minutes or so. we will open up our phone lines and the numbers are on your screen for your calls and comments. we may hear from senators with their cameras positioned outside of the u.s. senate possibly hear some comments from senators as they leave the senate floor possibly from house managers so we will watch for that. (202)748-8921 for republicans and all others (202)748-8922. one of the questions in the constitutionality of the case presented by the house managers wanted the questions answered

was whether the president was a private senator and here's what david c. celini of rhode island one of the managers had to say in his presentation. >> the trial of the former official committed as official rising from impeachment occurred while he was an official poses absolutely no risk whatsoever of subjecting a private citizen to impeachment for their private conduct. we emphasize the point president trump was impeached while he was in office for conduct in office period. the alternative once again is the exception which our most powerful officials to commit the most terrible abuses and then resign to leave office and suddenly claim that they are a private citizen who can't he held accountable at all. in the same vein president trump and his lawyers argue that he shouldn't be impeached because it would set a bad precedent for impeaching others but that

slippery slope argument is -- for centuries the prevailing view has been warmer officials are subject to impeachment and he just heard a full discussion of that. the house has repeatedly acknowledged that fact but the vast majority of cases the house recognizes an official resignation for departure makes the extraordinary step of impeachment unnecessary in navy even unwise. as a house manager in the belknap case and i quote there is no likelihood that we shall ever a number that clumsy and faulty monster piece of ordinance to take aim at an object which all danger has gone by end quote. president trump's cases different. the danger has not gone by. his threat to democracy makes any prior abuse like any government official pale in

comparison. moreover, allowing his conduct to pass without the most decisive response was itself -- would itself. extraordinary danger to the nation but inviting further abuse of power of the congress of the united states is unable or unwilling to respond to insurrection and cited by the president. think about that. to paraphrase robert jackson who said that president i just described would lie about like a lowly weapon ready for the hand of any future president who decided in his final months to make a play for unlimited power. think of the danger. here is the rare case in which love of the constitution and commitment to our democracy requires the house to impeach and for the same reason the senate can and must try this this case.

>> congressman's is celini's argument earlier today on the constitutionality of the senate proceeding the vote was 56-44 the senate agreeing that indeed donald trump's subject to the jurisdiction of the court of impeachment, 56-44 meaning there were six republicans have sided with the democrats moving forward at the impeachment try senators cassidy collins romney to me and murkowski. the senate is done for the day and they will gavel back in and resume the impeachment tomorrow at noon eastern. the line for you to call in and weigh in with your thoughts in with your thoughts (202)748-8920 for democrats, (202)748-8921 for republicans on all others (202)748-8922. let's hear from lauren and tampa florida on our democrats line. >> i'm a democrat for 64 years and i'm in the disappointed in the party and they lost me and i

will start voting republican beginning next year. thank you very much democrats. >> michael and virginia on the independent line. cohn thanks for taking my call. i've had the opportunity to listen to your arguments this afternoon and i thought both sides did a great job. i was a bit confounded i guess by the final vote that 44 republican senators honestly felt that trying the former president was unconstitutional and i will leave it at that and the things. >> host: state senator iowa, mickey on the republican line. go ahead. >> caller: thank you for taking my call. i think the only -- sorry, the only danger to our democracy, our republic are the democrats in this witchhunt that they keep

pushing for four years and keeping it going. and republicans who vote for this sham need to be voted out. thank you. >> we are keeping our eye just outside of the u.s. senate chambers the ohio clock areas members come out of the senate chamber and some have spoken briefly with reporters but not for very long. let's go long. let's go to sugarland texas and hear from alexandria on the democrats line. >> caller: hi there. thanks for taking my call. i just like to say from what i saw the republicans arguments is that it's apparently contradict eerie to say that trump is a private citizen and therefore shouldn't be tried but also trying him in an impeachment trial is an act of political

warfare. it's either one or the other and you can't have it both ways. the other thing is i would really like to request some english subtitles for bruce castor's speaking if he resumes because he was as long-winded and nonsensical and that's pretty much what i have to say about today. >> host: you were talking about the first attorney you wanted subtitles for him? >> caller: something that makes sense because just repeating words and anecdotes and stories isn't a legal argument. >> host: fischer bill virginia's up next on the independent line. call -- >> caller: the president shall be removed on impeachment for conviction of treason, bribery

and other high crimes and misdemeanors. which means half of the houses guilty to for everything that they have done. a lot of people for a lot of reasons. >> host: where do you fall on this? the question they decided today moving forward decided it was constitutional. how do you feel? >> caller: number one he was removed out of office and was no longer the president when they decided to impeach him. according to the constitution you can only impeach someone who is a president or an office which means everybody who is in office shall be removed and can be removed for treason, bribery, other high crimes. >> host: i let you go there

caller, sorry about that. if you missed the coverage earlier today reminder that all of our coverage is on c-span.org including that opening video that representative raskin used on the attack on january 6. you can go there and find all that from today in morant illegal briefings that were filed by both sides. a couple of comments from members of the house senate as senator schumer goes by to reporters and not making much of a statement today. we hear from senator bill hager day of freshman senator from tennessee saying this unconstitutional impeachment effort is a disservice to tennessee who sent it to washington to work on important issues that will improve their daily lives. mps -- impeachment manager adam schiff in 2020 opening statement was flawless and irrefutable weaving of powerful

video constitutional arguments in history but representative raskin's emotional appeal moved anyone not made of stone. from jason crowe who was part of that let's listen in to senator schumer. >> the argument was one of the most powerful i've ever seen. they hit it out of the park was erudite and are really got to your heart. >> host: very brief comments from majority leader chuck schumer. we are seeing a tweet from this afternoon from one of the former managers one of last year's miniatures jason crowe colorado talking about the presentation of the lead attorney for president trump and if there is any doubt donald trump doesn't have the defense bruce castor just erased it. we are taking your calls and your texts as well.

202-748-8920 and make sure when you text you tell us your name and where you are texting from. we got a mark in palmdale california on the republican line. >> caller: thanks for taking my call. can you hear me? >> host: yes, we can. >> caller: i think the conversation whether it's legal constitutional it's all irrelevant. i think it's just about fear. the people in washington are fearful of what trump can do god forbid in their eyes if he is reelected. i think they preyed on his naïveté in the past four years and threw everything they could at him and i think they are fearful of the 74 million legal bills and god forget -- god forbid he gets reelected and they are trying to do everything they can to stop that from happening. i think the bickering

back-and-forth is irrelevant. they are going to do what they want to do to protect themselves and continue doing what they have always done which is protect themselves. >> host: is up next on the democrats line in fort myers, florida. mute your volume on your television and go ahead with your comment. >> caller: i just want to say i believe this impeachment should go forward and as someone else suggested i believe this is a process of our democracy and it comes from the actions over the past four years but specifically over the past few months. it's clear that he planted the seed and the lack of the leaf in our process. he totally is guilty of insurrection so that's all i have to say. god bless america. >> caller: on our independent

line, this is robert. >> caller: hello everybody. i've always been an independent in voted on both sides. i'm an independent and i'm also a christian and her 10 commandments say don't bear false witness against your neighbor. first of all donald trump did insider right. he came on in more than an hour later. it started before our people ever march down there. not only that it was proven in teco was there. we have got pictures. we have had people arrested even as we had ukrainian antifa, okay? we have had people that have been caught making fires and destroying businesses and buildings, okay? that you won't hear about. that will not come out. they are only telling us what

they want us to hear to keep the pressure on donald trump and keep everything going. >> host: reporting from "usa today" on people who have been charged with crimes, their headline here is proud voice suspect pleads not not guilty in capitol rides including a man accused of taking an officer shield and pennsylvania's next up and we welcome donald, on the republican line. >> caller: thank you for taking my call. i think it's pretty much a scam and a railroad against donald trump from scranton pennsylvania i can tell you donald trump maybe 10% of the people voted for joe biden. around scranton pennsylvania all you saw work signs for trump. you saw very little of biden and harris. so i can tell you right now also

he had a rally here and no one showed up for it, maybe 60 people. >> host: you are talking about joe biden? >> caller: joe biden. 50 people in his whole rally here. i saw it first-hand. so my thing is, president trump has the support of pennsylvania and it was stolen from him. let's as the let's go to cam and louisville, kentucky on the democrats line. >> caller: a couple of things in response to some of your callers, they tried to impeach president trump when he was in office and mitch mcconnell blocked it so that answers some of the questions. the other thing is i don't think if the insurrection had not happened there would not in impeachment trial against donald trump his say he's been impeached for four years his actions are what is getting this trial started and i don't know how any republican could not

support a trial on an impeachment trial on this issue. it just boggles my mind. >> caller: . >> host: this is alex bolton who reports for the hill responding are reacting to some of the testimony from david shane rather one of the lawyers for president trump. alex tweets this, he says in its history trump's lawyer david shane claims speaker pelosi held articles of impeachment to avoid having the trial began while mr. trump is still president. the trial should have started because the senate was in recess and later mcconnell called it back. we showed you moment ago the back of the headline on "the huffington post" the same testimony that same argument from david schoen. trump's lawyer impeachment could bring about the second civil war.

donald trump could tier this country apart perhaps like we have only seen once before in history. here's what he had to say. >> they say you need a trial but for the nation can heal. the nation cannot heal without it. i say our nation cannot possibly heal with it. with this trial you will open up new and bigger wins across the nation for a great many americans who see this process for exactly what it is, a sham by a group of pundits and politicians seeking to eliminate donald trump from the american political scene and seeking to disenfranchise 74 million plus american voters and those who dare to share their political beliefs and vision of america. they hated the results of the 2016 election and want to use this impeachment process to further their political agenda. these leaders of called their

fellow americans who believe in a country and constitution deplorables and the latest is that they need to be broke ground those who supported donald trump in the grand old party. but at the end of the day this is not just about donald trump, for any individual. this is about our constitution and abusing the impeachment power for political gain. they tell us we have to have this impeachment trial such as it is to bring about unity but they don't want unity and they know the so-called trioval tier the country and have leaving tens of millions of americans feeling left out of the nation's agenda as dictated by one political party who now holds the power in the white house and our national legislature. they are proud americans who never not get back up on their down and they don't take

dictates from another party based on partisan for savings. this trial will tier this country apart perhaps like we have only seen once before in our history. and to help the nation heal we now learn that the house managers in their wisdom have hired a movie company and a large law firm to create manufactured and displayed for your package designed by experts to horrify you and our fellow americans. they want to put you through a 16 hour presentation over two days focusing on this as if it was some sort of love sport and to what and? for healing? for unity? for accountability? it's not for any of those. surely there are much better ways to achieve each. it is again for pure rock misguided partisanship to make them believe playing to our worst instincts somehow is good.

they don't need to show you movies to show you the riot happened here. we will stipulate that it happened and you know all about it. this is a process you will irresponsibly by hatred by house managers and those who gave up their charge and they are willing to sacrifice our national character to advance their hatred and their fear that one day they might not be the party in power. >> host: part of the 3.5 hours of question on constitutionality earlier today in the senate. here's what's ahead beginning at noon eastern tomorrow the beginning of 32 hours, 16 each side of arguments on the article, the one and only article of impeachment to questions from senators will take up to four hours but it's possible they may debate whether to call witnesses or subpoena more documents and that will be two hours equally divided between the republicans and the democrats and closing arguments, four hours equally divided

between the two sides again they will gavel back in for tomorrow's session at noon eastern. we will continue with a few more minutes of your calls and comments and go to craig and blackstone massachusetts next on the independent line. >> caller: thanks for taking my call. i just wanted to say i find it in the constitution it says the house has soul power of impeachment and they impeached trump while he was still president so i'm not saying that i agree with the impeachment i'm not saying i'm opposed to it but i feel he should have the ability to say yes this is constitutionally acceptable and the reason for the try was to show if he is guilty or not guilty. thank you. >> host: okay. rodney and oklahoma on the republican line. good afternoon. >> caller: thanks for taking my call. i find this disheartening when i

watch these democrats vote on this impeachment. none of them follow the constitution. if they don't like what the constitution says they just completely ignore it. that's the reason our country is where it's at today. our country cannot survive with them doing that. without donald trump we don't have anything. people have nobody fighting for them. our congress, our senate, they don't care about the people or anyone else. >> host: rodney do you think this decision however the impeachment trial, this one turns out it may wind up before the supreme court and they may decide, yes or no, if you can't try a former official or former president like this? >> caller: i don't think any part of this is going to help our country. when you've got people like

nancy pelosi like when she ripped up the state of the union speech there's no accountability for anything those people do. everyone of them are kirks and they just cover for one another. the american people are stuck in the middle of it. >> host: kevin and in brandon, florida on the democrats line. >> caller: so i wanted to touch on something that david schoen said when he was talking about article i, section 3 of the constitution clauses six and seven where he read judgment of impeachment should not -- then removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy it the office of honor and trust under the ice is pretty emphasized he and between removal from office and disqualification to hold as if that is the end-all be-all and it's the end that decides whether this is constitutional

or not. i think that it really should come from beforehand where it says shall not extend further than because that state anything up to and including both removable from office and disqualification to hold as authorized under the constitution and seems like a pretty simple argument for such an experienced lawyer or thanks for taking my call. >> host: thanks kevin. the arguments are coming up momentarily can send us a text at 202-748-8903. republican in texas says congressman should stop wasting taxpayers money. what mr. trump gives a heinous crime you should be tried for felony civil court and if he's found guilty should be unable to run for president again. ingrid in portland oregon on our independent line. hello there. >> caller: first i want to thank c-span about the people who work in the government. i appreciate you all and you've

showed me really need a working functional government. >> host: just to be, ingrid one second to be clear c-span doesn't work for the government heard we are funded by the cable industry and we don't take any money from the federal government. we are covered going on 35 years of the u.s. senate but i interrupted you. go ahead with your comment. >> caller: i am learning like everyone else. i live in portland, oregon and i've never bought been so inspired to be around the city people committed to black lives matter committed to bringing the land back to indigenous people and bringing y'all who are committed to justice annul the term presidency that will get rid of the supreme court justices and all the judges he appointed and all the people that he pardoned all their regulation to destroy our environment. we outnumber these hateful

people. let's get together and let's annul the term presidency, let's strike him from the american lexicon. i used to say was w at this one here he earns it. portland is a good city full of decent people i say this as a black disabled person. i moved here because i thought these were people trying to walk through a portal. let's look at covid and what nature is telling us right now. >> host: i will let you go there and go to the comments and thanks for the call. murphy north carolina, republican line. >> caller: yes, i'm calling in reference to my president donald john trump. >> host: and be sure to mute your volume there and go ahead with your comment. >> caller: first of all at the same of vietnam veteran dying of

agent orange. i raise my hands six times for this country and to oppose and defend the constitution and all of the american people. not white people, not green people, not purple people, all people. i gave the best years of my life to this country. i am sitting here dying and i'm listening to all these people that never earned a right to vote. they earned their wrote -- right to vote because of me and the rest of us who served in the military. i spent 21 years of my life. i gave my life to this country. this is a root ticketless sham in memory of corporal jesse harris who was cut into pieces in republican south vietnam. all you people out there, please, please, please i beg you

you -- we are americans. we are not democrats, we are republicans, we are others we are americans. god gave us this country. god gave us all these resources. please i'm begging you while i'm still alive quit putting each other down. >> host: thomas appreciate your call this afternoon. reporting on the senate trial today the first day the trial that he'll be article senate votes trial constitutional, six republicans vote yes. they write the senate rejected an attempt to derail former president trump's impeachment trial by declaring him unconstitutional veterans voting 66-54 on -- 56-44 through six gop senators joined democrats to say they believe the trial is

constitutional largely mirroring a similar vote from last month or they write only bill cassidy louisiana that previously supported the effort by senator rand paul kentucky who would have declared the trial unconstitutional said on tuesday he believes it is constitutional. a couple more calls here and some comments from lawmakers on twitter a couple before we get actor calls. senator kevin cramer and these are some republicans kevin cramer of north dakota saying the plain reading of the constitution makes it obvious where we begin today's and inappropriate use of the impeachment process the vast majority of republicans agree we should stop this process right now. in lankford -- jim lankford from obama can't vote to remove someone from office is not even office. this is nonsense and sets a terrible present for the future but today we had no chief justice presiding because of the constitution does not speak to trying a former president. you cannot disqualify someone from running for office until you decide on removal but it's

impossible to remove someone from office when he's already gone. james lankford says the impeachment trial is clearly unconstitutional. hammy says hatred and hatred alone for president donald trump's what this is all about in washington d.c.. in long branch new jersey alberta go ahead. >> caller: i think we need to take a pause and look at this moment and really reflect on what it means about our represented democracy and the fact that we are sitting here with many of those crew are well informed on how the constitution works and interpretation even using a framers interpretation of the constitution and yet they are unwilling to perform their duty. we know where this is going to go but the bigger question is what are we going to do about

making sure the government still works for the people? >> host: do you think this effort, hugh support impeachment i would assume? do you think this effort will solidify america's trust in the constitution? >> caller: i think america's trust in the constitution is already there. i think what it will do is galvanize a group of americans to make sure that our democracy works going forward in making sure that we are protected and we are able to have the constitution do what it needs to do when the time comes instead of what we are seeing is a dereliction of duty here. >> host: we go to austin in lake worth, florida on the independent line. >> caller: thanks for taking my call. i have a couple of thoughts. freedom of speech, freedom of expression. you are allowed to express express yourself and that's a beautiful thing about the first

amendment and our constitution but you are not exempt from consequences. they were allowed to wear what they wanted to to school but that doesn't mean they were entitled to be disrespected by their peers for their views and the next thing the unity argument you can't have unity with america first for unity as in all an compassing idea and you can't believe in america first. it's a mindset of greater entitlement. entitlement is a big problem and i want to touch back on thomas and i respect her time in the military but you said iowa have the right to vote ache as you fought for that i have the right to vote because of the constitution i want to point out that you said white, green and purple instead of a balloting the problem, black lives matter and things of that nature. speaking myself as a registered voter and my first time voting i did not vote for hillary clinton

because i was oblivious to my white privilege and just because this impacted me i still should have exercised my right to vote for who i thought was a better candidate. 2020 was my first time voting. i'm a youth who was pushed to become engaged in politics and i want to point out there's a movement of new voters coming in and as much as we may want to sit here and drag her feet on this current topic we have to let the incoming waves walk on the road that have been paid by her predecessors. >> host: thanks for that joseph. next on the line is springfield. >> caller: i thank you for having me and i enjoy watching c-span and watching congress in action. i want to speak on the constitutionality and i support the decision that was made with

the republicans that voted in favor. i think there is precedent to support the decision that they did make looking at past cases and looking at the founders intent with what was going on and england where we raised our constitution along with other cases that we have involving impeachment. i also want to raise something that was brought up before about how the constitution article i, section 3 talked about how impeachment shall not extend further than, so not extending further than removal from office and disqualification of any office of honor implying that you can't have one or the other but cannot go any further and further on talking about how you don't have double jeopardy won't have jail time for being impeached for treason which is

punishable by death. you won't have the death penalty so it's just charging on disqualification and/or removal. >> host: thanks for that and thanks for all your calls. we'll have much more time with you tomorrow morning as we do every morning to the "washington journal" devoting three hours of programming tomorrow to your reaction to the senate impeachment trial as we do throughout the week live wednesday in everyday at 7:00 a.m. eastern and just to remind you the multiple ways you can watch the impeachment trial. of course here in c-span2 streaming it every day at c-span.org and we have a free life on the c-span radio app. if you missed any piece of it or you want to read further into the legal brief submitted go to c-span.org/impeachment.

>> host: we take you back to 1:00 p.m. eastern this afternoon in the u.s. senate as they gaveled in for the impeachment trial of former president donald trump's and today the question on whether donald trump should be subject to the court of impeachment. >> the senate will be in order. kaplan dr. barry black will leave the senate in prayer. >> let us pray. it turn oh god, author of liberty, take control of this impeachment trial. lord, permit to the wds