A Democratic trial brief also released over the weekend dismisses the central plank of Trump's defense -- that an indictable crime must be committed before a President can be impeached. Their exceedingly aggressive response to the House impeachment case also claims that the President was denied due process in the House impeachment investigation. "Remember, next week is going to be the first time America gets to hear President Trump's defense." Trump's defense also largely ignores the evidence piled up by the House impeachment inquiry. The dueling Democratic and Republican narratives heading into the Senate trial reflect the high political stakes even though Trump's acquittal is almost guaranteed.

Source: CNN January 20, 2020 05:03 UTC