White House, wrapping up Trump defense, seeks swift acquittalUS Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is presiding over the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald TrumpWASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump's lawyers were to wrap up their defense at his Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday but their hopes for a swift acquittal may be in jeopardy amid calls for more witnesses. Trump is to deliver the nationally televised "State of the Union" speech to a joint session of Congress on February 4 and the White House clearly wants to have moved past impeachment by then. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the White House and McConnell on Tuesday of seeking a "very short and incredibly rushed trial." Once they wrap up, senators will have 16 hours to pose questions to White House lawyers and the seven members of the House who have served as prosecutors at just the third impeachment trial of a president in US history. The White House also rolled out two high-profile lawyers to defend the president -- Clinton impeachment investigator Ken Starr and Harvard constitutional expert Alan Dershowitz.

Source: Bangkok Post January 28, 2020 17:03 UTC