And her Groups Campaign to train women for Civic Engagement. You can join the conversation on facebook and twitter. Washington journal is next. Do you solemnly swear, that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, people do impartial justice according to the constitution and laws . Justice john roberts, mr. Chief justice to the senators during the impeachment trial of President Trump. He is providing with presiding with the officer yesterday, a seat that he will be taking in the coming weeks. The coming weeks of the senate trial. We will we begin we will begin with your competence level proceeding in the upper chamber. Democrats, 2027488000. Epublicans, 2027488001 independents, dial in at 2027488002. You can also text that 2027488003. You can text at 2027488003. Or join us on social media at cspanwj or facebook. Com cspan. We will begins presentation of the articles of impeachment led. Y adam schiff here he is in the well of the Senate Chamber making the argument for impeaching President Trump. [video clip] in the history of the republic, no president has ever the complete impeachment the house of a senate ofs to investigate high crimes and misdemeanors, this serve to cover up the president s repeated misconduct and sees and androl the power seize control the power of impeachment. In all of this, President 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 manifest injury to the. Eople of the United StatesPresident Trump has demonstrated he will remain a threat if. Llowed to remain in office President Trump warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, and profit under the United States. Host yesterday, the beginning of the senate trial with house andgers being introduced presenting the articles of impeachment against President Trump. Here is Mitch Mcconnell, republican of kentucky on the floor yesterday. [video clip] weeks, 4 weeks. The democratic majority in the house of representatives is finally ready to defend their impeachment of the president of the United States. , the weeks of delay speaker of the house decided yesterday a trial could finally go forward. She signed the impeachment papers. That took place, madam president , at a table with a ititical slogan stuck onto and they posed afterwards for smiling photos and the speaker ns to hered souvenir pe own colleagues emblazoned with her golden signature that literally came in on silver platters. The pens literally came in on silver platters. Olden pens on silver platters a souvenir to celebrate the moment. Remember democrats falling over themselves to say they did not see impeachment as win. Gsought political House Democrats said over and over they recognize the gravity and seriousness of this action and of course they had only come to it reluctantly. Seriousness and sobriety like handing out souvenirs as though this were a happy bill signing instead of the gravest process in our constitution. This final display nearly distilled the whole process into one perfect visual. It was transparently partisan for performance from beginning to end. That is why they sped through a increase an inquiry when previous impeachment came after months, if not years of investigations and hearings. Host your confidence level in the Senate Impeachment trial, that is the question for all of tweeted out ient got impeached for making a perfect phone call. Janice in the louisiana, democratic caller. Go ahead. Caller i have every confidence in nancy pelosi and the proceedings hereto for with schumer and adam, etc. I have every confidence in the senate to impeach and remove this president. I also would like to make a short comment. I just finished listen to Vladimir Putin addressing the Russian Assembly and i was very impressed with him. Host mark in connecticut. Caller i think the senate will have a fair trial. I agree with the caller before you, what happened in russia is history and it is coming here. If you want to find out about it, go on youtube. Host what does that have to do with impeachment . Caller i am telling you. Go on youtube. X22 report, dont listen to the mainstream media. It is amazing what is happening in this country and people need to wake up and look at it. Host what does this have to do with impeachment . Caller this impeachment is a sham. They dont even have a criminal charge, that is the first thing you need for impeachment, a criminal charge. Lets read the charges against the president. Article 1, abuse of power. Using the powers of his high office, President Trump solicited the interference of ukraine in the 2020 election, he scheme. Hrough a article 2, obstruction of congress. Without lawful cause or excuse, President Trump directed executive aunt Branch Agencies to not to comply with subpoenas. He assumed to himself functions on judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment. Paul in oklahoma, a republican. Confidence level in the Senate Impeachment trial. Paul in oklahoma, let me try one more time. Aller yeah i think President Trump will get a fair trial in the senate and he will be acquitted. Rally this week . Look at the thousands of people who attended. I bet thousands of people will attend the rally on monday right before the impeachment trial. We have the best economy ever. People are going back to work, people are not hungry anymore. It is amazing what this man has accomplished. A fair trialthink includes witnesses . Caller i think that would be a big mistake. Their time toad call witnesses and they did not want to wait. Host no National Security advisor john bolton or Mick Mulvaney or lev parnas . Caller lev parnas, i tell you what, he is being squeezed like a pimple right now. You cannot trust anybody under indictment to tell the truth. He is looking for a better deal right now. That is his story. I dont think Vice President mike pence has anything to do with lev parnas. He wants his 15 minutes of fame and that will be the end of lev parnas, just like all the others. Host ken in illinois, your turn. Caller how are you . Host morning. Caller i enjoy listening to your show, washington journal. I am a moderate democrat and i love hearing all the republicans. Host we are listening. What do you think about the trial . Politicalthink our system is totally and completely broken because of the partisanship that has overtaken america. I am 75 years old, been around a long time. I am a retired teacher, i used teach political for log philosophy. I think what a lot of people most powerful part of our government is the legislature. That is why it is article 1. You say the president is more powerful than the legislature. No, who can fire who . Courtsture can file the or anybody in the administration. That was put together to make us a democracy. I dont see us being much of a democracy anymore. I guess on certain things, the parties come together and figure out some kind of middle ground, but we are so divided on so many things. The reason there are hundreds of bills sitting on mcconnells desk because he does not want his people to vote no on them and go public on that. I think when we have divided government, everything comes to a complete stop. I am also amazed i will be setting article 1 aside, if the senate sends out a subpoena for documents and testimony from people in the white house, i wonder how the senators are going to feel about that. They might be quite upset about their subpoena being ignored. Ken. Finish your thought, meler it would seem to senators even republican senators would be a little more upset about that and it would be even harder for them to get around that. Whatt, it makes you wonder republicans in the house and the senate i know they are under tremendous pressure to get rankandfilethe Republican Voters are completely. Ined up with trumpism i wonder. Sometimes i guess they are hoping he leaves his he loses in 2020 so things can get back to normal. Host yesterday, before the senate trial kicked off with the pageantry you saw with house managers being introduced and the swearing in of the chief justice and the senators, the gao released their ruling on President Trumps decision to freeze the ukraine aid, that military aid. From the report, this is their decision. Faithful execution of the law does not permit the president to substitute his own policy priorities for those congress has enacted into law. Omb withheld for policy reasons, which is permitted the withholding was not a delay, therefore we conclude omb the act. The New York Times notes the law in 1974 was enacted over the veto of richard nixon. Requiring approval from the legislative branch to do so. It also says the gao report on its own does not result in any action or specific penalty against the white house of mr. Trump. This is not the first time the Accountability Office ruled of the Trump Administration violated the act. 2018d so in 2017 and related to the department of Homeland Security funding. The Accountability Office is led by jean to dora nominated by president barack obama and confirmed by the senate. Directors of the Agency Served 15 year terms in an effort to remove the influence of politics from their decision. Yesterday we got reaction from senators to this ruling. Here is dick durbin of illinois, democrat talking about the decision. [video clip] we have received the statement from the Accounting Office and they uphold it violated federal law. The government account Ability Office has a reputation as a partisan watchdog. The legal opinion today concludes President Trump and his administration violated the law by putting a hold on military aid to ukraine while country was trying to this is an important ruling that deserves a thorough hearing in the impeachment trial. It should be part of the evidence of wrongdoing by the president , especially as it alleged charges of abuse of power. I also hope this ruling will convince the administration to ofed the additional delivery military aid which congress sent to ukraine. In thehe minority whip senate, dick durbin, on the floor reacting to the news by the government Accountability Office. Here is Kevin Mccarthy with his take on the ruling. [video clip] a the gao came out with report saying the white house did break laws. You maintain omb is responsible, but they disagreed with the opinion. These are taxpayer dollars going to another country people believe there was corruption with the new administration. I think it was the rightful thing to do. Host john in North Carolina, republican. What is your confidence level in the Senate Impeachment trial . New report, this should it be included in a trial . Caller most trials, when the defense rests and the prosecution rests and they dismissed the jury to a jury room, they usually do not get a chance to open the door and say by the way, we have a little you. Evidence for just like Kevin Mccarthy said, there is a disagreement and also in the phone call transcripts, notp says to the guy, i am sure you are surrounding yourself with the best people. Hat was apprehension the lady that likes putin so much that you had on first, she can go to russia if she wants. Big paradeng to be a stallemocrats trying to anything. There is nobody no way anybody can argue with what President Trump has given the United States and we hear deep state left who support barack obama. The state of virginia declared an emergency because rightful gun owners want to exercise their First Amendment and Second Amendment rights. Host i am going to stick to the topic this morning. Vicki, democratic caller. Caller i have no confidence because the senate, they are thugs. Donald trump is a thug and we are getting what we asked for. Trump who likes donald and condones what he does and says, that shows the character of that person. They are just like donald trump, they are thugs, they are greedy, they are delusional. People are living on the streets. Nowhere too food, stay and they are talking about this is the greatest economy ever . Money is not everything. Host what about impeachment . Caller of course he should be impeached, he should be removed right away. He should be impeached when he. Id not show his taxes it all goes back to that. That is the beginning. If he cannot show his taxes, he is getting money from some illegal source. E is pimping the presidency that is all i have to say because i am so upset with this country. We are coming to an end. Host democratic caller. Caller good morning, greta. I agree along with this young lady right here. The United States of america, we believe in democracy for all americans to follow and the constitution and etc. Here you have donald trump right now, i dont have confidence in that man. Mitch mcconnell needs to recuse himself because his wife worked for the administration. Donald Trump Reminds me of the president of the white south. The Republican Party is the white Republican Party. I dont care what you say. Americans. white this man he has 4 people saying he violated the law. You have women who came back and said he did sexual stuff. Got convictedwho on conspiracy of drug laws, you have people coming together and saying this man did this stuff and you do not have nothing. He is an embarrassment. I dont care what we say, he is not fit for this country. They want our boys to emulate this behavior that he can grab the genitals of women and stuff like that. Taught caught him in a lie. Like the woman said, going all the way to the Supreme Court and they will not have that hearing until june. Host the chief justice will be leading the proceedings in the senate every day. Doesnt the Supreme Court need its leader . John roberts, who presides over the senate trial will have a. Ight, but manageable schedule no more are set until late. Ebruary although this spring court is across the street from the capital, he will go by car escorted by security detail. Here is the moment yesterday john robertsstice the moment he became the presiding officers. [video clip] i attend the senate in conformity for your notice with the purpose of joining with you the trial of the president of the United States. I am now prepared to take the oath. Will you place your left hand on the bible and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump, president of the United States, now pending, you will do impartial justice according to the constitution and the laws so help you god . I do. God bless you. Thank you very much. Host Supreme Court chief justice john roberts. He then swore in all 100 members to impartiality. The Washington Post notes john roberts was a clerk for william rehnquist. The 1999ed over clinton impeachment trial. They also note in the papers he recalled at the conclusion of the five week proceedings, senators were so appreciative of his lowprofile performance they rose to give him a standing ovation, presented him with a golden gavel awarded by Senate Tradition to those who presided over the body for 100 hours. I am not sure it quite reached 100 hours, but it is close enough. He responded, it seemed like it. Pages thishe history morning, this from the Washington Post. They feature this picture. A depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson with trial. Chase the talk about violating tenure of office act in 1867, which said the president could not fire important government officials unless he got the goahead from the senate. The Vice President of the United States is writing in the papers the opinion pages of the wall street journal this morning about that time, that impeachment trial. Mike pence writing a partisan impeachment, a profile encouraged, and he is talking about senator edmund ross, republican of kansas at the time. This is what the Vice President writes about senator ross, the pressure was almost unbearable as ross later described it i almost literally looked down into my open grave, friendship, position, fortune, everything that makes life desirable were abou