US: Arguments conclude as impeachment acquittal looms

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - House prosecutors and U.S. President Donald Trump's defense team wrapped up concluding arguments Monday as the president's acquittal appeared a near certainty.

Trump's team urged Senators to reject the two House-passed impeachment articles facing the president, maintaining he is innocent of any wrongdoing and his fate should be left to voters to decide come November.

"Elections have consequences. We all know that. And if you do not like the policies of a particular administration or a particular candidate, you are free and welcome to vote for another candidate," Trump attorney Jay Sekulow told assembled lawmakers from the Senate well. "But the answer is elections, not impeachment."

House prosecutors, however, made an impassioned if likely futile appeal that Senators have a responsibility to remove the president from office based on the two articles against him: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, both of which relate to his repeated attempts to have Ukraine open criminal investigations into leading Democratic candidate Joe Biden and subsequent refusal to cooperate with the House's investigation of the matter.

"History will not be kind to Donald Trump. I think we all know that. Not because it will be written by Never Trumpers, but because whenever we have departed from the values of our nation, we have come to regret it," lead House manager Adam Schiff said, facing seated Republicans.

"If you find that the House has proved its case, and still vote to acquit, your name will be tied to his with a cord of steel and for all of history. But if you find the courage to stand up to him, to speak the awful truth to his rank falsehood, your place will be among the Davids who took on Goliath. If only you will say 'enough,'" he added.

The Senate on Friday paved the way for Trump's speedy acquittal when it voted to not allow witness testimony or key documents in Trump's trial, despite bombshell accusations from Trump's former National Security Advisor John Bolton that the president told him in August that he wanted to keep hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Ukraine frozen until Kiev declared probes into former Vice President Joe Biden.

The claims were made in a forthcoming book, excerpts of which were obtained and published by the New York Times.

Bolton previously said he was ready to testify should the Senate subpoena him.

The final vote in the impeachment trial is expected Wednesday.