Blistering scalding indictment of President Trump's conduct The House managers put forward a compelling indeed overwhelming case that Donald Trump Trump engaged in impeachable conduct. He withheld both congressionally approved aid to our ally. Ukraine and an Oval Office meeting desperately sought by Ukraine's new President, two official acts in Exchange for personal favors that would benefit him politically. Trump sought an announcement by Ukraine, a baseless investigations into bogus corruption allegations against Joe Biden, whom Donald Trump most feared as an opponent in the 2020 presidential election. He also wanted Ukraine to announce an investigation into the discredited and debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine not Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. At every turn, Donald Trump refused to cooperate with an actively obstructed congresses investigation into his wrong. His obstruction was in the words of the articles of impeachment, quote, unprecedented categorical and indiscriminate. I listened carefully to the President's lawyers as they presented their defense case like my lawyers, I took pages of notes of my colleagues were very patiently trying to hear each argument that was being made by the Defense Council. I. Notes they took notes and as I sat at this desk with the seriousness and sanctity of the preceding stick in the air, I waited for the President's lawyers to rebut the avalanche of evidence against their client and I waited and I waited and at the end of the case, I was still waiting and that's because the President's lawyers did nothing to rebut any of the facts in this case, nothing because they could. They knew what we all knew after we heard the House managers case Donald Trump did it. He did it. He did exactly what he was alleged to have done. He abused his power. He committed impeachable crimes. He's guilty. There's no question about it. No question at all. There is no doubt that President Trump used his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to solicit Ukraine's interference in the 2020 election. There is no doubt. Did President Trump froze the 390 - one million dollars of tax payer dollars in Ukraine, military aid and security assistance that Congress authorized and appropriated. There is no doubt that President Trump candidate won the release of that aid on the Ukrainian Government's announcement of politically motivated investigations. There is no doubt that in a July 20 -fifth 2019 phone call President Trump directly solicited Alinsky as the as the partial transcript memorialized and is acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney admitted there is no doubt that President Trump released the aid to Ukraine only after a patriot within the intelligence community blew the whistle on him. and after several House committees announced a joint investigation into the president's corrosive scheme, there is no doubt that the President directed. Orchestrated a cover up and the wholesale obstruction of Congress investigation into his wrongdoing. Donald Trump has shown no remorse, No contrition, no recognition whatsoever that his conduct was wrong. Instead, he has doubled down on his abuses gas lighting us repeatedly with the assertion that is called with President Zalenski was quote perfect and by publicly urging Ukraine and China. To investigate his political rivals, the question now before the United States, Senate is not what are the facts. We know the facts, no reasonable person can dispute them. No. The question for the Senate is what in the pursuit of impartial Justice. As our olds require must we do with these facts. to me. The answer is clear we must vote to convict Donald Trump and remove him from office. The evidence shows that he has committed impeachable offenses and is a clear and present danger to our democracy and our National security. But if we fail to remove Donald Trump from office, we are left with an equally consequential question. What will prevent and acquitted Donald Trump from abusing his power again. We all know that the answer is nothing nothing will. that's the answer I received from the House. When I ask this question during the trial, in fact, we know that in acquittal will only embolden him. We know that Donald Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Zalenski took place the day after special counsel Mueller testified in the House of Representatives. The special counsel found in explained in his House testimony that there was evidence of a criminal conspiracy between members of the Trump campaign and Russia, but the evidence was not sufficient to bring charges. Robert Mueller Said there was no evidence of such a conspiracy. There was evidence it was merely insufficient for a prosecution, and we know that Donald Trump took this as a Green light to invite further foreign interference in our elections, which he did the very next day. Donald Trump has no shame he cannot help himself If we acquit President Trump, he will believe himself to be accountable to no one and when not. But when he is again faced with the choice between the public interest and his personal interest, he will choose his personal interest and it will in part be a reckoning of our own making. a majority in this chamber will have made President Trump a dictator and then what will we tell the American people? How will we convince them that we still have a democracy that they should have faith in a system of checks and balances that ensures accountability that no. Is above the law this weekend. I asked some of my constituents what they would say on the floor of the Senate if they could make remarks in this trial, Jennifer Baker Jones of Bloomberg said it perfectly quote Wednesday's vote won't be a vindication of Trump, but an end to the right of Congress to push back on the President. They are giving up their balance of power. It will be difficult. Because we have already seated much of our authority and indeed betrayed the public's faith in us by the conduct of this trial, Hope Anderson in law, Massachusetts told me we need to not only hold our leaders and ourselves accountable, but seek to maintain and repair the public's trust. We're not here simply to protect one election in 2020, where here to protect all elections at the beginning of this trial. We each took an oath to do impartial Justice, but then we held a trial without witnesses or documents. we moved to vote on the articles of impeachment without hearing from John Bolton, a witness whose firsthand knowledge directly cuts the heart out of the president's case without hearing from Mick Mulvaney, whose fingerprints are all over this scheme without eat the Emails, text and other documents. We know exist writings that memorialize communications about the actions at issue here. A trial is a. For the truth, the full truth, the whole truth that search for the truth requires hearing from relevant witnesses and seeing relevant documents so that the fact finders understand the entire story by not pursuing this evidence the Senate, The fact finders have told the American people that the truth does not matter datas are better from us. Our constitution demands it our democracy. And I believe that the vast majority of my Republican colleagues do understand what Donald Trump did here and know that it is very very wrong. They know the House managers prove their case. Some are even saying that out loud. I believe that the vast majority of my Republican colleagues recognize did abuse of power is an impeachable offense and that the President is not above the law, but unfortunately, I also believe that they are simply two. Afraid of Donald Trump to do what they know is right every senator needs to consider this question. If what Donald Trump did here is not impeachable extorting foreign interference in our free and fair elections and then covering it up. Then what is impeachable. We have to have accountability. That is our duty. We cannot give future presidents cut blush to tear down our consent. And interfere with free and fair elections period that has to be our standard and I will end my remarks with the answer. I got from my constituent Matthew Murray in Gloster to what he would say if he were here, he said. I urge you my fellow senators to deliberate in accordance to your conscience and the oath you took when you were elected and vote to remove this dangerous President from office. This is the choice we must make duty to this President or duty to democracy. For this reason, I will be voting to remove President Trump from office. This is an historic moment. I do not think that this body has a choice. I thank you Madam President and I yield back and I questioned the presence of Aquaman. Roll. Australia examiner