WASHINGTON - In just two hours, lawyers for United States President Donald Trump told senators on Saturday that Democrats' efforts to remove the president from office would set a "very, very dangerous" precedent in an election year.
It was the first day of their opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial of Trump.
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, the head of the defence team, told senators they would be denying voters their right to give their opinion on Trump at the November 3 presidential election if they found him guilty and remove him now.
Democrats argued earlier this week that Trump should be removed for encouraging Ukraine to interfere in the election by pressuring its leader to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading 2020 Democratic presidential contender.
The defence tried to turn that argument of election interference against the Democrats by warning against removing a president less than 10 months before the American people will vote on whether to give him a second term.
In wrapping up the opening arguments on Friday, Schiff warned that Trump would abuse his power again unless he is removed from office and urged Republican senators to show "real political courage" and support a Democratic motion later in the trial for more witnesses. (Aljazeera)