In Impeachment Document, Democrats Say Trump Endangers US Security

Democratic U.S. lawmakers leading the impeachment case against Republican President Donald Trump said on Saturday the president must be removed from office to protect national security and preserve the country’s system of government.

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In a 111-page document filed before Trump’s Senate trial begins in earnest on Tuesday, the lawmakers laid out their arguments supporting charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress against the president.

“The Senate should convict and remove President Trump to avoid serious and long term damage to our democratic values and the nation’s security,” the lawmakers said, for the first time formally calling for the Senate to convict the president and remove him from office.

“The case against the president of the United States is simple, the facts are indisputable, and the evidence is overwhelming,” they said.

The document was an appeal directly to the senators to be impartial. “History will judge each senator’s willingness to rise above partisan differences, view the facts honestly and defend the Constitution,” the managers said in a statement noting “the President is not a king.”

While, Trump’s legal team issued a resounding rejection of the impeachment charges, which were read out in the Senate earlier in the week during formalities setting the stage for the trial. They are expected to release a longer, separate response to the Democrats’ pretrial brief on Monday.

"This is a brazen and unlawful attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election and interfere with the 2020 election," Trump's lawyers argued in a response filed to the Senate.

"The Articles of Impeachment are constitutionally invalid on their face," the six-page response read.

It was the first time Trump formally responded to the two articles of impeachment - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress - that the Democratic-led House approved late last year.

The trial is set to begin on Tuesday with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave the House until Saturday and the White House counsel until Monday to deliver trial briefs outlining their arguments, allowing a House deadline for rebuttal the following day.