Watch highlights from Day 2 of Trump's impeachment trial, in which Democrats begin their prosecution


The House impeachment managers, or prosecutors in President Trump's impeachment trial, used the first 7 hours and 17 minutes of their allotted 24 hours for opening statements on Wednesday, according to The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis, and the lion's share of speaking time went to the lead prosecutor, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
"Schiff offered a sweeping survey of the case that leaned hard into themes designed to resonate with national-security-minded Republicans," The New Yorker's Susan Glasser recapped. Overall, "the House managers made a polished, impassioned stab at convincing their audience, dramatizing their case with an attention-grabbing presentation (designed to keep the senators awake, perhaps?) that included video clips from Trump; his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney; and many of the key witnesses from the House's televised impeachment proceedings. It was a sort of greatest hits of the Trump-Ukraine scandal, a primer for senators."
Much of it was familiar territory for people who followed the House impeachment hearings closely," Glasser writes, "but it was frequently eloquent, appalling, and dramatic to hear the alarming facts of the case laid out all over again." For anyone who didn't watch all seven-plus hours — and that includes some of the senator-jurors — PBS NewsHour compiled some highlights:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Not everyone was wowed by Schiff's "silver-tongued" speechifying, as Glasser phrased it — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), for example, tweeted "the more we hear from Adam Schiff, the more the GOP is getting unified against this partisan charade," earning at "True!" reply from Trump — but his presentation got generally high marks. On CNN, legal analysts Jeffrey Toobin pronounced it "dazzling."
You can watch Schiff's full closing remarks on Day 2 of Trump's impeachment trial below, including his final call to courage for Republican senators. Peter Weber
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The party bringing Trump-style populism to Japan
Under The Radar Far-right party is ‘Rise of Sanseito is ‘shattering’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism
-
Southern barbecue: This year’s top three
Feature A weekend-only restaurant, a 90-year-old pitmaster, and more
-
Film reviews: Anemone and The Smashing Machine
Feature A recluse receives an unwelcome guest and a pioneering UFC fighter battles addiction
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US