Senate rejects Dems' bid for State Dept. documents

The US Senate rejected an amendment offered by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer seeking documents from the State Department during the first day of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

It was turned back on the strict party line vote, 53-47.

Prior to the vote, President Trump's attorney, Jay Seculow argued the president's communications with advisors are covered under executive privilege.

"The Supreme Court found such a privilege necessary to guarantee the candor of presidential advisers," Seulow said.

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff argued the documents are necessary to conduct a fair trial.

"Are you prepared to say that that president can simply say, I'm going to fight all subpoenas," Schiff asked on the Senate floor.

"Are you prepared to say and accept that president saying, I have absolute immunity?"

The rare impeachment trial, unfolding in an election year, is testing whether Trump's actions toward Ukraine warrant removal at the same time that voters are forming their own verdict on his White House.

Chief Justice John Roberts read the results of the vote gaveled open the session hours earlier, with House prosecutors on one side, Trump's team on the other.

Trump's legal team doesn't dispute Trump's actions - that he called the Ukraine president and asked for a “favour” during a July 25 phone call.

In fact, the lawyers included the rough transcript of Trump's conversation as part of its 110-page trial brief submitted ahead of the proceedings.

Instead the lawyers for the president, led Cipollone and a TV-famous legal team including Alan Dershowitz, say the two charges against the president don't amount to impeachable offenses and Trump committed no crime.