Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) systematically dismantled arguments being made by President Donald Trump's attorney's during the start of Tuesday afternoon's impeachment trial.
In particular, Schiff hit back at lawyers Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow for spending so much time attacking him during their opening statements and so little time actually defending the actions of the president who was impeached late last year by the House of Representatives.
"When you hear them attack the House managers, what you're really hearing is, 'We don't want to talk about the president's guilt," Schiff said. "We don't want to talk about the McConnell resolution and how patently unfair it is. We don't want to talk about how -- pardon the expression -- ass-backwards it is to have a trial and then ask for witnesses."
Schiff then encouraged senators at the trial to look past the angry attacks on House Democrats and simply examine the evidence that is being presented.
"You'll hear more of that, and every time you do, every time you hear them attacking House managers, I want you to ask yourselves, 'Away from what issue are they trying to distract me?'" Schiff said. "Why don't they have a better argument to make on the merits?"
Watch the video below.
