'The trifecta of constitutional misconduct': Adam Schiff rains hell on Trump in blistering impeachment statement

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Tuesday delivered a blistering opening statement at the start of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the United States Senate.

In his speech, Schiff took apart the Trump legal team's claims that the president's conduct would not be an impeachable offense even if all the allegations against him were definitively proven to be true.

"It is the president's apparent belief that, under Article 2, he can do anything he wants, no matter how corrupt," Schiff said. "And yet, when the Founders wrote this clause, they had this type of conduct in mind, conduct that abuses the power of office for his personal benefit, that undermines our national security, that invites foreign interference in our democratic process of an election. It is the trifecta of constitutional misconduct justifying our impeachment."

Schiff then challenged senators to give Trump a full and fair trial that will allow both sides to subpoena documents and call witnesses, and he outlined the negative repercussions that would arise from not doing so.

"The harm is this: You will not have any of the evidence the president continues to conceal throughout most or all of the trial," he said.

Watch Schiff's opening statement below.