Joni Ernst: Trump Counsel 'Shredded' Democrats' Impeachment Case in Two Hours

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said after the Senate impeachment trial Saturday that President Donald’s Trump legal team had “shredded” the Democrats’ case for impeachment within two hours.

Sen. Ernst, the vice chairman of the Senate Republican conference, said Saturday that President Trump’s counsel had disintegrated the House impeachment managers’ case for convicting the president.

“I thought today was an incredible two hours, and within two hours, I thought that the White House counsel and their team entirely shredded the case that has been presented by the House managers,” the Iowa conservative said. “What we heard today was very concise; it was full of truths and facts, as presented by the House managers’ own witnesses. It was not filled with half-truths and personal stories.”

The House Democrats’ impeachment managers, led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), finished their opening statements for convicting President Trump of obstructing Congress and abusing the office of the presidency on Friday. President Trump’s legal team started their opening arguments Saturday, presenting a relatively short case as to why the Senate should not convict the president.

Sen. Ernst also said after Saturday’s impeachment proceedings that she is leaning against voting for allowing additional witnesses to testify. Democrats have pushed to subpoena former National Security Advis0r John Bolton and other witnesses to testify after both sides conclude their opening arguments.

The Iowa senator said that the establishment media and the House Democrat impeachment managers had pushed a lot of “half-truths.” In contrast, Trump’s legal team presented factual evidence.

“What we saw today was factual, relevant to what is going on in the Senate, and it points out that there have been a lot of half-truths promulgated by the House managers and absolutely pushed by the media as well,” Sen. Ernst said.