Democrats pushed bribery, quid pro quo and extortion against President Trump in case for impeachment
Former Florida attorney general, President Trump’s legal team member Pam Bondi on what to expect from the Senate impeachment trial.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi talked Sunday about what to expect from the Senate impeachment trial set to begin Tuesday, adding that "everyone" -- including President Trump and the American people -- is ready to “put this behind us.”
Bondi, one of the lawyers on Trump's defense team, appeared on "Fox & Friends Weekend" one day after House impeachment managers filed their brief to the Senate, claiming the evidence against Trump “overwhelmingly” establishes his abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
“What they're [Democrats are] doing to President Trump, all these things they've been saying, we all know they've been trying to impeach him before he was sworn into office,” Bondi said.
“And he's a clear and present danger, they say, to the country yet they hang onto these articles of impeachment," she added. "[House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi was impeaching him before the articles were even sent over ... "
“And that's what the American people need to remember and need to understand,” Bondi said.
Bondi noted that Pelosi, D-Calif., withheld the articles of impeachment against Trump for one month after the House voted to adopt two articles of impeachment against the president even though Democrats initially argued that Trump’s alleged conduct warrants serious and urgent attention.
Pelosi, after the vote, said she wanted assurances that the Senate would hold a fair trial before sending the articles.
Bondi also referred to the fact that Pelosi handed out commemorative pens -- with her name on them -- on Wednesday after she signed a resolution transmitting the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.
To critics, the tone of the event seemed celebratory -- a far cry from the December day when the House voted to impeach Trump. On that occasion, Pelosi wore black and insisted on the House floor it was a “solemn” day. She even cut short two rounds of cheers from Democrats when the articles were adopted.
In Saturday’s 111-page brief the impeachment managers wrote, “President Trump’s conduct is the Framers’ worst nightmare.”
The brief is the Democrats' opening salvo in the historic impeachment trial, with House managers outlining their case against the president, arguing that Trump used his official powers to pressure Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election for personal political gain, then attempted to cover up his scheme by obstructing Congress’s investigation into his alleged misconduct.
“The evidence overwhelmingly establishes that he is guilty. ... The Senate must use that [impeachment] remedy now to safeguard the 2020 U.S. election, … protect our constitutional form of government and eliminate the threat that the President poses to America's national security," the brief states.
In response, Bondi said Sunday, “The national security part was by far the most offensive.”
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“Look at what our president has done to protect our country every day, taking out [Iranian top general Qassem] Soleimani, everything that he's doing. Look at the trade deal he just did with China," Bondi said. "He's working tirelessly for us while they're saying these really absurd things that could not only damage him, but damage the country for centuries to come.”
“A threat to national security is just such an insult to the American people's intelligence because they know all the great things president Trump has done,” Bondi added.
As for whether any witnesses should be called during the trial, Bondi said that would be “up to the U.S. Senate.”
Bondi then outlined what to expect in the coming days.
She said opening arguments by both sides will likely go through the weekend, with the trial formally starting Tuesday in the Republican-majority Senate.
“We don't know the structure completely yet because that's up to the U.S. Senate to decide --the hours and the time frame, which will start at 1 p.m. every day.”
If witnesses are allowed, Bondi said: “We are fully prepared."
Bondi said impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., made himself a potential witness by “talking about his opening statement, talking about the phone call with President Trump and [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky, where he lied about what was in the phone call.”
“That was ridiculous,” she said. “Then we find out when he says he has no contact with the whistleblower that his office was completely coordinating with the whistleblower.”
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“So that's how this sham got started and that's how it's continued, but right now I think we’re all ready, all of us, the American people, President Trump, everyone, to put this behind us,” Bondi added.
Schiff has denied having contact with the whistleblower and said his recap of Trump's phone call was intended as parody.
Fox News’ Marisa Schultz and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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