How Democrats Won Day One of the Impeachment Trial

Playbook: “Substantively, Senate Republicans defeated every effort by Senate Democrats to alter the rules of the impeachment trial to allow for guaranteed access to witnesses and documents.”

“Politically, though, there is some upside for Democrats. If you accept the argument that President Trump is likely going to be acquitted, isn’t it better for Democrats to own no part of the trial, so they can call it a sham and beat Republicans over the head with it later this year? They will lose these procedural fights, complain loudly about it and wave the trial in the faces of vulnerable Republicans as an example of the party’s fealty to Trump.”