After Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s master plan to delay the Senate impeachment trial ended in failure after a month, House Democrats finally got up and walked the articles of impeachment against President Trump over to the Senate for trial. It was that transfer of documents that had the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) all giddy with anticipation during their Wednesday evening newscasts.
ABC’s World News Tonight was, without a doubt, the most excited to witness the Democratic impeachment managers, led by proven liar Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), walk across the Capitol to the Senate side. “And history was just made a short time ago in our nation's capital. The impeachment of a president advancing to the Senate for only the third time in history. The President will now face a Senate trial,” anchor David Muir enthusiastically announced.
In an exercise of pure sensationalism, Muir actually prepared a special graphic showing the route the Democrats took to get to the Senate:
Nancy Pelosi taking the historic step, signing the two articles of impeachment against President Trump. One for abuse of power, the other for obstruction of Congress. The articles, look at this, then carried from one side of the Capitol to the other, about a two-and-a-half-minute walk from the House to the Senate. This walk, this moment, hasn't been seen in 21 years. Seven members of Congress making the walk. They will present the case for senators to judge.
Unfortunately for the managers, Senate Republicans showed them the door and told them to come back at another time. CBS chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes was the only network reporter to mention that part in her report.
“For just the third time in history, House impeachment managers marched articles of impeachment across the Capitol, but the Republican-led Senate chose not to accept the articles and told the group to come back tomorrow,” Cordes reported during CBS Evening News.
But that didn’t stop ABC senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce from fawning for the managers’ grueling trek down the hall. “Tonight, an historic handoff. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signing the two articles of impeachment against President Trump. Then, a solemn march across the Capitol. The articles hand-delivered to the Senate,” she gushed.
Back on CBS Evening News, anchor Norah O’Donnell marveled at how “historic” the situation was. “We're going to begin with breaking news tonight, because the votes have been taken, the players are named, and the stage is set for the historic impeachment trial of President Trump,” he boasted.
Meanwhile, on NBC Nightly News, anchor Lester Holt declared “the stage is set” for the “constitutional process that will determine whether President Trump should be removed from office. House Democrats this evening delivering the two articles of impeachment charging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress to the Senate.”
“Tonight, a historic handover after nearly a month's delay House Democrats completing the rituals of impeachment. The articles ceremonially carried to the Senate,” added White House correspondent Peter Alexander. “It caps a pivotal day with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this morning naming the seven impeachment managers who will prosecute the Democrat's case.”
But perhaps the indoor-odyssey to the other side of the building was more arduous than it seemed. They could have gotten paper cuts from the articles.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
January 15, 2020
6:31:59 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Good evening and it's great to have you with us here on a Wednesday night. And history was just made a short time ago in our nation's capital. The impeachment of a president advancing to the Senate for only the third time in history.
The President will now face a Senate trial. Just before we came on the air, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi taking the historic step, signing the two articles of impeachment against President Trump. One for abuse of power, the other for obstruction of Congress.
The articles, look at this, then carried from one side of the Capitol to the other, about a two-and-a-half-minute walk from the House to the Senate. This walk, this moment, hasn't been seen in 21 years. Seven members of Congress making the walk. They will present the case for senators to judge.
Meantime, at the White House tonight, the President aware of this history made, but also trying to focus on his victory today. A split-screen at the White House, where he signed a preliminary trade deal with China.
So, what's next? How quickly does this move? Will be there witnesses? And with Republicans in control of the Senate, is the outcome all but certain? Mary Bruce leads us off from the hill tonight.
[Cuts to video]
MARY BRUCE: Tonight, an historic handoff. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signing the two articles of impeachment against President Trump. Then, a solemn march across the Capitol. The articles hand-delivered to the Senate.
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Make it be very clear that this President will be held accountable. That no one is above the law.
BRUCE: The Speaker today announcing the team of lawmakers that will prosecute the case against the President. Seven members of Congress, led by chairman Adam Schiff. During the trial, all 100 senators will have to sit silently and weigh the charges that the President abused his power and obstructed congress by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his rival, Joe Biden.
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): The Senate is on trial. We will see whether they conduct a fair trial and allow the wittiness or conduct a cover-up.
(…)
CBS Evening News
January 15, 2020
6:32:12 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Good evening, and thank you so much for joining us. We're going to begin with breaking news tonight, because the votes have been taken, the players are named, and the stage is set for the historic impeachment trial of President Trump.
Late today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed those articles of impeachment followed moments later by the newly appointed House managers walking the documents to the Senate. But even as the House takes its last formal steps on the eve of the Senate trial, there are new questions tonight about what happens next.
New evidence has emerged from a key figure close to Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, and a small group of renegade Senate Republicans could break ranks and vote to allow witness testimony. Nancy Cordes leads off our coverage tonight from Capitol Hill.
[Cuts to video]
NANCY CORDES: For just the third time in history, House impeachment managers marched articles of impeachment across the Capitol, but the Republican-led Senate chose not to accept the articles and told the group to come back tomorrow.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): At the hour of 12 noon on Thursday, January 16, 2020, the Senate will receive the managers on the part of the House of Representatives.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
January 15, 2020
7:01:48 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Good evening. Tonight, for only the third time in our history the stage is set for the impeachment trial of an American president. A constitutional process that will determine whether President Trump should be removed from office. House Democrats this evening delivering the two articles of impeachment charging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress to the Senate. All of it setting up a showdown over the Senate trial. We begin with NBC's Peter Alexander.
[Cuts to video]
PETER ALEXANDER: Tonight, a historic handover after nearly a month's delay House Democrats completing the rituals of impeachment. The articles ceremonially carried to the Senate. A chamber still wrestling with a terms of a trial.
It caps a pivotal day with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this morning naming the seven impeachment managers who will prosecute the Democrat's case.
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The President is not above the law. He will be held accountable. He has been held accountable. He has been impeached. He's been impeached forever. They can never erase that.
ALEXANDER: Pelosi tonight defending her delay that frustrated even a few members of her own party.
PELOSI: Time has been our friend in all of this because it has yielded incriminating evidence.
(…)
