5 takeaways from the Senate’s first day of questioning

Members of the Senate on Wednesday are finally getting to ask questions in the impeachment proceedings, but only in writing: Senate rules dictate that senators, known for grandstanding, have to write questions for the prosecution and defense that the chief justice reads out loud.

Here are five takeaways from the first of two days of the question-and-answer part of the Senate impeachment trial. Senators are expected to vote Friday on whether to extend the trial by allowing witnesses.

1. Trump’s defense embraces the ‘and so what if he did it’ argument

So what if Trump did hold up Ukraine’s military aid to get the country to investigate former vice president Joe Biden? That argument was first made earlier this week by Trump defense lawyer and Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, who elaborated Wednesday in eyebrow-raising fashion in response to a question from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). Continue reading.