The first day of questions has ended after senators spent hours asking President Trump's legal counsel and House managers specific questions stemming from the articles of impeachment.
The question-and-answer session will resume tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET.
In case you missed it, here's what happened today:
- Question denied: A question that GOP Sen. Rand Paul asked today wasn't allowed because it would have named the alleged whistleblower, a source told CNN. Chief Justice John Roberts essentially said no to reading it, the source said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called that potential scenario “despicable." Roberts was able to review questions from senators who submitted them prior to the start of today’s proceedings, according to two sources. It was during that period it was communicated to GOP leaders that he would not read the name of the whistleblower if it was included in a submitted question.
- Key GOP senator met with Mitch McConnell: Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski met with the Senate majority leader this morning to discuss witnesses, a GOP aide tells CNN. Murkowski would not say what her current thinking is on witnesses.
- Trump's team says trial could "drag on for months": GOP Sen. John Thune asked the President's counsel to respond to the arguments and assertions House managers just made for calling witnesses. White House deputy counsel Pat Philbin said it's important to consider what precedent calling witnesses would set for future impeachments. These sentiments were also shared by Trump's lawyer Jay Sekulow.
- Question on the quid pro quo: Republican Sen. Ted Cruz asked Trump's lawyers, "As a matter of law, does it matter if there was a quid pro quo?" Alan Dershowitz said so-called quid pro quos are frequently used in foreign policy, arguing that presidents can authorize money with conditions. "If you don't do it, you don't get the money. If you do it, you get the money. There's no one in this chamber that would regard that as in any way unlawful," he said.
- Protesters arrested: At least 41 people were arrested after they tried to climb the Rotunda steps leading to the Capitol building Wednesday afternoon, according to US Capitol Police. Thirty-nine people were charged with crowding, obstructing and incommoding, one person was charged with that along with resisting arrest. A final person was charged with crossing a police line and failure to obey.
- Whistleblower conspiracy theories: Lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff did not pull punches this afternoon when discussing the whistleblower and why protecting his or her identity was so paramount. Schiff, a Democrat from California, also explained why the conspiracy theories surrounding the whistleblower, who came forward with accusations concerning Trump and his interactions with Ukraine, are "complete and total fiction."
- White House issues formal threat to Bolton: The White House issued a formal threat to former national security adviser John Bolton to keep him from publishing his book, "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir," sources familiar with the matter told CNN yesterday. The letter came as Trump attacked Bolton on Twitter and as Bolton's lawyer accuses the White House of corrupting the vetting process for Bolton's book by sharing the contents of the book with those outside the National Security Council's Records Management Division.
Watch today's biggest moments:
