House impeachment manager: ‘Evidence against the president is overwhelming’

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), one of the House managers presenting the Democrats’ impeachment case in the Senate trial, on Sunday called the evidence against President Trump “overwhelming.”

Demings directed her comments to Trump and his legal team after the president and Republicans said that his lawyers had “shredded” the House’s case.

“Regardless of what you say, the truth still matters and the evidence against the president is overwhelming,” she said on ABC’s “This Week.”

Asked about the argument by Trump defense that the team shredded the Democrats’ case, Rep. Val Demings says her message to Trump and his lawyers is “regardless of what you say, the truth still matters and the evidence against the president is overwhelming” https://t.co/Y05UNTZORA pic.twitter.com/QAjo0LyfI9

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 26, 2020

The Florida Democrat said it was clear the president “used and abused” his power to “coerce” Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election. She also said that Trump “dangled the offer of a White House meeting before President Zelensky,” noting that it would be important to the newly inaugurated president of Ukraine. 

“His team of lawyers can try to distort and try to deflect but quite frankly the best witness we have in this case is the President of the United States,” she said.

Pressed about the Trump defense argument that Amb. Gordon Sondland only presumed a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine, Rep. Val Demings tells @GStephanopoulos that President Trump “dangled the offer of a White House meeting before President Zelenskiy.” https://t.co/Y05UNTZORA pic.twitter.com/IpPZAhRCKW

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 26, 2020

“I do believe the testimony when you put it all together is as clear as two plus two equals four,” she added.

Demings pushes back against Trump defense argument that there was no quid pro quo because the administration provided Ukraine with javelin missiles, telling @GStephanopoulos, “The testimony when you put it all together is as clear as 2 plus 2 equals 4.” https://t.co/Y05UNTZORA pic.twitter.com/ELG34gFrjS

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 26, 2020

{mosads}The impeachment trial, which started last week, is expected to resume on Monday.

The president’s legal team in its opening arguments on Saturday turned its attention to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the lead House impeachment manager, for his handling on the inquiry and the whistleblower complaint that sparked it.