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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., takes the stairs to speak to reporters about progress in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)

From any angle, this was another historic week in Washington.

The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump commenced in earnest Tuesday. And what a day it was. 

Republicans and Democrats have traded barbs over whether the Senate should call additional witnesses, or submit additional evidence. Tuesday was set up to finally work through how this trial would work, and vote on a rules package.

It took nearly 12 hours, and 11 failed proposals from Senate Democrats, but they finally wrapped up in the wee hours Wednesday with a framework in which to govern itself. 

The long day certainly wore on some senators, and before wrapping up, both Democrats and Republicans were chastised for their behavior. 

Chief Justice John Roberts said he felt he had to “admonish” both sides “in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world’s greatest deliberative body. One reason it has earned that title is because its members avoid speaking in a manner, and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse.” 

That brought us to Wednesday, where the Democrats got their first chance to present their case for removing the president from office. (They will get 24 hours to do so over 3 days.) There was talk of witness swap. (That was quickly knocked down.) There was Hamilton quoting. It was a slightly shorter day, a mere 9 hours. 

Also, the senators can only drink milk and water on the floor because caffeine would be too much fun. (Kidding. It’s actually because a senator back in the ’60s just really wanted something to drink besides water.)

The Democrats will wrap up their case on Friday, and the Republicans take over Saturday. Yeah, you read that right. This party doesn’t stop for the weekend.

So, how are Americans feeling about all this? Well, it’s complicated. We talked to people all over the country about it, and they had lots to say. 

“The whole idea of a democracy is to have different opinions and work together, not fight,” Roni Peterson said while sipping coffee at the Lodge Tavern in Chicago. “Now it’s like backwards magnets, and it’s getting worse.”

President Donald Trump addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2020. (Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump had a busy week

With his presidential behavior being debated for hours on end, the president and his staff made it pretty clear he was focusing on other things.

He flew to Switzerland and back. He touted the strength of the U.S. economy. He said he might add countries to the travel ban. He floated cuts to so-called entitlement programs like Medicare. He got into it with Tom Steyer on Twitter. Then he set a Twitter record. Again.

On Friday, he will become the first president ever to attend the March for Life, an annual event protesting abortion.

Former Vice President Joe Biden greets Sen. Bernie Sanders before the Democratic presidential primary debate at Drake University on Jan. 14, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images)

10 days out from Iowa

The 2020 Democratic primary has been a largely collegial affair, but things are starting to get snippy as the Iowa caucuses inch closer. 

Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (who is off the trail and acting as a juror during the impeachment trial) have been trading barbs over Social Security and who supported what when. Sanders did at one point apologize for an op-ed from a campaign surrogate that called Biden “corrupt.”

“It is absolutely not my view that Joe is corrupt in any way. And I’m sorry that that op-ed appeared,” Sanders told CBS News.

And just as that conversation between Biden and Sanders has come to a head, a new poll this week showed Sanders taking the lead for the first time ever in a CNN national poll. 

As always, thanks for reading. Hold on to your hats. The next 10 days are gonna be a doozy.

 — Annah Aschbrenner

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