January 23, 2020

Which Day of the Trial Are We On? Depends Who You Ask.

Time is a flat circle.

Groundhog Day is more than a week away, but there’s evidence time might already be moving in a loop.

At least three of the country’s most prominent media outlets can’t seem to agree what day of the Senate’s impeachment trial the country is currently in.

On Thursday, House Democrats kicked off their second day of opening arguments against President Donald Trump, leading The New York Times to declare that we are in Day 2 of the trial.

Meanwhile, at CNN Thursday is the trial’s “third day.” They are counting Tuesday, when Senators debated rules that would govern the proceedings.

Over on C-SPAN, it’s “Day 4.” They are reaching back a full week and counting last Thursday, the day Chief Justice John Roberts and the senators were sworn in.

All three numbers make some sense. Debate them if you like, but time—and this trial—will charge ahead. We just might get there on different days. 

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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