In Lamar Alexander’s announcement to vote against witnesses, he fully admitted Trump’s guilt:
There is no need for more evidence to conclude that the president withheld United States aid, at least in part, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens; the House managers have proved this with what they call a ‘mountain of overwhelming evidence.
So, Trump is guilty as charged. Obviously. But Republicans have embraced the absurd Alan Dershowitz argument that abuse of power is permissible under the Constitution. It’s now perfectly OK for the president to betray his oath of office, defy the law passed by Congress and signed by himself, jeopardize national security, and seek foreign interference to cheat on an election. Republicans have formally given their permission for Trump to continue to abuse the power of his office for personal gain. Which also, coincidentally, just so happens to benefit each of them personally.
Abuse of power is now the official GOP policy. Think about that. This is a powerful message that Democrats need to emphasize.