White House counsel Pat Cipollone began presenting opening arguments at an extraordinary weekend session of the 100-member Senate, which will decide whether the 45th US president should be removed from office.

“You will find the president did absolutely nothing wrong,” Cipollone said.

Democratic prosecutors from the House of Representatives, which impeached Trump on December 18, wrapped up their case for the president’s removal late Friday.

Trump’s lawyers will have 24 hours spread over three days to present their defense of the president to the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53 to 47 seat majority. They plan to speak for up to three hours on Saturday and resume their presentation on Monday.

cl/it