Chief Justice John Roberts wasn't having it when a Senate Republican ally of Donald Trump ignored federal laws by trying to publicly name the "whistleblower" in the Ukraine drama that led to the president's impeachment.

Conservative House and Senate GOP lawmakers for months have floated the notion of naming the intelligence officer whose complaint to a government watchdog about Mr Trump's 25 July call with Ukraine's president prompted House Democrats' impeachment probe.

The president on 28 December even retweeted a social media post containing the individual's alleged name.

Senator Rand Paul, a sometimes-roguish Kentuckian from the party's libertarian wing, wanted to go even further during the nationally televised impeachment trial of Mr Trump on Thursday. Paul sent a message to Roberts on one of the yellow note cards being used to question House Democratic impeachment that appeared to out the whistleblower.

What followed was one of the trial's most memorable moments and quotes. Here is a smattering of top moments and quotes from the final day of senators questioning both sides.

Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump styles his 'You're fired!' pose in his Trump Tower office in June 2012. At the time he was known as a reality TV star on The Apprentice Diane Bondareff/Invision/AP Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He was also well known as the patron of the Miss Universe competition Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Early signs of Trump's ambition for the presidency can be found everywhere. Not least in his 2011 book 'Time to get tough: Making America #1 again' Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump with Piers Morgan in November 2010. Piers Morgan has long held that he and Trump are good friends Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump appeared on Fox & Friends, his favourite show, in August 2011 Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump considered running in the 2012 election, where he would have faced Barack Obama. He is speaking here at an event for a Republican women's group Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump was subject to a Comedy Central roast in 2011. He is pictured here being roasted by rapper Snoop Dogg Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Given that this Trump store is in the lobby of Trump Tower, it can be said that Trump sells merchandise of himself out of his own home Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump held meetings with prominent Republicans when considering his 2012 bid. He is pictured here with Alaska governor Sarah Palin Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He didn't end up running in 2012 afterall, instead endorsing Republican candidate Mitt Romney AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump's golf course in Aberdeen proved controversial in 2012 when he began lobbying the Scottish government against wind power in order that they wouldn't install turbines off the shore by his new course Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He even gave evidence to a Scottish parliamentary committee discouraging wind energy AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He still found time for a round of course AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves On 16 June 2015, Trump announced that he would run for the presidency of the United States in the 2016 election as a Republican Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves His campaign was divisive, courting controversy wherever he went. Ultimately he was declared the Republican candidate in June 2016 Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump took part in the TV debate against opponent Hillary Clinton on 9 October Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump and wife Melania vote in the presidential election on 8 November 2016 AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Hillary Clinton conceded defeat at 2:50am on 9 November and president-elect Trump swiftly delivered his victory speech to a crowd of supporters Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves News coverage around the world focused on the huge political upset that Trump's victory spelled AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump met with president Obama to discusss transition planning on 10 November. AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Donald Trump and Nigel Farage pose in the golden elevator at Trump Tower on 12 November 2016. Farage was the first British politician to meet with Trump after the election LeaveEUOffical/Twitter Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves The inauguration of Donald Trump took place on 20 January 2017. Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer boasted that the crowd was the 'largest ever' to witness an inauguration, a claim that was proved not to be true Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves In his first 100 days as leader, Trump signed 24 executve orders, the most of any president AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves One of Trump's most memorable election pledges was to build a wall between the US and Mexico. He is standing here in front of a prototype for a section of the wall Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump's meetings with other world leaders have provided no short supply of photo opportunities Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump was welcomed to the UK by the Queen and a state banquet was held at Buckingham Palace in his honour Reuters Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Not everyone welcomed the president. Mass protests were held in London throughout his visits in both 2018 and 2019 EPA Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves One of the most significant meetings Trump has held with another leader was with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. In June 2019, Trump became the first sitting president to set foot in North Korea Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves 2020 will see president Trump fight for a second term in office, who knows what the next decade will bring? Getty

"The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted." Roberts shot down Mr Paul's attempts to name the intelligence office who objected to what that individual thought was conduct unbecoming a commander in chief. It isn't the first time Mr Paul has had a big idea only to be shot down in the Senate chamber. And it's surely not the last. But he and Mr Trump have something to talk about the next time they golf together at one of Mr Trump's courses.

"That argument may succeed here now. That means we are not back to where we [were]. That means we are worse off than than where we were." House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff took time on Thursday to respond – again – to a contention made a day earlier by Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard and TV celebrity lawyer-turned-Trump lawyer that any president can do anything – shy of breaking a law – mostly with their re-election campaign in mind so long as it's also in the nation's interests. Mr Schiff's assessment is rather dark. But with the trial, according to GOP senators and sources, headed for a vote to acquit Mr Trump as soon as Friday, legal scholars will have to sort whether Mr Dershowitz – almost single-handedly – has overhauled the powers of the presidency.

"But if those partners feel like our policies, what we say publicly, don't matter, if they feel like we're not a reliable and predictable partner, if they feel like the American handshake isn't worth anything, then they will not stand by us." Think harder about this remark by Congressman Jason Crow, one of the House managers, who went on to warn, if Mr Trump remains in office, key US partnerships "will start to fray". Now think about what would happen if the Senate convicted and removed Mr Trump. House Democrats are arguing that the country's partnerships around the world would be better off under the man who quickly would be sworn in as the 46th commander in chief: Vice President Mike Pence, a conservative whose policies would rile Democrats as much as anything Trump has pushed.

Schiff speaks on importance of protecting whistleblowers during impeachment trial