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McConnell: Senate, House Democrats at 'impasse' over Trump impeachment Senate trial

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., returned to the Senate floor late Thursday to declare that the Senate and House Democrats were at an "impasse" over whether the House would transmit its articles of impeachment against President Trump to the GOP-controlled Senate for a constitutionally mandated trial.

McConnell, speaking after a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the top Democrat had insisted on "departing from the unanimous bipartisan precedent that 100 senators approved before the beginning of President [Bill] Clinton's trial" concerning logistics.

For his part, Trump called for an immediate Senate trial: "So after the Democrats gave me no Due Process in the House, no lawyers, no witnesses, no nothing, they now want to tell the Senate how to run their trial," he tweeted late Thursday. "Actually, they have zero proof of anything, they will never even show up. They want out. I want an immediate trial!"

Earlier on Thursday, McConnell delivered a separate address where he tore into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accusing her of doing “shoddy work” and saying Democrats may be “too afraid” to send the articles to the Senate.

The back-and-forth rhetoric comes as Noah Feldman, the Harvard Law School professor who testified for Democrats at an impeachment hearing earlier this month, wrote an explosive op-ed asserting that if Democrats do not forward the impeachment articles to the Senate as dictated by the Constitution, then Trump was never even impeached at all. The Constitution dictates that after impeachment by a majority in the House, a two-thirds vote is needed in the Senate to remove a president from office. Click here for more on our top story.

2020 Democrats' debate erupts as candidates spar over donors; Yang slams Trump 'obsession'

Long-simmering tensions boiled over at Thursday night's 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate in Los Angeles, as a blunt one-on-one sparring match erupted between Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren over their fundraising -- just minutes after businessman Andrew Yang slammed Democrats' "obsession" with President Trump and impeachment.

Sen. Warren, D-Mass., began the fiery exchange by criticizing Buttigieg's recent lavish fundraiser in Napa, Calif., saying he was cavorting with "billionaires in wine caves." That prompted Buttigieg to retort that Warren, a multimillionaire, was a populist in name only.

"You know, according to Forbes magazine, I'm literally the only person on this stage who is not a millionaire or billionaire," Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., said. "This is the problem with issuing purity tests you yourself cannot pass." Click here for more | Click here to find out the debate's winners and losers

House passes USMCA as Trump and Pelosi battle for credit

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement passed the House of Representatives on Thursday after both the Trump administration and House Democrats took credit for the $1.2 trillion deal they say will be better for Americans than the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"Of course we'll take credit for it," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a news conference on Thursday morning. "It would have collateral benefit for the president. I don't care about that. We had an opportunity to do something very important for America's people."

Late Thursday, President Trump blasted Pelosi in a tweet, suggesting "she doesn't even know what it says..." The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will take it up after an impeachment trial for Trump.

USMCA is expected to create around 176,000 new jobs and inject $34 billion into the U.S. auto industry, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo, citing International Trade Commission data. He added that as many as 589,000 new jobs could be created within five years. Click here for more.

MAKING HEADLINES:

Barr: By the time Trump took office, it was clear there was 'no basis' to George Papadopoulos, Carter Page allegations.

Liberal PAC demands refund of Jeff Van Drew donation as he swaps parties.

Woman spurned in alleged Ilhan Omar affair cut off by court in bizarre divorce proceedings.

Lara Logan, ex-‘60 Minutes’ correspondent, launches $25M defamation suit over Benghazi article.

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SOME PARTING WORDS

Laura Ingraham says Democrats never intended to bring Trump’s impeachment to a Senate trial and that Pelosi’s “non-impeachment impeachment” has bewildered her caucus.

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Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! Enjoy your day and weekend! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Monday morning.