Dershowitz says quid pro quos directed at reelection cannot be impeachable

Alan Dershowitz, a member of President Trump’s defense team, responded to a question on quid pro quos on Wednesday, stating: "If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment."

The flip side: Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff replied: "I would assume in every impeachment case, yes, you have to show the president was operating from a corrupt motive, and we have."

The big picture: Senators began the 16-hour question-and-answer phase of the impeachment trial on Wednesday. Both sides will have eight hours over the next two days to submit pre-written questions to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who will direct them to House impeachment managers or Trump's legal team for five-minute responses.

• Whether to call witnesses remains a looming issue among lawmakers as senators gear up for a vote on Friday.

Go deeper... Live updates: Senators to get their turn for questions