1/ Mitch McConnell rejected Democrats requests to have four White House witnesses testify during Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate. McConnell called the request to have Mick Mulvaney, John Bolton, and two others to testify a “strange request� and said the Senate will not volunteer its time for a “fishing expedition.� McConnell’s remarks came in response to a letter from Chuck Schumer, who outlined several procedural requests that he said would make an impeachment trial more fair. McConnell later said he’s “not an impartial juror […] I’m not impartial about this at all.� (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Axios / Bloomberg)

👀 Impeachment Watch:

Tuesday: The House Rules Committee will set the terms for the debate on the House floor over the articles of impeachment.

Wednesday: The House is expected to vote to affirm the rules and then vote on the two articles of impeachment in the late afternoon. The House is also expected to vote to empower Nancy Pelosi to name impeachment managers.

Thursday: Your last chance to order gifts that will arrive by Christmas.

2/ Trump denounced what he called a “partisan impeachment crusade,� accusing Democrats of “perversion of justice� for their handling of impeachment. In a six-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump accused Pelosi of having “cheapened the importance of the very ugly word, impeachment� and that she was “declaring open war on American Democracy� by pursuing his impeachment. He called it an “unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power� and a “spiteful� “election-nullification scheme.� Trump also claimed that “more due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials.� Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that he takes “zero� responsibility for the fact that he is about to be impeached. (NBC News / CNN / New York Times / Axios / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)

READ: Trump’s letter to Pelosi. (Washington Post)

ANNOTATED: Trump’s letter to Pelosi. (Washin...