They're not confident about winning enough Republican support to subpoena witnesses and new documents in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
WASHINGTON ― Impeachment managers this week have presented an “overwhelming” body of evidence on President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against Ukraine, but as their opening arguments in Trump’s Senate trial come to a close, Democrats are growing increasingly anxious about winning enough Republican support to subpoena witnesses and other documents.
In order to subpoena new witnesses in the trial, Democrats need to convince at least four Republican senators to support an initial vote on including additional evidence next week. Three GOP senators have expressed some level of interest in doing so and are considered the likeliest votes in favor: Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Still, Republicans are expressing confidence that they’ll prevail next week. Asked Friday how much support there is in his caucus at the moment for calling witnesses, Sen. Thom Tillis said, “Not a lot.” One possible vote for calling witnesses could be Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, a quiet institutionalist with bipartisan credibility who is retiring this year. Alexander is not close to Trump and doesn’t emulate the president’s rhetoric like some of his colleagues do. But he is a close ally of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , and he has rarely voted against the party line since Trump was inaugurated in 2017 ― save for a vote to revert the president’s national emergency on the border.
Sen. Pat Roberts , who is also retiring this year, was also tight-lipped about the notion of including witnesses and new evidence.The House impeachment team will conclude its case Friday evening, and Trump’s defense team will launch its defense during what is expected to be a short session on Saturday. Following the conclusion of Trump’s defense next week, and a period of questioning by senators from both sides, the Senate will take a vote on whether to consider witnesses and other evidence.
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