Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday he had enough support from his fellow Republicans to set the rules for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, dealing a blow to Democrats’ efforts to call new witnesses against the president.
Democrats responded by saying they still want more details on the trial process before any further action is taken although they have little leverage if Republicans, who control the Senate, remain united.
The Senate trial should hear testimony from at least three White House officials and Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, about the president’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Democrats say.
McConnell has resisted the idea, instead seeking a fast trial based on evidence collected in the House of Representatives before it voted last month to impeach Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
While Republicans are still divided over whether the Senate should eventually hear more testimony, the vast majority of them have agreed to leave the decision until after the trial has started, McConnell told a news conference.
Associate Editor for Commentary Magazine. MSNBC and NBC News Contributor. Author of Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America, Noah Rothman joined Dan and Amy with reaction to the latest twists and turns in the impeachment saga: