Senators on Thursday concluded their final day of questions for House prosecutors and President Donald Trump’s defense team in the president’s impeachment trial before a critical vote, expected Friday, on whether to call witnesses.
The Senate remains divided on the witness issue, with Democrats calling for testimony from ex-national security adviser John Bolton and other top administration officials. Republican leaders are seeking to block additional testimony and documents in a bid for a quick acquittal of Trump.
Senators asked 180 questions Wednesday and Thursday on everything from executive power to the ability to call witnesses — an issue that has lawmakers sharply divided.
Highlights from the impeachment trial so far
- Highlights from Day One and Day Two of the question-and-answer phase.
- GOP swing vote Sen. Alexander says he will vote against witnesses
- Schiff slams GOP senatorson whistleblower questions: 'Disgraceful'
- Murkowski pushes Trump team on Bolton testimony.
Sen. Whitehouse says McConnell keeps GOP in line with dark money war chest
Here's where the trial stands ahead of Friday votes
Here's how the trial stands after tonight's revelations about Collins, Alexander, and others.
It’s looking highly likely that there are not 51 votes for additional witnesses.
TOMORROW:
1 P.M.: Trial resumes
- Up to four hours of debate (equally divided) on the witnesses and documents question.
- A vote on the motion of whether begin deliberations and votes on witnesses and documents.
- If that fails, then a number of different motions are in order.
- The trial could wrap up by the end of the day Friday.
PIC: Rand Paul gets rejected for question naming whistleblower
Trump slams Democrats in Iowa days before the caucuses
DES MOINES, Iowa — While the Senate debated his removal from office, President Donald Trump jabbed at his Democratic opponents here as some campaigned to replace him just miles away.
Trump focused most of his attacks on former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. — both leading the Democratic presidential pack — while expressing disbelief at his impeachment trial back home.
"We are having probably the best years that we have ever had in the history of our country. And I just got impeached. Can you believe these people? I got impeached. They impeached Trump," he said. "No, that's not gonna work. Watch. Just watch."
Dem senator reacts: This is 'a coverup'
Alexander a 'no' on witnesses, Collins to vote in favor
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., revealed late Thursday that he plans to vote against hearing from witnesses during the Senate trial.
“The question then is not whether the president did it, but whether the United States Senate or the American people should decide what to do about what he did," Alexander, who is retiring this year, said in a statement on Thursday. "I believe that the Constitution provides that the people should make that decision in the presidential election that begins in Iowa on Monday."
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, meanwhile, said Thursday that she will vote in favor of hearing from witnesses during the Senate trial.
“I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity. Therefore, I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed,” she said.
Collins, who is running for re-election this year, said that if the motion passes, she believes the most sensible way to proceed “would be for the House Managers and the President’s attorneys to attempt to agree on a limited and equal number of witnesses for each side. If they can’t agree, then the Senate could choose the number of witnesses.”
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, has made it clear that he plans to vote in favor of witnesses. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she will review her notes and then decide. Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them in order for the trial to advance to a witness stage.
Collins says she's supporting witnesses
Collins makes it official: she's supporting calling witnesses.
"I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity," she said in a statement.
Democrats need at least three other Republican votes to be able to pass a resolution allowing for new witnesses and documentary evidence. The fate of the resolution, which is expected to be taken up Friday, remains uncertain.
Murkowski to review notes and decide whether she needs to 'hear more'
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a key swing vote on whether to call witnesses in the Senate trial, said after the conclusion of the question-and-answer period that she's going to review what she's heard and then decide whether she needs to "hear more."
“I am going to go reflect on what I have heard, re-read my notes and decide whether I need to hear more," she said.
Trial adjourns for the day
Trump's trial has adjourned for the day, ending hours of questions — 180 in total, according to an NBC News count — from the senators and leaving one big one still unanswered: Will Democrats be successful in their push to call additional witnesses?
Here are the key moments from Thursday, which marked the conclusion of the question-and-answer portion of the Senate trial. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., a key impeachment swing vote, plans to reveal later tonight whether he supports calling witnesses.
The trial will resume at 1 p.m. Friday.