Tag Archives: Senate Trial

Politico reports: Ahead of a tight vote on whether to hear new witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, the Senate is preparing for the possibility that this crucial roll call has an asterisk in the history books: it ends in a tie. And it’s a scenario that would suddenly put a spotlight on Chief Justice John Roberts. For weeks, …

Grub Street reports: One of the biggest concerns surrounding the trial has been whether or not witnesses will be allowed to testify before the lawmaking body, and especially former national security adviser John Bolton.  Which is why Brooklyn bakery Butter & Scotch has undertaken the truly entertaining task of sending sheet cakes to 53 Republican senators. The cakes are the …

NBC News reports: Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani who has said he wants to testify in the president’s impeachment trial, showed up at the Senate on Wednesday attempting to gain entry. Parnas, however, can’t enter the Senate gallery because he is wearing an electronic monitoring device on his ankle — and no …

Colorado Politics reports: Sen. Cory Gardner said Wednesday that he thinks the Senate has heard from enough witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, taking off the table a potential Republican vote to subpoena national security adviser John Bolton. “I do not believe we need to hear from an 18th witness,” the Colorado Republican told Colorado Politics in a statement. …

NPR reports: President Trump’s impeachment trial moves Wednesday to its next phase: written questions from senators. For up to 16 hours spread over two days, senators from both parties will submit questions to House managers prosecuting the case as well as Trump’s defense lawyers; U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, will read the questions aloud …

Axios reports: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he believes Hunter Biden is a relevant witness in President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, adding that it could be an opportunity for Biden to clear himself. The state of play: Senate Democrats and Republicans are jockeying over whether to call witnesses — and, if so, who would take …

The New York Times reports: Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, told a closed-door meeting of Republicans that he does not currently have the votes to block Democrats from calling witnesses at the trial because some Republicans remain uncommitted, according to people familiar with the meeting. In making the statement, Mr. McConnell — who had with him a “whip count” …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Just after President Trump’s defense lawyers ended arguments in their Senate trial Tuesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California became the first Democrat to suggest that she could vote to acquit him despite serious concerns about his character. “Nine months left to go, the people should judge. We are a republic, we are based on the …

Raw Story reports: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on Wednesday briefly became the fourth Republican senator to say that former National Security Adviser John Bolton should testify — and then he changed his mind. Democrats would need four Republican senators to vote with them in order to hear Bolton’s testimony. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) …

NBC News reports: President Donald Trump’s lawyers on Tuesday are kicking off their final day of arguments in his impeachment trial. After previewing their case in a short session on Saturday, Trump’s legal team doubled down on Monday, insisting that there was nothing improper about his dealings with Ukraine’s government and casting blame on former Vice President Joe Biden and …

Axios reports: If at least four Senate Republicans decide to vote with Democrats this week to subpoena witnesses and documents in President Trump’s impeachment trial, Hill Republicans fear a potential domino effect, with additional GOP senators — especially those up for reelection in November — falling. “You don’t want to be one of the first four. But no one gives …

The Hill reports: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) says she is “curious” to know what former national security adviser John Bolton might have to say about President Trump’s relations with Ukraine but stopped short of saying if she would support calling him to testify in the impeachment trial. “Well I read it. I’ve said before I was curious what Ambassador Bolton …

CNN reports: President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser has upended the Senate impeachment trial, and new revelations from John Bolton’s draft book manuscript could turn the tide on whether senators call for witnesses. The President’s legal team resumes its second day of arguments at 1 p.m. ET Monday, but all of the attention will be focused on the Republican …

Politico reports: Senate GOP leaders are strongly considering a move to quickly end President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial next week if a motion to call additional witnesses is defeated, according to three top Republican senators. The Republican strategy — which is still fluid — could mean senators have limited time between key procedural votes and the final vote on whether …

Just in from the House Judiciary Democratic Press: Today, Managers for the U.S. House of Representatives filed a 28,578-page trial record with the Secretary of the Senate for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The trial record serves as the evidentiary foundation informing the Senate impeachment trial and provides a permanent accounting to the Senate and the public of …

NBC News reports: President Donald Trump’s lawyers will begin to make their case in his defense on Saturday as the Senate impeachment trial concludes its first week of arguments. The defense phase of the trial follows three days of arguments against the president from House impeachment managers. Trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow said on Friday that Saturday’s arguments, which are expected …

The Hill reports: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says he will vote against a motion to subpoena Hunter Biden if a majority of colleagues agree next week that additional witnesses and documents need to be summoned for President Trump’s impeachment trial. If Republican colleagues introduce a motion to subpoena former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Graham said “I’ll …

The Washington Post reports: House managers plan Friday to turn their attention to the obstruction-of-Congress charge against President Trump on their third and final day of opening arguments in the historic impeachment trial focused on the president’s conduct toward Ukraine. After the managers, led by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), wrap up their presentation, lawyers for Trump will get an …

Raw Story reports: Republican senators received a violently metaphorical threat before the impeachment vote. One of President Donald Trump’s confidantes said GOP senators were warned not to vote for impeachment — or else, reported CBS News. “Vote against the president and your head will be on a pike,” senators were told, according to the confidante. It’s not clear who delivered …

The Hill reports: Republicans are using the threat of a protracted executive privilege battle as a cudgel to dissuade their colleagues from calling former national security adviser John Bolton to testify at President Trump’s impeachment trial. As the Senate barrels toward a make-or-break moment on witnesses next week, Trump allies and members of leadership are warning that calling Bolton, or …