Trump’s impeachment trial at final stage after ‘witness twist’
Senate votes to call in witnesses, but later agrees to go for closing arguments
WASHINGTON: In a swift turn of events on Saturday, the US Senate began hearing closing arguments in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial without calling witnesses after agreeing to accept new information from a Republican congresswoman about his actions on the day of the deadly Capitol siege.
Earlier in the day, Senate voted 55-45 to call witnesses to testify, a move that could have prolonged the process, with five Republicans joining the 50 Democrats.
The Republicans who voted with Democrats were Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Lisa Murkowski and Lindsey Graham.
But hours later, Democrats and Republicans reached a deal not to call witnesses. Under the deal, representative Jaime Herrera Beutler’s statement on a phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin Mccarthy as rioters stormed the Capitol on January 6 was entered into the trial record as evidence. No further witnesses were called.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead House manager, opened the day’s proceedings saying the prosecutors wanted to call Herrera Beutler to testify in view of new revelations from her the night before.
Confirming earlier reports, Herrera Beutler had said in a tweet on Friday that Trump had told Kevin Mccarthy in a phone call on January 6, “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.” Mccarthy, who had responded with an expletive-ridden remark, had called the former president to urge him to call off his supporters who were swarming all over the US Capitol at the time.
Michael van der Veen, the former president’s lawyer, reacted angrily earlier at the vote to call in witnesses, threatening to call witnesses for the defence. Trump’s lawyers had wrapped up their opening arguments on Friday in under three of 16 hours allotted to them.
They argued that Trump’s January 6 speech, which the House managers had said incited the mob, was constitutionally protected by his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.
They argued further that Trump did not incite the rioting because it was pre-planned and was underway even as he was making the speech. They said words used by him such as “fight”, which House managers had contended amounted to incitement to violence, were a part of political rhetoric.
Earlier, the Associated Press reported that Senate Republican leader Mitch Mcconnell will vote to acquit Trump, citing a source familiar with Mcconnell’s thinking.
Word of Mcconnell’s decision came before what was expected to be the final day in the historic trial on the charge that Trump incited the deadly January 6 riot at the Capitol.
The Republican leader’s views are closely watched and carry sway among GOP senators, and his decision on Trump is likely to influence others weighing their votes. While most Democrats are expected to convict Trump, the two-thirds vote needed for it appears unlikely in the Senate split 50-50 between the parties.