Republicans gird for key witness vote

WASHINGTON: Senators will spend the next two days grilling President Donald Trump’s defence team and House impeachment managers, with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell trying to salvage his plans for a quick trial, which hinge on a pivotal vote on witnesses that could be held on Friday.

Mr McConnell’s plan to end Mr Trump’s trial by the end of the week was tossed in the air by a bombshell from former National Security Adviser John Bolton — a draft manuscript reportedly directly linking the president to giving aid to Ukraine for help in gathering dirt on a political rival.

Mr McConnell told his colleagues at a hastily called meeting of GOP senators on Tuesday afternoon that there weren’t yet 51 firm Republican votes to unequivocally block calling witnesses, according to a GOP aide. A failure would be a major blow to Mr McConnell and the White House.

The Republican leader’s warning will increase pressure on any wavering Republicans. Democrats are just four Republican votes short of being able to extend the trial and get testimony. Three GOP senators — Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski — have expressed interest in hearing from Mr Bolton, and they’ll be intensely lobbied by both sides over the next two days, as will several others who haven’t committed one way or the other.

Despite the lingering uncertainty on witnesses, South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune voiced confidence that the trial would get wrapped up quickly. “We’re kind of on schedule.”

The key votes will be held on Friday, first on whether to allow witness testimony and then to select witnesses. A simple majority of 51 senators will decide. Even if witnesses are called, no Republican has suggested Mr Trump’s eventual acquittal is in question. It would take 67 votes to convict Mr Trump and remove him from office. Multiple GOP senators said on Tuesday that even if Mr Bolton’s account is true it isn’t enough to convict.

A person on the president’s legal team said they are preparing for the possibility of witnesses but declined to say whether Mr Trump would invoke executive privilege to block Mr Bolton from testifying before the Senate. Mr Trump’s lawyers have argued that there’s no basis for the Senate to address new developments in the trial.