Impeachment trial heads to historic end
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial heads toward a historic conclusion this week, with senators allbut-certain to acquit him on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after narrowly rejecting Democratic demands to summon witnesses.
There’s still plenty of drama to unfold before Wednesday’s vote.
The vote is expected to cap a months-long investigation spurred by a whistleblower complaint that Trump improperly withheld U.S. military aid from Ukraine in a bid to pressure it to launch investigations into 2020 Democratic rival Joe Biden.
In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage and there’s nowhere near the two-thirds needed for conviction and removal. On Friday, Republicans blocked consideration of new witnesses and documents, setting up the speedy acquittal vote for the coming week.
It will be a frenetic next few days.
On Monday, House impeachment managers and Trump’s defense team return to the Senate floor to make closing arguments in the trial, the same day the 2020 presidential election kicks off with the first votes cast in the Iowa caucuses.
On Tuesday, Trump will deliver his State of the Union address.
Will some Democratic senators join Republicans to acquit Trump, allowing him to claim a bipartisan “exoneration”? Will Trump gloat or express any regret over the Ukraine matter after key GOP senators during the trial criticized his actions as improper, but ultimately not impeachable? Will Wednesday’s Senate vote be the final say in the matter?
What to watch as the third impeachment trial in U.S. history heads to a close: