'What are they afraid of?' Senate Dems were against witnesses before they were for them, but now they're against them again

Doug P. | 2:11 PM on February 13, 2021

The Senate impeachment trial started the day with no witnesses, but then there was a 55-45 vote in favor of calling witnesses, with five Republicans joining the “yes” votes. But at some point the Democrats must have recognized a backfire factor developing, because now we’re back to no witnesses and a trial that will likely conclude with Trump’s acquittal later this afternoon:

House impeachment managers pulled the pin on the witness grenade. Senate Democrats just put it back in. https://t.co/GCUAHFJxIb

— Blake News (@blakehounshell) February 13, 2021

Well, Senate Democrats voted unanimously for witnesses. So both House managers and Senate Democrats were on same page for an hour or two.https://t.co/xdpqbl6Rwp

— Byron York (@ByronYork) February 13, 2021

Here’s how the latest shift played out:

The lawyers in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial clinched an agreement that would bypass witness testimony, clearing the way for the former president to be acquitted on Saturday.

House Democrats prosecuting the case against Trump blindsided Senate Democrats when they asked for witness testimony on Saturday morning, prompting a 55-45 vote in favor of calling witnesses. But the House managers caved less than two hours later when they agreed to enter a statement from Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) into the record, rather than seek testimony from Herrera Beutler as the managers had previously requested.

That was a fast one-eighty!