It’s official: There will be no new witnesses called in the impeachment trial of President Trump:
49-51 the motion for witnesses and documents is not agreed to.
— Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) January 31, 2020
#BREAKING: A divided Senate rejected a motion for witnesses and documents in President Trump’s impeachment trial, voting 49-51 largely along party lines to kill the motion and taking a major step towards Trump’s acquittal on charges of high crimes and misdemeanors.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 31, 2020
The only Republicans to support new witnesses were Mitt Romney and Susan Collins:
NEW: The U.S. Senate just REJECTED a motion to consider witnesses and documents in President Trump's impeachment trial.
The vote was 49-51.
Susan Collins and Mitt Romney were the only Republicans who voted yes.
— Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) January 31, 2020
Next steps TBD:
McConnell: "A majority of the U.S. Senate has determined that the numerous witnesses and 28,000-plus pages of documents already in evidence are sufficient to judge the House Managers’ accusations and end this impeachment trial."
— Doug Andres (@DougAndres) January 31, 2020
"Senators will now confer among ourselves, with the House Managers, and with the President’s counsel to determine next steps as we prepare to conclude the trial in the coming days."
— Doug Andres (@DougAndres) January 31, 2020
Full statement from Cocaine Mitch:
A majority of the U.S. Senate has determined that the numerous witnesses and 28,000-plus pages of documents already in evidence are sufficient to judge the House Managers’ accusations and end this impeachment trial.
There is no need for the Senate to re-open the investigation which the House Democratic majority chose to conclude and which the Managers themselves continue to describe as “overwhelming” and “beyond any doubt.” Never in Senate history has this body paused an impeachment trial to pursue additional witnesses with unresolved questions of executive privilege that would require protracted litigation. We have no interest in establishing such a new precedent, particularly for individuals whom the House expressly chose not to pursue.
Senators will now confer among ourselves, with the House Managers, and with the President’s counsel to determine next steps as we prepare to conclude the trial in the coming days.
It’s over, Dems.
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