The impeachment trial is winding down. The senate vote could come today or tomorrow. What will happen? Here’s some morning headlines:
Reuters: End draws near in Trump impeachment trial as Democrats likely to fall short in vote
President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial faces a climactic vote on Friday, when senators are due to decide whether to call witnesses and prolong the historic proceeding or instead bring them to the swift conclusion that Trump wants.
FoxNews: Swing-vote GOP Sen. Alexander comes out against witnesses, paving way for imminent Trump acquittal
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced late Thursday night that he would not support additional witnesses in President Trump’s “shallow, hurried and wholly partisan” Senate impeachment trial, seemingly ending Democrats’ hopes of hearing testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton and paving the way for the president’s imminent acquittal as soon as Friday night.
NY Post: Lamar Alexander opposes impeachment trial witnesses in crushing blow to Democrats
Sen. Lamar Alexander said late Thursday that he will oppose calling witnesses in President Trump’s impeachment trial, deflating Democrats.
The Tennessee Republican’s decision means the trial could end in acquittal as early as Friday night.
Wall Street Journal: GOP Senators Appear Likely to Block Witnesses in Impeachment Trial
Senate Republicans appear likely to end President Trump’s impeachment trial without considering new witnesses or documents on Friday, moving closer to acquitting him of both impeachment articles.
The Senate will vote Friday on whether to introduce additional evidence in the trial after the House Democratic impeachment managers and the president’s defense team each present arguments on the question for two hours. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.), considered one of the key swing votes on the measure, said Thursday night that he would vote no, bolstering Republican chances of blocking Democratic efforts to extend the trial.
Axios: Trump headed for fast acquittal
President Trump is poised to win his long-expected acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial as soon as tonight, after Sen. Lamar Alexander’s dramatic 11th-hour announcement that he’ll vote against calling new witnesses.
The state of play: The big question is no longer whether the Senate will sink this afternoon’s witness vote, but rather how long it will take to deliver a final verdict on Trump after the vote fails.
New York Times: Trump Impeachment Trial Updates: Senators to Debate Calling Additional Witnesses
The questioning phase is over. On Friday, the trial will resume at 1 p.m. Eastern, when senators will begin a debate over including additional witnesses and documents in the trial.
Republicans have felt increasingly confident that they will have the support to block a vote to subpoena new witnesses, like the former national security adviser John R. Bolton, who Democrats argue could provide crucial new information. This was made more likely Thursday night when Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, who was seen as a swing vote, announced that he would not support calling additional witnesses.
