There was little doubt that Donald Trump would be acquitted when this impeachment trial was all said and done, but few believed that it could end like this.
An all important vote on Friday will determine the next steps in the trial, specifically answering the question as to whether or not any additional witnesses will be called the Senate. Should the answer to that question be “no”, the Republicans could have the entire impeachment trial wrapped up by Saturday afternoon.
Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee will oppose calling more witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, all but dashing Democratic efforts to hear more testimony and boosting odds the Senate will vote imminently to acquit without new testimony, in a matter of days.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said late Thursday she would vote to allow witnesses in the impeachment trial, building momentum for the Democrats’ effort.
But Alexander then said in a statement there was “no need for more evidence,” giving the Trump team the likelihood of a Senate vote in its direction.
Collins, a centrist senator announced her decision after the Senate concluded a long question-and-answer session with the House Democrats prosecuting the charges and Trump’s lawyers defending him.
The Democrats are already hedging their bets, offering up the lame defense that a trial with no witnesses would somehow be a pockmark on the record of all involved.
