Democrats struggle to count to four – By Alayna Treene, Jonathan Swan (Axios) / Jan 24 2020
Democrats may fall short of securing the minimum number of Republican senators needed to bring new witnesses into President Trump’s impeachment trial, 10 senior staffers to key Senate Republicans tell Axios.
The big picture: As of Thursday night, the prevailing view emerging among Republican Senate aides was that Democrats — who need four GOP senators’ votes and not to lose any from their own party — will struggle to get more than three.
Why this matters: The calling of additional witnesses — in particular Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton — appears to be the Democrats’ last hope of inserting even a slight detour into what currently seems like a straight road to Trump’s acquittal.
- Without extra witnesses, Trump’s impeachment could be over by the end of next week.
Details: Dems’ initial targets included Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Joni Ernst of Iowa.
- These are senators who, for different reasons, had been seen as potentially persuadable to hearing more evidence beyond what the House Democrats gathered in their impeachment proceedings.
- But Tillis is now a no, and colleagues and aides also believe Ernst and Gardner will be.
- Among the remaining core of four, Alexander may be tougher to persuade than the other three, said current and former aides who have known him for years.
- Collins, Murkowski and Romney all have been clear they’re open to witnesses, while, as Politico notes, Alexander has not.
What we’re hearing: Alexander is extremely close to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a key reason these associates are skeptical he’d ultimately cause problems for him.
Continue to article: https://www.axios.com/democrats-witness-vote-trump-impeachment-trial-a21e890f-2714-42a7-a363-7493b7a3b92f.html
