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U.S. NEWS Saturday 1 February 2020
Senate rejects witnesses in Trump trial, ensuring acquittal

By LISA MASCARO, ERIC To bring the trial toward
TUCKER and ZEKE MILLER a conclusion, Trump's at-
Associated Press torneys argued the House
WASHINGTON (AP) — The had already heard from 17
Senate narrowly rejected witnesses and presented its
Democratic demands to 28,578-page report to the
summon witnesses for Presi- Senate.
dent Donald Trump's im- They warned against pro-
peachment trial late Friday, longing it even further after
all but ensuring Trump's ac- House impeached Trump
quittal in just the third such largely along party lines af-
trial to face a president in ter less than thee months of
U.S. history. But senators formal proceedings mak-
considered pushing off final ing it the quickest, most
voting on his fate to next partisan presidential im-
week. peachment in U.S. history.
The vote on allowing new Some senators pointed to
witnesses was defeated the importance of the mo-
51-49 on a near party-line ment.
vote. "What do you want your
Republicans Susan Collins place in history to be?"
of Maine and Mitt Rom- asked one of the House
ney of Utah voted along managers, Rep. Jason
with the Democrats for wit- Crow, D-Colo., a former
nesses, but that was not Army Ranger.
enough. Trump is almost assured of
Despite the Democrats Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., right, walks to meet with Senate Republicans on eventual acquittal with the
singular focus on hearing Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, after the Senate voted to not allow witnesses in Senate nowhere near the
new testimony, the Repub- the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction 67 votes needed for con-
lican majority brushed past of Congress. viction and removal.
those demands to make Associated Press To hear more witnesses, it
this the first impeachment Trump was impeached by planning to go to Ukraine "I didn't need any more evi- would have taken four Re-
trial without witnesses. Even the House last month on to coax the Ukrainians to dence because I thought publicans to break with the
new revelations Friday from charges the he abused investigate the president's it was proved that the 53-seat majority and join
former national security power and obstructed political rivals. Bolton writes president did what he was with all Democrats in de-
adviser John Bolton did not Congress like no other pres- that he never made the charged with doing," retir- manding more testimony.
sway GOP senators, who ident has done as he tried call to Zelenskiy after the ing GOP Sen. Lamar Alex- But that effort fell short.
said they'd heard enough. to pressure Ukraine to inves- meeting, which included ander of Tennessee, a late Chief Justice John Rob-
That means the eventual tigate Democratic rival Joe acting chief of staff Mick holdout, told reporters Fri- erts, in the rare role presid-
outcome for Trump will be Biden, and then blocked Mulvaney and White House day at the Capitol. "But that ing over the impeachment
an acquittal "in name only," the congressional probe of Counsel Pat Cipollone. didn't rise to the level of an trial, could break a tie, but
said Rep. Val Demings, D- his actions. The revelation adds more impeachable offense." that seems unlikely.
Fla., a House prosecutor, The Democrats had badly detail to allegations of Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski noted in an-
during final debate. Some wanted testimony from when and how Trump first Murkowski of Alaska said nouncing her decision that
called it a cover-up. Bolton, whose forthcoming sought to influence Ukraine she, too, would oppose she did not want to drag
Senate Democratic leader book links Trump directly to aid investigations of his more testimony in the the chief justice into the
Chuck Schumer called Fri- to the charges. But Bolton rivals that are central to the charged partisan atmo- partisan fray.
day night's results "a trag- won't be summoned, and abuse of power charge in sphere, having "come to Though protesters stood
edy on a very large scale." none of this appeared to the first article of impeach- the conclusion that there outside the Capitol, few vis-
Protesters' chants reverber- affect the trial's expected ment. will be no fair trial in the itors have been watching
ated against the walls of outcome. The story was first reported Senate.'' She said, "The from the Senate galleries.
the Capitol. In an unpublished manu- Friday by The New York Congress has failed." Bolton's forthcoming book
But Republicans said script, Bolton writes that the Times. Eager for a conclusion, contends he personally
Trump's acquittal is justified president asked him during Trump issued a quick de- Trump's allies nevertheless heard Trump say he want-
and inevitable. an Oval Office meeting in nial. suggested the shift in timing ed military aid withheld
"The sooner the better for early May to bolster his ef- "I never instructed John to extend the proceedings from Ukraine until it agreed
the country," said Sen. Lind- fort to get Ukraine to inves- Bolton to set up a meeting into next week, acknowl- to investigate the Bidens.
sey Graham, a Trump con- tigate Democrats, accord- for Rudy Giuliani, one of the edging the significance Trump denies saying such a
fidant. ing to a person who read greatest corruption fighters of the moment for sena- thing.
"Let's turn the page." the passage and told The in America and by far the tors who want to give final The White House has
The next steps come in the Associated Press. The per- greatest mayor in the his- speeches. blocked its officials from tes-
heart of presidential cam- son, who was not autho- tory of NYC, to meet with Senate Majority Leader tifying in the proceedings
paign season before a di- rized to disclose contents President Zelenskiy," Trump Mitch McConnell made and objected that there
vided nation. Democratic of the book, spoke only on said. "That meeting never the offer to Schumer, but it are "significant amounts
caucus voting begins Mon- condition of anonymity. happened." was not yet final. of classified information" in
day in Iowa, and Trump In the meeting, Bolton said Key Republican senators Under the proposal, the Bolton's manuscript.
gives his State of the Union the president asked him said even if Trump com- Senate would resume Bolton resigned last Sep-
address the next night. Four to call new Ukrainian Presi- mitted the offenses as Monday for final argu- tember — Trump says he
Democratic candidates dent Volodymyr Zelenskiy charged by the House, ments, with time Monday was fired — and he and his
have been chafing in the and persuade him to meet they are not impeachable and Tuesday for senators attorney have insisted the
Senate chamber rather with Trump's personal law- and the partisan proceed- to speak. The final voting book does not contain any
than campaigning. yer, Rudy Giuliani, who was ings must end. would be Wednesday. classified information.q