Trump could be acquitted in impeachment trial as early as Friday - U.S. Senator

[webfact]

Trump could be acquitted in impeachment trial as early as Friday - U.S. Senator

By Richard Cowan and Jeff Mason

 

House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) walks to the Senate floor during a brief recess of the day's Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in Washington, U.S., January 28, 2020. REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic push to force Republicans to accept witnesses at Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate appeared to be flagging on Wednesday, raising the possibility the president could be acquitted as early as Friday.

 

As senators spent the day posing questions to both the Trump legal team and the Democratic managers of the trial, the White House objected to the planned publication of a book by former national security adviser John Bolton, who is said to have depicted Trump as playing a central role in pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

 

U.S. Senator John Barrasso, the No. 3 Republican in seniority, said it was possible the trial could end on Friday without Democrats achieving their goal of having witnesses called to testify.

 

"The momentum is clearly in the direction of moving to final judgment on Friday. That vote will be Friday. We still have a couple members who said they want to listen to the answers to questions, but that's where the momentum is," Barrasso said.

 

Asked when Friday the vote might take place to settle the debate over witnesses and move to either acquit or convict Trump, Barrasso said probably Friday afternoon or late that day.

 

Other Republican senators were predicting a similar outcome in conversations with reporters during breaks in the trial on Wednesday. They said some of their colleagues still wanted to hear answers to their questions through Thursday, however.

 

Democrats have sought to persuade at least four Republican senators to vote with them in favour of witnesses to assure a majority vote in the Republican-led 100-seat Senate. The Democratic-led House of Representatives approved the two articles of impeachment in December.

 

While the Senate is expected to acquit Trump and leave him in office no matter what happens, allowing witnesses such as Bolton could inflict political damage on the president as he seeks re-election on Nov. 3.

 

Bolton, who left the White House in September after several sharp disagreements with Trump over the direction of foreign policy, was again a central figure on Wednesday.

 

The New York Times has reported that Bolton wrote in his book that the president told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kiev pursued investigations into Democrats, including Biden and the former vice president's son Hunter.

 

CLASSIFIED

A letter from the White House National Security Council to Bolton's attorney said that based on a preliminary review, the manuscript appeared to contain "significant amounts of classified information."

 

Some material was deemed top secret and could "cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security," according to the letter, which was dated Jan. 23.

 

"Under federal law and the nondisclosure agreements your client signed as a condition for gaining access to classified information, the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information," the letter said.

 

The manuscript was submitted to the White House for pre-publication review, a process that civil libertarians have said gives the government too much power to censor speech.

 

Democrats believe Bolton, a Republican foreign policy hawk, could help them solidify their case against the president and want to call him and a small number of other officials to testify. Trump's fellow Republicans in the Senate have resisted the idea of having any witnesses.

 

Bolton's allegations go to the heart of the impeachment charges. Democrats have said Trump abused his power by using the security aid - passed by Congress to help Ukraine battle Russia-backed separatists - as leverage to get a foreign power to smear a political rival. Trump's legal team has argued that the evidence supporting that allegation is based on hearsay.

 

A Bolton spokeswoman had no comment on the White House letter. Neither his publisher nor lawyer immediately responded to requests for comment.

 

A VOTE ON WITNESSES

Removing Trump from office would take a two-thirds majority. There are 53 Republican senators and none has publicly advocated removal.

 

Trump lashed out at Bolton on Twitter on Wednesday, saying Bolton "couldn't get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago, couldn't get approved for anything since, 'begged' me for a non Senate approved job" and added that "if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now."

 

Trump added that Bolton "goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book. All Classified National Security. Who would do this?"

 

Trump has said he fired Bolton. Bolton, who served as a temporary "recess appointee" as American ambassador to the United Nations under Republican former President George W. Bush, has said he quit.

 

Responding to a question by top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, lead House prosecutor Adam Schiff said there would be no way to have a fair trial without witnesses.

 

"And when you have a witness as plainly relevant as John Bolton who goes to the heart of the most serious and most egregious of the president's misconduct, who has volunteered to come and testify - to turn him away, to look the other way, I think is deeply at odds with being an impartial juror," Schiff said.

 

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Mark Hosenball, David Morgan, Doina Chiacu, Patricia Zengerle, Susan Heavey, Susan Cornwell, Makini Brice, Karen Freifeld, Lisa Lambert and Katanga Johnson; Writing by Will Dunham and Steve Holland; Editing by Howard Goller, Alistair Bell and Sonya Hepinstall)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-30

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[Laza 45]

We shall see.. wishful thinking I think.. things are unraveling too fast now.  75% want witnesses now.. whatever happens he is finished sooner or later..   sooner would be better for everyone.. 

 

[Tug]

I agree with laza come what may the vast majority of Americans are sick and tired of this hamfisted ingoramus we all see the fix is in change a coming in 2020 imo 

[neeray]

Successfully impeached or not, the trial served an extremely valuable purpose by exposing MORE of the many flaws of this POTUS and demonstrated the dishonour of Republican senators.

Obviously, taking an oath of office is a moot point.

 

"We'll see, we'll see how it turns out, obviously we'll just have to wait and see" DJT

[Just1Voice]

I love watching and listening to Democrats cry. lol

[metisdead]

A troll post containing trolling comments regarding the President and Republicans has been removed. 

[Curt1591]

1 hour ago, Laza 45 said:

We shall see.. wishful thinking I think.. things are unraveling too fast now.  75% want witnesses now.. whatever happens he is finished sooner or later..   sooner would be better for everyone.. 

 

 

44 minutes ago, Tug said:

I agree with laza come what may the vast majority of Americans are sick and tired of this hamfisted ingoramus we all see the fix is in change a coming in 2020 imo 

 

34 minutes ago, neeray said:

Successfully impeached or not, the trial served an extremely valuable purpose by exposing MORE of the many flaws of this POTUS and demonstrated the dishonour of Republican senators.

Obviously, taking an oath of office is a moot point.

 

"We'll see, we'll see how it turns out, obviously we'll just have to wait and see" DJT

There is the East Coast and the West Coast. And then there is that troublesome rest of the country

[bartender100]

Nailed on 4 more years, he is turning the USA around

[gargamon]

With 75% of the general population wanting witnesses, and 50% of Republicans also wanting witnesses, if they do weasel their way through this without Bolton testifying, there will be repercussions in the upcoming election and the Republicans will lose seats across the board, including the white house.

 

A similar backlash occurred after the Clinton impeachment.

[steven100]

seems highly likely he will be acquitted,  those Dem's know how to run a circus that's for sure  !

[Laza 45]

39 minutes ago, Curt1591 said:

 

 

There is the East Coast and the West Coast. And then there is that troublesome rest of the country

Bolton is a shark.. and there is blood in the water...

 

https://truthout.org/articles/john-bolton-is-a-shark-and-theres-blood-in-the-water/

[Tug]

54 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

I love watching and listening to Democrats cry. lol

Why don’t you respect and care about the constitution?this isent about party this is about right and wrong 

[Laza 45]

41 minutes ago, bartender100 said:

Nailed on 4 more years, he is turning the USA around

..turning around like the 737 Max....

[edwinchester]

"Trump lashed out at Bolton on Twitter on Wednesday, saying Bolton "couldn't get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago, couldn't get approved for anything since, 'begged' me for a non Senate approved job" and added that "if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now."

 

So much for putting together the best Govt team ever. Amazing the number of Trumps own hand picked selections who have been booted out and then vilified by him on Twitter.

[Just1Voice]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

Why don’t you respect and care about the constitution?this isent about party this is about right and wrong 

I was a U.S. Marine for 20 years, who obtained a Masters in CONSTITUTIONAL LAW during that time, so I would venture to say I know a hell of a lot more about this subject than you ever will. The so-called case against Trump has NOTHING to do with Constitutional violations, and EVERYTHING to do with sore loser Democrat Party politics. 

[spidermike007]

With 75% of the electorate calling for witnesses, this would be an epic mistake, on the part of the GOP. And they will pay a heavy price for this misdeed and miscarriage of justice in November. 

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

seems highly likely he will be acquitted,  those Dem's know how to run a circus that's for sure  !

He will be acquitted on party lines. No reflection of the large amount of evidence for the impeachable conduct of POTUS. The party lines vote will be irrelevant to the oaths that the senators took nor the gravity of Trump’s corruption.

 

However I feel the acquittal will backfire for Trump and the senators seeking office. If the senators obstruct witnesses, they will feel the wrath of the +70% who want to see witnesses. Then there is still a good 10 months till election for Bolton and Parnas and more revelations relating to the trial that will hurt Trump’s chances. All looking real bad for his re-election. 

[Tug]

44 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

I was a U.S. Marine for 20 years, who obtained a Masters in CONSTITUTIONAL LAW during that time, so I would venture to say I know a hell of a lot more about this subject than you ever will. The so-called case against Trump has NOTHING to do with Constitutional violations, and EVERYTHING to do with sore loser Democrat Party politics. 

Well I have 2 ears 2 eyes and a pretty good memory trump imo is corrupt he has been dragging our country through the mud for 3 years now he refuses to work within the framework of our government he stabs our allies in the back and has the world laughing at us you go ahead and carry his water for him I’m not a mark 

[Baerboxer]

6 hours ago, neeray said:

Successfully impeached or not, the trial served an extremely valuable purpose by exposing MORE of the many flaws of this POTUS and demonstrated the dishonour of Republican senators.

Obviously, taking an oath of office is a moot point.

 

"We'll see, we'll see how it turns out, obviously we'll just have to wait and see" DJT

 

Indeed. But it also exposed the vindictiveness of the Democrats and their determination to investigate Trump and hopefully find "a crime".

 

Whatever happens, the nasty taste left in the mouth is for both parties. 

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

He will be acquitted on party lines. No reflection of the large amount of evidence for the impeachable conduct of POTUS. The party lines vote will be irrelevant to the oaths that the senators took nor the gravity of Trump’s corruption.

 

However I feel the acquittal will backfire for Trump and the senators seeking office. If the senators obstruct witnesses, they will feel the wrath of the +70% who want to see witnesses. Then there is still a good 10 months till election for Bolton and Parnas and more revelations relating to the trial that will hurt Trump’s chances. All looking real bad for his re-election. 

 

Hyperbole.

[bendejo]

Used to be a lot of the people here on TVF claimed to be former spies, mercenaries, paramilitary etc.  These days we have a load of lawyers and legal scholars.

The great thing about this forum is that whatever subject you bring up an expert will appear, as if by wizardry.

 

 

[candide]

We know Trump will be acquired. 

Then the issue for Republican Senators is to choose between:

- reject calling witnesses and be suspected of a cover up

- allow witnesses who will make the impeachment accusation more convincing and be suspected of being partial.

What would be the worst decision?

[malibukid]

Bolton could make the rounds on the late night talk shows, but than they would have to take him out

[Paul Henry]

With 21 Republican senators retiring or resigning in November and the back lash that will come from the voters against the republicans then next election will see a massive defeat of the republicans in both houses. The fact that they have totally ignored the wishes of the people and have like POTUS lied,misrepresented the facts and proven to be not fit for office by taking an oath and then ignoring it will haunt them for years to come. History will not forget how they covered up a crime by the President and treat the whole impeachment as a joke. A trial without witness!

[rgraham]

The circle jerk is only lacking a few arcs now, time to end this monkey trial and get back to work. It is nearly time for the dems to start the next impeachment process.

[earlinclaifornia]

7 hours ago, chokrai said:

The American people are sick of all these 'Revelations!!! that turn out to be nothing. Have you seen people waiting over night in New Jersey in January to attend Trumps rally? None of the Democrats can fill a library . Your TDS is not going to get Biden elected.

explain why she has 3 million more votes put under another investigation by Comey

[tifino]

 has there been some sort of actual Referendum of late? that all Citizens had a chance to Vote on it?

 - to come up with the magical 70% want it comments? 

[hugocnx]

11 hours ago, gargamon said:

Well said... Thankfully, unlike most fox news viewers, I have a brain of my own and don't need to be told what to think.

Like on CNN?

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, tifino said:

 has there been some sort of actual Referendum of late? that all Citizens had a chance to Vote on it?

 - to come up with the magical 70% want it comments? 

No. Just polling. The U.S. doesn't have such referendums on issues like that with the exception that some states have election referendums on specific issues such as legalizing ganja. 

[mike787]

Trump did nothing wrong...he will be full exonerated, the problem is with these crazy liberal democrats.