Senate Rejects Witnesses in Trump Impeachment Trial

By Staff, Agencies

The Republican-controlled US Senate blocked witness testimonies and new evidence in the impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump, clearing the way for his acquittal.

The senators voted 51 to 49, almost across party lines, against the proposal on Friday.

The vote stopped Democrats' drive to hear testimony from witnesses like former national security adviser John Bolton.

The senate should now vote to convict or clear Trump of the impeachment charges.

After the Friday vote, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he aims to conclude the trial in the coming days.

He postponed the final vote on articles of impeachment until Wednesday in the face of opposition from Senate Republican moderates to his plan to wrap up the trial Friday or Saturday without deliberations.

Meanwhile, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer criticized the Republicans’ move as a great cover-up.

"America will remember this day, unfortunately, where the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities, where the Senate turned away from truth and went along with a sham trial," Schumer told reporters.

Democrats pressed hard to force the Senate to call more witnesses to testify, but Republicans intently focused on bringing the impeachment trial to a vote of acquittal, possibly in a matter of days.