The Democrats were joined by Sens. Lindsey Graham, Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Ben Sasse in their quest to hear from last minute witnesses in a bid to slow down the inevitable acquittal of President Donald Trump in the impeachment trial.
Each witness will require a full Senate vote, meaning Democrats and the handful of Republican defectors will have full power to determine which witnesses will be allowed to speak. As a result, the Trump legal team plans to introduce at least 301 new witnesses.
Despite Minority Leader Mitch McConnell all but ensuring the impeachment trial will end with the second acquittal of President Donald Trump earlier this morning, the Democrats – joined by Republican defectors including Romney and Graham – voted to hear from last minute witnesses in a desperate bid to change the minds of Senate Republicans.
As the Democrats will have full power to determine which witnesses will be allowed to speak, and each witness will require a vote from the Senate, the Trump legal team is exploiting the time commitment required to hear from each witness. They will force Democrats to deny or allow at least 301 witnesses to speak.
Trump’s defense team says they have 301 witnesses they want to call so far. pic.twitter.com/H4Pi2fXJwZ
— The Recount (@therecount) February 13, 2021
When the media was told the Trump team would ask for witnesses, one reporter seemingly panicked at the number.
“In the hundreds?” the female reporter asked as the Trump legal team member began to leave. “Jason, in the hundreds?”
The man simply turned around and briefly showed the document he was holding to the media. The document has “Witness list 301 (so far) written in thick sharpie marker.
enhance pic.twitter.com/R9UXUY7vcS
— The Recount (@therecount) February 13, 2021
Among the witnesses the Trump legal team would like to hear from are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Times reporter, and Muriel Bowser, the Mayor of Washington, D.C.
While it first appeared that the impeachment trial would end today, Democrats stalled for time by voting to introduce new witnesses. The addition of hundreds of new witnesses could make the trial last days if not weeks.
