Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced Thursday night that he will vote against a motion to consider subpoenas for additional witnesses and documents at the impeachment trial, putting the chamber on track to acquit President Trump on Friday or Saturday.
“There is no need for more evidence to prove that the president asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter; he said this on television on October 3, 2019, and during his July 25, 2019, telephone call with the president of Ukraine,” Alexander said in a statement released shortly after the Senate ended 16 hours of questions to the impeachment managers and lawyers for Trump’s defense.
“There is no need for more evidence to conclude that the president withheld United States aid, at least in part, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens; the House managers have proved this with what they call a ‘mountain of overwhelming evidence.’ There is no need to consider further the frivolous second article of impeachment that would remove the president for asserting his constitutional prerogative to protect confidential conversations with his close advisers,’ his statement said.
Alexander’s decision makes it significantly less likely that Democrats will have enough votes to call former national security adviser John Bolton and other witnesses to testify, which would have extended the trial past the weekend and perhaps much longer.
With Alexander joining the overwhelming majority of the Senate GOP conference, it now appears there are no more than three Republican votes for witnesses, which means the question would deadlock in a 50-50 tie or fail 49 to 51.
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