>> like graham senators who served more than two decades ago also fretted about president clinton's impeachment trial. then senate majority leader lott says there were concerns about publicly airing salacious details about mr. clinton's affair with lewinsky. >> there were some who wanted to have witnesses on the floor of the senate, bill clinton, monica lewinsky and i said no we're not going to demean this institution to that degree. >> that's why lott and then senate minority leader conducted three witness interviews all in private instead of calling them to testify publicly. it is unclear if the senators can form a bipartisan accord in president trump's trial in such a toxic political climate. >> if they don't do this in the right way, if they have witnesses on the floor, i think it takes on a context that could be harmful. it's bad enough, and if this turns into an absolute, you know, mud-slipging process -- mud-slipg slinging process it