The announcement set off something of a scramble as the two sides mulled how to move forward. Trump s team threatened to call hundreds of witnesses, something they did not have the authority to do but reflected their willingness to drag out the trial for weeks if Democrats insisted on having additional testimony.
Instead, the Senate entered a statement Herrera Beutler released on Friday night into the trial record. The agreement allowed the trial to proceed to closing arguments and a final vote on Trump s guilt on Saturday.
Some Biden allies expressed relief that the Senate would not hear from witnesses, arguing an extended trial would hinder efforts to confirm the president s nominees and work on his legislative agenda.
By Mike Lillis - 02/13/21 04:36 PM EST
Liberals on and off Capitol Hill are up in arms after Democratic impeachment managers abandoned their effort to compel new witness testimony in the trial accusing former President Trump
The progressive critics contend that Democratic prosecutors, by accepting a deal to exclude those witnesses and wrap up the trial, missed a unique opportunity to highlight Trump s involvement in the assault, particularly his refusal to defuse the violence after it had begun.
They aren t mincing words.
ADVERTISEMENT This is retreat. White flag. Malpractice. Completely unstrategic. They just closed the door on others who may have stepped out, as @HerreraBeutler urged last night, Adam Green, who heads the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said on Twitter, referring to Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler
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The announcement set off something of a scramble as the two sides mulled how to move forward. Trump s team threatened to call hundreds of witnesses, something they did not have the authority to do but reflected their willingness to drag out the trial for weeks if Democrats insisted on having additional testimony.
Instead, the Senate entered a statement Herrera Beutler released on Friday night into the trial record. The agreement allowed the trial to proceed to closing arguments and a final vote on Trump s guilt on Saturday without hearing from witnesses.
Some Biden allies expressed relief that the Senate would not hear from witnesses, arguing an extended trial would hinder efforts to confirm the president s nominees and work on his legislative agenda.
House impeachment managers, former President Trump's legal team and top senators struck a deal on Saturday that will let the Senate bypass calling witnesses.
Raskin said the deposition could happen remotely by Zoom and that Democrats would request an hour or less of her time.
The idea was immediately rejected by Michael van der Veen, one of Trump s defense attorneys, who said he d need more than 100 new witnesses to thoroughly investigate the circumstances in question thoroughly.
He called on senators to reject the call for new evidence, accusing Democrats of trampling on Trump s right to due process. The single article of impeachment, he added, is for incitement of insurrection and therefore the Senate jurors should ignore anything Trump did after the attack as immaterial to the case.