Impeachment: GOP leaders reportedly say they lack votes to block witnesses – as it happened – The Guardian, Theguardian.com

Though Senate majority leader

Mitch McConnell has reported told senators privately that he doesn’t have votes to block new witnesses in the impeachment trial, per multiple reports, there are still several days till senators would vote on the matter.

Senate Republicans may still block witnesses, and some GOP lawmakers are confident they’ll be able to do so, according to CNN.

Manu Raju (@ mkraju) while the votes aren ‘t secured yet, GOP leaders are growing confident they can defeat a vote on witnesses following the initial alarm the Bolton book caused among Senate Rs. Many Rs amenable to argument that witnesses would drag it out with no clear end https://t.co/LKsAaRHEaS ,

(6.) PM EST :

Lev Parnas

‘lawyer is expected to attend the Senate trial tomorrow.

Joseph Bondy asked Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer for gallery tickets, according to The Daily Beast , which first reported the news. Bondy’s co-counsel Stephanie Schuman is also expected to appear. Parnas himself may not be able to, as he wears an ankle monitor and electronics are banned in the trial chamber.

Yamiche Alcindor (@ Yamiche) Lev Parnas attorney on attending Senate trial: “We are attending the trial w / or w / o Mr. Parnas bc we believe our presence is important in reminding senators that indeed there should be witnesses heard and evidence taken and that anything short of that would not be a fair trial ” (January) ,

5 . (pm) (EST) :

Republicans may not have enough votes to block witnesses, and they know it according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Lindsay Wise (@ lindsaywise)

NEWS from @ WSJ : GOP Leaders Say They Don’t Currently Have Enough Votes to Block Witnesses

McConnell told Republicans the vote total wasn ‘ t where it needed to be … He had a card with “yes,” “no,” and “maybes” marked on it, apparently a whip count https://t.co/hzhRunhMoi via

@ WSJ

January 43,

Though most Senate Republicans have dismissed the need to call witnesses, a few key members, including Mitt Romney

(of Utah and) Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have indicated an openness to hearing new testimony.

5. pm EST :

Feinstein clarifies her statement: ‘It’s clear the president’s actions were wrong’

Senator Dianne Feinstein (@ SenFeinstein) The LA Times misunderstood what I said today. Before the trial I said I’d keep an open mind. Now that both sides made their cases, it’s clear the president’s actions were wrong. He withheld vital foreign assistance for personal political gain. That can’t be allowed to stand. (January) ,

An Axios reporter who initially posed a question about acqu ittal to the senator today further clarified: Feinstein was open to potentially acquitting Donald Trump

before, but is less so now.

Alayna Treene (@ alaynatreene)

I think the

@ latimes has this story backwards. I was the reporter who asked @ SenFeinstein these questions. She told me she was initially going to vote against impeachment “before this”

But when I asked her to clarify, she said she’s changed her opinion (https://t.co/sJeYl2VkNl

(January) ,

Updated (at 5.) PM EST

(5.) (PM EST) :

Is Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein open to acquittal?



Dianne Feinstein speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington. Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP After the president’s defense team arrived their arguments today, Feinstein, a Democrat of California, seemed to suggest she’s not entirely opposed to acquittal.

“Nine months left to go, the people should judge. We are a republic, we are based on the will of the people – the people should judge, ”Feinstein (told the LA Times. “That was my view and it still is my view.”

Per the LA Times:

Still, she indicated that arguments in the trial about Trump’s character and fitness for office had left her undecided. “What changed my opinion as this went on,” she said, is a realization that “impeachment isn’t about one offense. It’s really about the character and ability and physical and mental fitness of the individual to serve the people, not themselves. ”

Asked whether she would ultimately vote to acquit, she demurred, saying, “We ‘re not finished. ”

At , Feinstein is the oldest member of the Senate. She’s expected to retire after she completes the remaining four years of her term – so she doesn’t necessarily need to consider how going against the grain will affect her chances of reelection in Blue-state California.

J (oe Manchin of West Virginia is the only other Senate Democrat whose vote to remove Trump from office is not assured. On Fox News, he said, “I am totally undecided,” on how he’ll vote.

Updated (at 5.) (PM EST

(5. (PM) (EST) : 16

Evening summary

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

Trump ‘s lawyers connected their opening arguments in the impeachment trial, advising senators to vote for acquittal and “end the era of impeachment for good.”
The president’s lawyers argued that Senate

Republicans continued to wrestle with whether to support calling witnesses in the impeachment trial, although Susan Collins

reiterated that she was “very likely” to support the proposal.

John Kelly,
the president’s former chief of staff, said he believes Bolton, who Reported in his forthcoming book that Trump directly tied Ukraine’s military assistance to investigations of
Democrats. The
• Trump administration unveiled its Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal, which was automatically rejected by Palestinian leaders.

  Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

4. PM EST :

Speaking to CNN,

Jared Kushner , the president’s adviser and son-in-law who spearheaded the crafting of the administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal, warned Palestinians against rejecting the deal.

“The Palestinian leadership have to ask themselves a question: do they want to have a state? Do they want to have a better life? ”Kushner said.

He then presented an ultimatum to the Palestinians. Kushner said, “If they do, we have created a framework for them to have it, and we’re going to treat them in a very respectful manner. If they don’t, then they’re going to screw up another opportunity, like they’ve screwed up every other opportunity that they’ve ever had in their existence. ”

CNN (@ CNN) Jared Kushner, senior Adviser to the President, says the White House’s Middle East plan is “a great deal” and if Palestinians reject it, “they’re going to screw up another opportunity, like they’ve screwed up every other opportunity that they’ve ever had in their existence. ” pic.twitter.com / ABAI3gKjig (January) ,

But the Palestinian president has already rejected any possibility of agreeing to the White House’s proposal.

“We say a thousand times, no, no, no to the deal of the century,”

Mahmoud Abbas said. “We rejected this deal from the start and our stance was correct.”

4 pm EST :

Echoing her earlier comments, Republican senator

Susan Collins told CBS News that she is “very likely” to support calling witnesses for the impeachment trial. CBS This Morning (@ CBSThisMorning)

EXCLUSIVE: Republican @ SenatorCollins says it’s “very likely” that she will vote to hear witnesses in the Senate Impeachment trial.

“I, for one, believe that There’s some gaps, some ambiguities that need to be cleared up ” pic.twitter.com/8Rwbwk9ytm(January) ,

Collins said she and her Republican colleagues have had “a lot more conversations” about witness testimony since the publications of the report about

John Bolton ‘s book, which reportedly includes an allegation that
• Trump directly tied Ukraine’s military assistance to investigations of Democrats.

  Asked whether they were four

  Republicans who would support calling witnesses, Collins said, “I don’t know the answer to that question yet.”

  But she added, “I, for one, believe that there’s some gaps, some ambiguities that need to be cleared up, and more information tends to be helpful when you’re making such a weighty decision.”

(4.) PM EST : 27

Exiting a meeting with fellow Republican senators,

John Cornyn said the caucus had not reached a decision on calling witnesses to testify in the impeachment trial. Igor Bobic (@ igorbobic) “No final decision.” ”On witnesses, Cornyn says after GOP conference meeting January 43,

4. (PM EST) :

Three-quarters of registered voters support calling witnesses to testify in the impeachment trial, according to a newly released poll.

The Quinnipiac survey

found that 90% of voters are in favor of calling witnesses in the Senate trial, a figure that includes (% of Republicans

and (% of independents.)

On the question of whether

Trump should be removed from office, voters remain divided, with % opposing removal and % supporting it.

But a majority of voters, ,%, say Trump is not telling the truth about his actions toward Ukraine

, and % say they would like the president to provide more details about those interactions.

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