The impeachment trial will likely end soon, as Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who was thought to be a key swing vote, will likely vote to not allow further witnesses to be heard during the trial.
The House Prosecution team had sought to bring up at least one witness, former national security advisor John Bolton, to testify about Trump’s conduct with regards to Ukraine.
A major goal of the White House during the trial: Downplay any witnesses who could corroborate the prosecution’s insistence that Trump abused his power in the Ukraine scandal.
Senator Alexander has now confirmed he plans to vote against allowing more witnesses to appear before the Senate trial.
Susan Collins, a Republican senator from Maine, is still expected to vote to allow witnesses. However, without Alexander, Democrats don’t have enough votes in the Senate to alter the trial’s rules. That means it’s unlikely witnesses like Bolton will appear.
And that means the impeachment trial could be over soon. Republican senators are expected to acquit Trump despite the House impeaching him.
Trump supporters might see the president’s acquittal as a happy return to the politics that the president’s administration promotes.
However, many fear an acquittal will embolden the president to continue using his office to leverage dirt against political rivals.
The president’s defense team hasn’t made any attempt to claim Trump didn’t ask Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Instead, they have alleged that it’s fine for the president to use his office in such a way.
This is likely to set a dangerous precedent for future presidents, allowing them to act with unfettered power.
As many have asked since this controversy came to light: If you can’t remove a president for strong-arming a foreign power into investigating their political rivals, then why does the Constitution even outline the impeachment process?
