Democrats Slam Republican Stonewalling in Senate Impeachment Trial

The Republican-controlled Senate appears poised to acquit President Trump in just the third impeachment trial in U.S. history, with a final vote on the two articles of impeachment scheduled for Wednesday.

On Friday, the Senate voted 51 to 49 against calling witnesses to the Senate trial.

Just two Republican senators supported calling for witnesses and collecting new evidence: Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine.

Without new witnesses, Republicans have cleared the biggest hurdle in their drive to acquit President Trump on the two impeachment charges, which relate to his withholding of military aid to Ukraine in return for that country launching investigations into his political rivals.

The final vote in the Senate is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, a day after President Trump gives his State of the Union address.

To talk more about the impeachment trial, Democracy Now! is joined by John Nichols of The Nation. He is the author of many books, including The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders’ Cure for Royalism.

John Nichols joins DN from Des Moines, Iowa, where he is covering the Iowa caucuses.

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