The final vote is not set, but the Senate is racing toward concluding the trial in five days — unless the Democratic impeachment managers seek witnesses.

That could extend the trial beyond Saturday, although senators in both parties are not expecting any witnesses to be called.

The US Senate has finished day three of the Donald Trump impeachment trial. (AP)

It’s unclear what has been decided, but it should become clear soon after the Senate gavels into session at 10am ET (2am Sunday AEDT).

Multiple aides said the debate is that witnesses could clarify the timeline of what Trump knew and when in a compelling way, but it’s not clear that the witnesses would change minds of senators already dug in about the verdict. Witnesses would also extend the trial considerably with Senate Democrats eager to move on to President Joe Biden‘s agenda.

The managers have repeatedly declined to say whether they will seek witnesses, though most senators don’t expect them to do so. “No comment. No comment,” lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said as he left the Capitol Friday evening.

Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has decried the Republican spending plans.
Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (AP)
Donald Trump is facing his second impeachment trial.
Donald Trump is facing his second impeachment trial. (AP)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also declined to comment on his way out of the Capitol on Friday.

“It’s up to the managers,” Schumer said. “We defer to them.”

If there are no witnesses, the impeachment managers and Trump’s lawyers will make closing arguments of up to two hours each before the Senate will move to a final vote, which could be held at 3pm ET (7am Sunday AEDT), though that’s not finalised.

It’s still not clear whether senators will seek to make speeches to explain their votes once the legal teams conclude.

Donald Trump’s last moments as president

The outcome of the final vote was already telegraphed earlier in the week, when the Senate voted 56-44 that the impeachment trial was constitutional. The GOP senators who voted the trial of a former president was unconstitutional said that was what would determine their final vote, leaving the Senate well short of the two-thirds — or 17 GOP senators who would have to join all 50 Democrats — needed for conviction.

The six Republicans who voted the trial was constitutional are the GOP senators who have left open the possibility they could vote that Trump is guilty, after 10 House Republicans joined Democrats to impeach Trump in the House last month. Several of those Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — pressed Trump’s lawyers during the Senate’s question-and-answer session Friday over the actions Trump took when he learned about the riots unfolding and tweeted that then-Vice President Mike Pence was lacking courage while he was being evacuated from the Senate.

From left, David Schoen, Bruce Castor and Michael van der Veen, lawyers for former President Donald Trump, arrive at the Capitol on the third day of the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Washington
From left, David Schoen, Bruce Castor and Michael van der Veen, lawyers for former President Donald Trump, arrive at the Capitol on the third day of the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Washington (AP)

The House managers have argued throughout the trial that Trump should be convicted and barred from holding future office because he was responsible for the rioters who attacked the US Capitol on January 6 and endangered the lives of lawmakers and Pence. They’ve made the case that Trump incited the rioters through months of false claims that the election was being stolen from him, then failed to take any action to stop the violence or condemn the rioters afterward.

The defence team offered its rebuttal on Friday in a brief presentation, in which they sought to equate Trump’s rhetoric with that of Democrats, arguing that political rhetoric is protected by the First Amendment and Trump’s language did not incite a riot that was pre-planned.



This content first appear on 9news

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