Politics

Report: McConnell Has Votes To Dismiss New Witnesses In Impeachment Trial

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly has enough votes among his Republican colleagues in the Senate to block votes for additional witnesses in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump.

As Democrats have continued to push for additional witnesses in the Senate trial, McConnell reportedly believes his party will stick together and vote against having more witnesses, according to ABC News. The Majority Leader believes he has enough Republican support to defeat any motion brought forward by Democrats regarding additional witnesses in the trial.

President Donald Trump, right, arrives for a Senate Republican policy luncheon with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz confirmed Tuesday that he will vote against calling more witnesses to the Senate impeachment trial of Trump and explained why. (RELATED: ‘Time To Acquit’: Cruz Confirms His No Vote For Friday’s Senate Impeachment Vote For More Witnesses)

Cruz was asked by Fox News’ Sean Hannity about Trump’s defense lawyers’ performance in the Senate impeachment trial, to which he responded “I will tell you why he should be acquitted and why he will be acquitted. Quid pro quo doesn’t matter, it’s a red herring. It doesn’t matter if there was a quid pro quo or not. The reason is a president is always justified and in fact has a responsibility to investigate credible evidence of corruption.”

“On Friday, I’m going to vote that we don’t need any more witnesses with 17 witnesses in the House, we’ve heard all the evidence. The House Managers have failed,” Cruz said. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: We Asked Every GOP Senator About Impeachment. Seven Ruled It Out.)

The White House’s defense team had its first opportunity to deliver their opening arguments in the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate on Saturday. The team had 24 hours over three days to make its arguments, but they did not use all 24 hours of their time.

The House of Representatives officially voted Jan. 15 to send the articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate and approved the House’s impeachment managers.