WASHINGTON: The Latest on former President Donald Trump’s second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):
1 p.m.
Senators have resumed Donald Trumps impeachment trial without calling witnesses after agreeing to accept new information from a Republican congresswoman about his actions on the day of the deadly Capitol siege.
After a delay of several hours, the trial is back on track with closing arguments and Saturdays session heading toward a vote on the verdict.
Under the deal, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutlers statement on a phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters stormed the Capitol was entered into the trial record as evidence. No further witnesses were called.
Senators brought the proceedings to a standstill when a majority voted Saturday morning to consider potential witnesses.
The information from Herrera Beutler sparked fresh interest on Trumps actions that day.
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HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S SECOND SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL:
The Senate is meeting in a rare weekend session in Donald Trumps second impeachment trial. The trial was thrown into confusion when senators voted to consider hearing witnesses, but after a delay of several hours the trial is back on track, with closing arguments and Saturday’s session heading toward a vote on whether the former president incited the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol.
Read more:
Republican leader McConnell tells colleagues he will vote to acquit.
Which GOP senators are seen as possible votes against Trump?
Rep. Herrera Beutler urges patriots to talk about Trump call
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:
12:45 p.m.
Senate leaders are working on an agreement that could end a standoff over calling witnesses in Donald Trumps impeachment trial and allow it to proceed with closing arguments and a vote on whether he incited the deadly Capitol siege.
Under the agreement being discussed, the information that a Republican congresswoman has made public about Trumps actions on the day of the riot would be entered into the record of the trial in exchange for Democrats dropping plans to deposition testimony from the congresswoman, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington No witnesses would be called to testify.
That would allow the trial to resume Saturday with closing arguments and a vote on the verdict.
A Democrat granted anonymity to discuss the private talks confirmed the pending agreement.
The Senate came to a standstill shortly after convening for the rare Saturday session when a majority voted to consider calling witnesses.
Herrera Beutlers account of Trumps call with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters were breaking into the Capitol on Jan. 6 sparked fresh interest in Trumps actions that day.
Lisa Mascaro.
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12:30 p.m.
Republican senators are warning that any vote to allow witnesses at the impeachment trial of Donald Trump will significantly prolong the case, and that they have their own lists of people they would want to hear from.
Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters that if there are witnesses called by Democrats, the process wont be one-sided and the former president will be able to have his own witnesses, too.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was among five Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to consider witnesses, said that although hed like to see the case go to trial, hell insist on multiple witnesses if Democrats get to have theirs. He says he would want to hear from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
A Trump adviser was seen holding a sheet of paper showing that Trumps lawyers are prepared to call more than 300 witnesses.
The vote Saturday to consider witnesses upended the trial, which had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump.
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11:15 a.m.
Former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial came to an abrupt standstill after a majority of senators voted to consider calling witnesses about the deadly storming of the Capitol.
Even senators seemed confused by the sudden turn of events Saturday. The quick trial had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump.
Under Senate rules for the trial, it appears debate and votes on potential witnesses could be allowed, potentially delaying the final vote.
House prosecutors want to hear from a Republican congresswoman who has said she was aware of a conversation Trump had with the House GOP leader as rioters were ransacking the Capitol over the election results.
Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler of Washington has widely discussed her reported conversation with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who had called on Trump to stop the attack by his supporters.
Five Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting 55-45 on a motion to consider witnesses and testimony.
Trumps defense attorneys blasted the late action. Attorney Michael van der Veen said its time to close this case out.
Senators are in a brief recess as leaders confer on next steps.
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10:50 a.m.
The proceedings in former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial have come to an abrupt halt, with senators seemingly confused about the next steps.
Senators were huddling on the floor of the chamber as leaders spoke to the clerks at the dais.
Impeachment trials are rare, especially for a president, and the rules are negotiated for each one at the outset.
For Trumps trial, the agreement said if senators agree to hear witnesses, votes to hear additional testimony would be allowed.
Its unclear if there will be support in the evenly split Senate for calling witnesses.
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10:35 a.m.
Senators have voted to consider witnesses in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
Closing arguments were expected Saturday with no witnesses called. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information.
She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results.
Raskin said it was necessary to determine Trumps role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot. There were 55 senators who voted to debate the motion to subpoena, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who changed his vote in the middle of the count.
Trumps attorney Michael van der Veen balked at the request, saying hed then call 100 witnesses and said it was not necessary.
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10:30 a.m.
Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen is telling senators that if Democrats wish to call a witness, he will ask for at least 100 witnesses and will insist they give depositions in person in his office in Philadelphia.
His animated statement was met with laughter from the chamber, which visibly angered van der Veen.
Theres nothing laughable here, he said. The trial is being held in person, but lawmakers are wearing masks and the coronavirus pandemic has halted most normal activity, including close contact in offices for depositions. In many civil and criminal cases, such work is handled via conference call.
Closing arguments are expected Saturday in the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland has asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information.
She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results.
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10:20 a.m.
House impeachment prosecutors say they will be preparing a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information in Donald Trumps trial over the deadly attack at the Capitol.
Lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Saturday he would seek to hear from the Republican congresswoman, who has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trumps actions Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results.
Its unclear if she or any other witnesses will be called.
Raskin said he would pursue a virtual interview with the Washington lawmaker.
Senators are meeting in a rare Saturday session in what is expected to be the final day in Trumps historic trial.
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10:05 a.m.
The Senate is gaveling open as the court of impeachment is expecting to wrap up Donald Trumps trial over the Capitol siege.
Senators were speeding toward an expected vote in the rare Saturday session on whether to convict or acquit the former president on the charge of incitement of insurrection in the Jan. 6 attack.
Some senators want to consider witnesses, but its unclear if any will be called to testify, or if there would be enough support in a vote to do so.
The weeklong impeachment trial is the first of a former president.
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9:45 a.m.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell will vote to acquit Donald Trump in the former president’s impeachment trial.
Thats according to a source granted anonymity to discuss the leaders thinking.
McConnells decision was made public Saturday ahead of what is expected to be a final day in the trial. Trump, the only president to have been impeached twice, is charged with inciting an insurrection in the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
The Republican leader’s views carry sway among GOP senators and are likely to influence others weighing their votes.
While most Democrats are expected to convict the former president, acquittal is likely in the evenly divided Senate.
Senators are meeting for a rare Saturday session as the weeklong trial wraps up.
__ Alan Fram
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9:45 a.m.
The closing phase of Donald Trumps impeachment trial is putting new scrutiny on what actions the former president took when his supporters overwhelmed police and stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. It comes as Democrats consider whether to force a debate on calling witnesses for the trial, which would require a majority vote of the Senate.
Democrats argue Trump incited the riot and then refused to stop it, putting Vice President Mike Pence in danger. Pence was in the Capitol presiding over the certification of President Joe Bidens election victory and was rushed to safety as the Capitol was invaded.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, who was one of 10 Republicans to vote for Trumps impeachment in the House, said in a statement late Friday Trump rebuffed a plea from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters on Jan. 6. She said McCarthy had relayed the conversation to her.
Another Republican, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, said he told Trump during a call on Jan. 6 that Pence was being evacuated from the Senate.
Several Republicans who are seen as wavering on whether to convict Trump pressed Trumps lawyers during questioning to account for Trumps actions on Jan. 6.
One of Trumps lawyers, Michael van der Veen, responded to those questions by saying that at no point was the president informed of any danger to Pence.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said the Senate should suspend the trial to question McCarthy and Tuberville under oath, and to seek records from the Secret Service.
What did Trump know, and when did he know it? Whitehouse tweeted.
The trial resumes Saturday at 10 a.m. EST.
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8:45 a.m.
A little over a month ago, rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was voting to affirm Joe Bidens election as the 46th president.
On Saturday, the Senate is set to meet in a rare weekend session for closing arguments in Donald Trumps second impeachment trial. And the evenly-divided Senate is poised to vote on whether the former president will be held accountable for inciting the Jan. 6 siege.
It seems unlikely that the 100-member Senate will be able to mount the two-thirds vote needed to convict Trump. Acquittal could heavily influence not only Trumps political future but that of the senators sworn to deliver impartial justice as jurors.
Trump is the only president to be twice impeached and the first to face trial after leaving office.
House prosecutors have argued that Trumps rallying cry to go to the Capitol and fight like hell for his presidency just as Congress was convening Jan. 6 to certify Joe Bidens election victory was part of an orchestrated pattern of violent rhetoric and false claims that unleashed the mob.
Trumps lawyers say Trumps words were not intended to incite the violence and that impeachment is nothing but a witch hunt designed to prevent him from serving in office again.
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7:30 a.m.
Seldom has Mitch McConnell signaled so little about such a consequential vote.
Many expect the Senates top Republican to back acquitting former President Donald Trump of a charge of inciting rioters who assaulted the Capitol last month. But no one is really sure how McConnell will vote.
The Washington political universe and the world beyond will hold their collective breath when the Senate impeachment trial roll call reaches McConnells name. The suspense over how hell vote underscores how much is at stake for McConnell and his party, though it seems extremely unlikely that 17 GOP senators will join all 50 Democrats to convict Trump.
McConnell is the chambers most influential Republican and the longest-serving GOP leader ever, and a vote to acquit would leave the party locked in its struggle to define itself in the post-Trump presidency. A guilty vote could do more to roil GOP waters by signaling an attempt to yank the party away from a figure still revered by most of its voters.
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