The Senate voted Friday evening to decline the calling of additional witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, turning down Democratic-led efforts with a 51-49 vote and setting up a likely vote to acquit the president.
All but two Republicans voted against the motion, with Senators Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine joining Democrats to ask for additional witnesses, after new allegations were reported earlier this week of an explicit quid-pro-quo detailed by Trump in August to former national security adviser John Bolton.
Democrats hoped for two more Republicans to join them in order to swing the vote towards a subpoena of Bolton, but Senators Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) said Thursday and Friday, respectively, that they would both oppose the calling of additional witnesses.
After extended negotiations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) announced that the Senate would go into a recess after the vote, likely pushing the conclusion of the trial into next week — which would keep Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on Capitol Hill for the Iowa caucuses on Monday.
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