The U.S. Senate voted down a motion to call new witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial late Friday.
The vote on allowing new witnesses was defeated 51-49 on a near party-line vote. Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah joined Democrats in voting for witnesses, but it wasn’t enough.
The GOP vote stands in stark contrast to national polls showing 75% of voters supported witnesses being called.
An informal online poll conducted by Now Habersham indicated that trend hit locally. Of 1,100 votes cast, 697 people voted in favor of the Senate calling witnesses while 498 said “no.”
This now becomes the first Senate impeachment trial in history without witnesses. Trump’s acquittal is all but assured since it would take 67 votes to remove him from office. Senators will vote on a verdict next Wednesday, Feb. 5.
(file photo)
