Washington:Amidst uncertainty over whether to call witnesses in President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial, his legal team wrapped up its opening arguments on Tuesday with an appeal for a quick acquittal.
Saying "it is time for this to end," Trump's lawyers brushed off former national security adviser John Bolton's explosive allegations about Trump's conduct. They also accused Democrats of trying to interfere with Trump's November re-election bid.
Later, Republican senators met behind closed doors to discuss calling witnesses, including Bolton, but said that there was no resolution on the matter. Four Republicans would need to vote for witnesses, along with all 47 Democrats and independents.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told senators in the meeting that he did not currently have the votes to block Democrats from calling witnesses at the trial because some Republicans remained uncommitted.
Republican Senator John Barrasso quoted the consensus in the meeting -- "We've heard enough and it's time to go to a final judgment vote." However, other Republicans said the vote count was unclear and no decision would be made until Friday.
Trump's legal team sought to minimize the importance of Bolton's unpublished book manuscript that describes Trump's central role in a pressure campaign aimed at getting Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in this year's election.
The Democratic-led House on December 18 impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate Biden, the former vice president, setting the stage for the trial to determine if he should be removed from office.
'Serious and Lasting Damage'
"Overturning past elections and massively interfering with the upcoming one would cause serious and lasting damage to the people of the United States and to our great country. The Senate cannot allow this to happen," White House Counsel Pat Cipollone told the Senate.
When senators reconvene on Wednesday, they will begin two days of questions to the lawyers representing Trump and to the seven House of Representatives Democrats who have served as prosecutors. That would leave a vote on witnesses for Friday.
Adam Schiff, who served as the lead Democratic prosecutor in arguing the case against Trump last week, said, "A fair trial involves witnesses and documents."
Bolton's manuscript directly contradicts Trump's account of events. He wrote that the president told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kiev pursued investigations into Democrats, including Biden and his son Hunter Biden, the New York Times reported.
Bolton's allegations go to the heart of impeachment charges against Trump. Democrats have said Trump abused his power by using the security aid - approved by Congress to help Ukraine battle Russia-backed separatists - as leverage to get a foreign power to smear a political rival.
'Not a Game of Leaks'
Some Republican senators who oppose calling witnesses proposed that Bolton's manuscript be made available for senators to review on a classified basis, an idea rejected by top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer.
"What an absurd proposal. It's a book," Schumer said, about the proposal floated by Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and James Lankford, saying there was no need to place the manuscript for review in a classified setting "unless you want to hide something."
Lankford urged Bolton to speak publicly outside of the trial. Schumer criticized Trump's legal team for stating during its arguments to the Senate that there was no eyewitness testimony detailing abuse of power by Trump, "when we know that John Bolton has eyewitness testimony and is willing to testify."
Schumer made a fresh appeal for four Republican senators, which is the number needed for a majority, to join Democrats in voting to call witnesses. Schumer also indicated Democrats would reject any effort at a so-called witness swap with Republicans.
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