President Donald Trump has abandoned his once cherished impeachment show trial in the U.S. Senate to support the option favored by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) calling for an immediate dismissal of the charges against him.
Trump's change of heart comes almost a month after an endless stream of Twitter rants demanding a very public Senate impeachment trial where his lawyers would call former vice president Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, as witnesses. It's long been known Trump planned to use the Senate trial to humiliate Biden, the Democrat most likely to become Trump's opponent for the presidency in 2020.
GOP strategists, however, point out the sword cuts both ways. Allowing Trump to call Biden, as a witness will also allow Democrats to call their own witnesses, such as former national security adviser John Bolton, whose testimony might do immense damage to Trump's re-election bid.
"Many believe that by the Senate giving credence to a trial based on the no evidence, no crime, read the transcripts, 'no pressure' Impeachment Hoax, rather than an outright dismissal, it gives the partisan Democrat Witch Hunt credibility that it otherwise does not have. I agree!" Trump tweeted Sunday.
Analysts now concur Trump is all in for a quick acquittal that he can use to bash Democrats with on the campaign trail. He now demands Republican senators quash the Democrats' charges as soon as they arrive. On the other hand, political pundits say this strategy will almost certainly backfire.
"I think I am safe in saying there is almost no interest in a motion to dismiss," said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), a member of the Senate leadership team on Monday. "Certainly, there are not 51 votes for a motion to dismiss."
The Senate trial, however, hinges on when House majority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will send the two articles of impeachment -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress -- to the Senate. In a gambit to ensure Republicans hold a fair impeachment trial, Pelosi has held on to the articles since the Democrat-controlled House impeached Trump on Dec. 19, 2019.
The House now needs to pass a resolution naming impeachment managers before the articles are formally sent to the Senate. Pelosi has hinted she'd send the articles to the Senate this week. The White House and Trump's legal team are readying for the Senate trial.
On Wednesday or Thursday, the House is expected to name the impeachment managers who will be the prosecutors representing the House in the Senate impeachment trial. After this the managers will walk over to the Senate and read the articles of impeachment out loud. This will mark the beginning of Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate.
