Donald Trump impeachment acquittal ‘inevitable’

Donald Trump is set to be easily acquitted in his impeachment trial on Thursday after senators voted against new witnesses.

‘Let’s turn the page’; Lindsey Graham. Picture: AP

Donald Trump is set to be easily acquitted in his impeachment trial on Thursday (AEDT) after senators narrowly voted against new witnesses, including former US national security adviser John Bolton.

The 51-49 vote ensured that the trial would be brought to a speedy conclusion with no extra evidence to influence senators before the final vote.

Republicans hailed the rejection of new witnesses and said the President’s acquittal would be justified and inevitable. “The sooner the better for the country,” Republican senator Lindsey Graham said. “Let’s turn the page.”

Democrats were bitterly disappointed with the result and argued that Mr Trump would never be truly acquitted because the Senate trial had been a sham.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the vote against witnesses was “a tragedy”.

“Americans will know that this trial was not a real trial. It had no witnesses, no documents,” Senator Schumer said. “It is a tragedy on a very large scale.”

Democrat lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff said the move created “a very dangerous and long-lasting precedent that we will all have to live with”.

“If a judge or president believes that it is to his or her advantage that there shall be a trial with no witnesses, they will cite the case of Donald Trump,” Mr Schiff said.

“They will make the argument that you can adjudicate the guilt or innocence of the party without hearing from a single witness, without reviewing a single document.”

The final vote on impeachment will come after two other major political events, the first vote in the Democrat Iowa presidential caucus on Tuesday (AEDT) and the President’s State of the Union Address on Wednesday (AEDT).

Democrats needed four Republicans to cross the floor to vote with them on new witnesses but in the end only two of them, moderates Susan Collins and Mitt Romney sided with Democrats. Two other moderates, Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski, decided to vote against new witnesses.

“It was inappropriate for the President to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation,’ Senator Alexander said. “But the constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year’s ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate.’’

Senator Murkowski attacked both sides for their handling of the impeachment process. “Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate,” she said. “I don’t believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the congress has failed.”

Democrats had hoped to subpoena Mr Bolton who shook up the trial last week with claims made in his new book that Mr Trump directly told him that he wanted to maintain a freeze on US aid to Ukraine until that country helped investigate Democrat Joe Biden. Mr Bolton’s claims undermined the argument put forward by the President and his lawyers that there was no direct evidence to prove a so-called quid pro quo on aid and the Bidens.

The Bolton revelation led Mr Trump’s lawyers to change tactics and instead argue that even if the President did all he was accused of, it still did not rise to the level of an impeachable offence.

Democrats and the President’s legal team will make closing arguments on Tuesday (AEDT) followed by speeches from senators who have so far been muzzled during the trial. At 4pm on Wednesday US time (8am Thursday AEDT) the Senate will take the final vote on Mr Trump’s guilt or innocence.

The vote is expected to be almost entirely along party lines. On the Republican side, senators Collins and Romney could potentially vote for Mr Trump’s removal while on the Democrat side, moderate senators Doug Jones and Joe Manchin, who hail from pro-Trump states of Alabama and West Virginia, are considered a chance to break from their party to vote against his removal.

After the vote against witnesses, Mr Trump accused Democrats of “scamming America”.

“The Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats keep chanting ‘fairness’, when they put on the most unfair Witch Hunt in the history of the US Congress,” he tweeted.

Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia