The vast majority of Republican senators acting as jurors in the Trump impeachment trial have been in lock step with the President. On Wednesday, Kansas senator Rand Paul said that 45 of the 53 GOP lawmakers are ready to end the trial now. And that means that witnesses from both sides won’t be heard.
Earlier this week, Jerrold Nadler said that if Republicans don’t allow witnesses,they would be participating in a cover-up. These comments from the New York congressman infuriated a number of GOP senators who says the remarks have only worked to further unite them.
Nadler made the comments during a debate over whether former Trump adviser John Bolton would be subpoenaed. He said from the floor, “I see a lot of senators voting for a cover-up, voting to deny witnesses, an absolutely indefensible vote, obviously a treacherous vote.”
An enraged Lindsey Graham said, “To my Democratic colleagues, you can say what you want about me, but I’m covering up nothing. I’m exposing your hatred of the president.”
Missouri senator Josh Hawley thought that the remarks were shocking. He explained, “There was open gasping on the Senate floor when Nadler was saying these things. If the goal was to persuade, they took a huge step backward last night.”
And Wisconsin lawmaker Ron Johnson felt that Democrats would be best served to end this type of rhetoric. “If the Democrats are smart, they won’t put Jerry Nadler on the field again,” he said. “He was so out of line. It’s offensive accusing us of a cover-up.”