Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Sunday, just two days before President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is set to start, that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has withheld even “the most basic negotiation or exchange of information.”
McConnell has yet to share his memo about the rules governing the trial, which he has said he has the votes to approve.
Durbin predicted that the earliest motions from his side of the aisle will be pertaining to witnesses and evidence that Democrats want as part of proceedings. McConnell wants a witness-free trial, and will be able to ensure that it happens unless four of his members defect to the Democrats.
“The bottom line is, is there going to be a fair trial? Are we going to have evidence, documents and witnesses? To this point, Senator McConnell has said ‘no, not necessary.’ He’s made up his mind long ago,” Durbin said. “But I think the American people expect a real trial to have real witnesses and evidence.”
