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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said he expects to start the impeachment trial for President Trump next Tuesday, after an expected House vote Wednesday to name impeachment managers and send over the articles.
Related: House prepares to vote Wednesday on sending impeachment articles to Senate
Republican senators briefed on a draft of rules for the trial said it likely will include a guaranteed vote on witnesses and documents after opening arguments and a period for written questions. Moderate Republicans had been pushing hard behind the scenes for a such a vote, while Trump has recently renewed his call to dismiss the articles without a trial.
See: Pelosi warns senators will ‘pay a price’ if impeachment witnesses are blocked
McConnell emerged from a closed-door lunch with his caucus on Tuesday to announce that he had all 53 Republican senators united in favor of a resolution setting the rules for the first phase of the trial, but that there is “little or no sentiment” among Senate Republicans for a motion to dismiss.
“It has no chance of being successful,” agreed Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), a vocal Trump ally.
Opinion: For the stock market, impeachment is just a sideshow
And read: Why investors are so calm about impeachment — and what it would take for that to change
An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.
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