Chief Justice John Roberts most likely will not break a Senate tie on whether witnesses will be called to testify in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Sen. John Barrasso, who chairs the Senate Republican Conference, said Friday in the hours before lawmakers were set to vote.
"The chief justice has followed the lines of (Chief Justice William) Rehnquist and the Clinton impeachment trial," the Wyoming Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "I would expect he would not put his hand on the scale at all in this. I believe the president will be acquitted and that we will not be having witnesses."
Barrasso said he agrees with Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-La., who said while announcing Thursday that he would not vote to bring in witnesses that the Trump impeachment has been partisan and political.
"(It was) rushed through the House," said Barrasso. "If there was any abuse of power, it was by the House with these impeachment articles."
Alexander, R-La., also said there is no need for more evidence through witnesses as the House proved with "a mountain of overwhelming evidence" that Trump had withheld aid to Ukraine to pressure it to investigate the Bidens, but Barrasso did not comment about that opinion.
He added that he does think Democrats may try to 'throw a couple of hail Mary passes" at Trump.
"I can't tell you on the timing, but the way it's going to end is the president will be acquitted and found not guilty by the Senate," said Barrasso.
The decision now hinges on how Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska votes, said Barrasso. If she votes against witnesses, that will leave Republicans with a majority of 51-49, but if she votes for witnesses, the vote will be tied.
"The American people know we have heard enough," he added. "This is not a case that should rise to the level of impeachment. It's not how the Constitution describes impeachment in terms of high crimes and misdemeanors, with bribery, treason. It is not there. I am ready to vote to acquit the president of these charges."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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