As Act II Begins, Republicans Coalesce Around a Verdict: Wrong, but Not Impeachable

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/01/republicans-senate-donald-trump-impeachment-trial

Impeachment
As Act II Begins, Republicans Coalesce Around a Verdict: Wrong, but Not Impeachable
The heroics of Schiff et al. still may produce witnesses—but almost certainly not removal. But don’t expect much support for Trump’s “perfect-call” defense.
By Abigail Tracy
January 24, 2020

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Polling does support calling new witnesses in the Senate trial, with 66% of Americans in favor—even if the country remains split on impeachment broadly. But of course, the longer the trial drags on, the longer Republicans will have to defend what is arguably indefensible. If the performance of Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow on Tuesday night serves as any sort of portent for the defense President Trump’s team will begin to present tomorrow, we can expect a hodgepodge of criticisms of the House’s process and references to Hunter Biden and the whistle-blower complaint that kicked off the whole impeachment spectacle. Lott had a bit of advice for the president’s team. “I never felt like brevity hurt me when I was the majority leader. And to be repetitive and bore the devil out of everybody is not a wise strategy. My advice to the president’s counsel would be, take the time to make your case and stop. You don’t have to take 24 hours.”

The Trumpian perfect-call, nothing-to-see-here defense does not seem to have many adherents in the Senate. Over the last few days, Republicans have tended to squirm when asked about Trump’s behavior. Take Senator John Cornyn’s response when a reporter asked whether the president’s behavior bothered him. “The question is whether this is treason, bribery, or high crime, or other high crime and misdemeanor…This is the nuclear option under our constitution to remove a duly elected president by the vote of the House and the Senate,” the Texas lawmaker said. “This is something we should not do unless that constitutional standard is met.”

It’s an outcome, that, in private, not every Republican is happy about. “We are just getting the same old story that we have gotten from the Republican Party since Trump took office, except now it is kind of even more glaring what is going on and that is complete capitulation to Trumpism in the party…. think what they have calculated here is that it is better for them for their reelection careers and their political careers to tie their wagon to Trump now, for better or for worse, and ride it out,” said a former staffer for a Republican senator. “But I get it. I guess if getting reelected is more important than the health of your democracy and country, then sure. Everybody has priorities.”