BRENDA BLAGG: Can we get a witness?

Revelation heats up question of testimony in Senate trial

Will witnesses or documents be subpoenaed in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump?

Although the question remains unanswered, developments outside the U.S. Senate chamber suggest what had seemed unlikely may be possible after all.

The main motivation comes from John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser. Rather, it comes from the manuscript for Bolton's soon-to-be-published book.

Contents of the book are coming out bit by bit, unnerving at least some of the senators who sit in judgment of a president demanding their loyalty.

The New York Times reported this week that Trump himself directly tied the withholding of almost $400 million in American security aid to Ukraine to politically motivated investigations Trump sought from officials there.

The article was just the first breaking news from Bolton's book. The president denies he ever told Bolton any such thing.

In fact, the president's attorneys argued before the Senate on Saturday and again on Monday, even after the leaked revelations about Bolton, that the House impeachment managers have no direct evidence of the quid pro quo.

Bolton, if he testifies, will provide that direct link. He was, as his book's title says, "In the Room Where It Happened."

Will he, or anyone else, get the chance to provide this additional evidence to the Senate?

Remember, the Democrats have asked to call not only Bolton but also three other witnesses. They also want four sets of related documents the White House refused to provide House investigators.

The decision on whether anything else will be allowed is a day or two away under the resolution adopted at the outset of the trial.

That was the "agreement" that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., drafted and the Senate adopted on a partisan 53-47 vote. Democrats tried to amend it, but the 53 Republicans held together, signaling that McConnell was in charge.

He may be losing his iron grip, given the impact of recent revelations on the senators and on their constituents.

In recent days, several polls have shown that most Americans want new witnesses.

A Washington Post/ABC News poll put the number at 66 percent. An Associated Press poll found 68 percent support new witnesses. And a CNN poll put the figure at 69 percent.

Those polls may have been influenced by what Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Guiliani, had to say publicly about his dealings with Ukraine on behalf of Trump's lawyer.

Details on what Bolton could say had not yet been revealed, however. So poll numbers in favor of witnesses should shoot up even higher this week.

Senators who still choose to vote against witnesses and documents will surely have some explaining to do for at least some of the folks back home. They must be weighing whether to face voter wrath or whatever Trump or McConnell may threaten.

For the record, U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Rogers, said as late as Monday that witnesses may not be necessary even though he acknowledged Bolton could be called.

Arkansas' other senator, Tom Cotton, R-Dardanelle, said over the weekend that the first witnesses called, if any, should be Hunter Biden and his father Joe Biden, the former vice president.

Trump wanted Ukraine to announce investigations of the Bidens. Both Cotton and Boozman have now suggested arguments presented in the trial implicate the Bidens in corruption in Ukraine.

Opening arguments were to end Tuesday at the close of the president's defense. Each side had 24 hours over three days each to make the case for and against the president's conviction and removal. House managers used all but two hours of their time, but Trump's counsel was expected to finish with more time to spare.

Senators, sworn to silence during the trial, were to begin submitting written questions through Chief Justice John Roberts today. He will alternate questions from opposing sides for up to 16 hours.

Only when the questioning is over will senators decide whether to allow additional witnesses and documents.

Between now and then, expect more revelations from Bolton's book, further denials from the president and all sorts of maneuvers from senators on both sides of the impeachment debate.

Clearly, the pressure is on to force additional witnesses, especially Bolton.

If that actually happens, as a former senator observed this week, "Katy, bar the door."

This trial is nowhere near over.

Commentary on 01/29/2020

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