Senate poised to acquit Trump of impeachment charges

The US Senate appeared poised on Friday to rule out calling witnesses at Donald Trump's impeachment trial, clearing the way for the president to be swiftly acquitted in a decisive victory as he prepares to battle for re-election.

Just as debate resumed at the historic trial, a last-ditch Democratic push to introduce new witnesses was dealt a likely fatal blow when a key Republican said she intended to vote "no."

That would open the way for a final vote -- potentially as soon as Friday night -- on the impeachment charges against Trump, who is all-but-assured of acquittal by the Republican-majority Senate.

Ignoring explosive new allegations that Trump abused his power in a scheme to pressure Ukraine to aid his re-election, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski announced her decision to oppose witnesses, saying the impeachment trial had been tainted by party politics.

"Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate," said Murkowski, one of four Republicans whose votes were seen as decisive on the witness issue.

"I don't think the continuation of this process will change anything," she added.

Murkowski's decision virtually closed the door on Democratic hopes they could garner enough support to subpoena former White House national security advisor John Bolton, who would likely testify in support of the abuse-of-power charge against Trump.

- 'Greatest cover-up' -

Following a similar announcement by Senator Lamar Alexander, Murkowski's decision left only two senators who appeared willing to support the call for witnesses.

Democrats said that without witnesses, the Senate impeachment trial -- only the third in US history -- was a sham.

"This country is headed towards the greatest cover-up since Watergate," top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer.

"If my Republican colleagues refuse to consider witnesses and documents in this trial, the president's acquittal will be meaningless," he said.

If the call for witnesses is rejected as expected late Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a key Trump ally, could move quickly to call a final vote on the two articles of impeachment against Trump, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Given the Republicans' 53-47 majority in the Senate and the high two-thirds threshold for conviction, Trump's acquittal is all-but-certain.

When that takes place is less clear -- it could be as early as Friday or be stretched out by negotiations and debate into next week.

- Bombshell news -

Trump is accused of illicitly pressuring Ukraine -- including by holding up some $391 million in defense aid -- to investigate rival Democrats including his possible 2020 challenger Joe Biden.

Impeached by the Democratic-majority House of Representatives on December 18, he is also accused of obstructing the Congressional probe into the scheme by blocking subpoenaed witnesses and documents.

Minutes before Friday's hearing opened, a bombshell news story injected fresh controversy into the trial.

In the latest of a series of reports on a yet-to-be-published book by Bolton, The New York Times said the former national security advisor affirms Trump directed him last May to help pressure Ukraine for damaging information on Biden.

Also taking part in that conversation, the book reportedly claims, were Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who Democrats also seek to subpoena; Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani; and Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel who is leading Trump's defense in the impeachment trial.

In a White House statement Trump denied one specific aspect of the Bolton story, that he ordered Bolton to set up a meeting between Giuliani and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Giuliani told the newspaper that there was never any conversation between the five on Ukraine.

"It is absolutely, categorically untrue," he said, according to the newspaper.

- Quest for truth -

Adam Schiff, the leader of the House impeachment prosecutors, opened Democrats' last-ditch arguments Friday by saying the Bolton news underscored the need for witnesses.

"You will recall Mr. Cipollone suggesting that the House managers were concealing facts from this body," he told the Senate Friday.

"Well, there is a new fact which indicates that Mr. Cipollone was among those who were in the loop, yet another reason why we ought to hear from witnesses," Schiff said.

"This trial is supposed to be a quest for the truth. Let's not fear what we will learn."