Topline
After the Senate voted on Saturday to allow debate on witnesses in former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial based on Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s (R-Wash.) statement about a call between Trump and House GOP Leader KevinMcCarthy during the attack, Trump allies in Congress took aim at Beutler for potentially handing Democrats a lifeline.
Key Facts
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was harshest in her condemnations, tweeting that Beutler is “the gift that keeps on giving to the Democrats,” accusing her of “yapping to the press and throwing [McCarthy] under the bus.”
“The Trump loyal 75 million are watching,” Greene added, calling Beutler, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump last month, “a tool as a witness for the Democrats running the circus trial.”
At issue is Beutler’s allegation that Trump told McCarthy the Capitol rioters were “more upset about the election” than he was in a heated phone call that took place during the Capitol attack, which impeachment manager Jamie Raskin called “corroborating evidence.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) dismissed Beutler as “some congresswoman who says she overheard Kevin McCarthy talking third-hand about a phone call,” according to pool reports.
Multiple GOP senators were unaware of Beutler or flubbed her name: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called her “Jessica Herrera Beutler,” while Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) asked “is it a Congresswoman?” before conceding he “didn’t know her name.”
Key Background
Though it seemed Beutler’s statement would prompt a lengthy process of voting on witnesses after the Senate voted to approve witnesses, the impeachment managers and Trump legal team reached a deal to submit her statement into the record to bring the trial to a swift conclusion.
Big Number
55. That’s how many senators voted to approve witnesses, with 5 Republicans voting yes alongside Democrats. Four of those Republicans – Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) – are seen as among the most likely GOP senators to vote to convict Trump. Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the other two swing votes, voted no.
What To Watch For
The Senate is poised to vote on conviction as soon as Saturday, with acquittal as the all-but-certain outcome.