Politico quotes Delaware Democratic Senator Chris Coons argument to House impeachment managers for why they should not open the door for live witness testimony during the trial.
“The jury is ready to vote,” Coons reportedly told the House managers. “People want to get home for Valentine’s Day.”
Coons felt that prolonging the Senate trial would only cause Republicans ready to vote to convict Trump to change their opinions. He, along with West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, pushed to have House managers agree to have the testimony read into the records.
We needed to have “ten more Republicans with a spine,” House manager Eric Swalwell told MSNBC. He cited a tweet from a former legal colleague: “You did a nice job at the trial, but you were lousy at jury selection.”