Dems worry McConnell may block video evidence at impeachment trial
House Democrats crafting an impeachment trial strategy are planning to make extensive use of video evidence — from witness testimony to public remarks by President Donald Trump himself — according to key lawmakers and aides.That’s because video equipment isn’t allowed on the floor without a special resolution approved by the Senate.
Some Republicans are already indicating the Senate may not look favorably on that aspect of the Clinton-era rules. “While we’re talking about the Clinton precedent, one of the biggest precedents is that impeachment managers were able to show video during the trial,” said a senior Democratic aide. “Senators should see and hear the critical witness testimony, documents, and additional evidence that the House collected before they make their decision.”
Democrats are also considering using their time to play the most impactful clips from the dozens of hours of witness testimony they collected during the House’s public hearings in November and December, some of which featured explosive allegations of misconduct by Trump. And with no guarantee that the GOP-controlled Senate will agree to Democratic demands to call new witnesses, House Democrats see the option to replay footage from previous witnesses as crucial.
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had pushed McConnell to agree at the outset of the trial to calling witnesses like Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton and others who refused to testify in the House. McConnell rebuffed them by saying the Senate should follow the Clinton model, when arguments were heard from both sides and then the question of witnesses was considered.
“Every trial must have a beginning and this trial begins on a cold day in January 1993,” said then-Rep. Ed Bryant, before he played footage of Clinton taking the oath of office, the first of a dozen clips played on the first day of the House’s arguments.
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