WASHINGTON _ Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected a proposal from Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer to call witnesses during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump that's expected to be held next month, hardening the partisan split over the historic process.
Arguing that it was the Democratic-controlled House's responsibility to make the case for removing the president, McConnell, R-Ky., said there was no reason for further investigation.
"It's not the Senate's job to leap into the breach and search desperately for ways to get to guilty," he said. "That would hardly be impartial justice."
The House is expected to hold an impeachment vote Wednesday, which will likely make Trump the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. However, the Republican-controlled Senate is unlikely to remove him from office.
Schumer wanted Mick Mulvaney, Trump's acting White House chief of staff, and John Bolton, his former national security advisor, to testify during the Senate trial. Neither of them spoke to the House during its investigation, but Democrats believe they have relevant information about the president's behavior based on other witnesses' testimony.
Democrats are pushing to impeach Trump over his request for Ukraine to launch investigations that would benefit him politically. The articles of impeachment approved by the House Judiciary Committee last week accuse him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
