Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell paid a visit to Sean Hannity to assure FOX News viewers that he was in lockstep with White House lawyers regarding the impeachment trial.
Said Moscow Mitch: “Everything I do during this, I'm coordinating with White House counsel. There will be no difference between the president's position and our position as to how to handle this to the extent that we can. We do not have the kind of ball control on this that a typical issue, for example, comes over from the House. If I don't like it, we don't take it up. We have no choice but to take it up. But we'll be working through this process, hopefully in a short period of time, in total coordination with the White House counsel's office and the people representing the president in the well of the Senate. … I'm going to take my cues from the president's lawyers.”
McConnell also said he wouldn't be surprised to get one or two Democrats voting to acquit.
USA Today reports: “Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., read part of McConnell's interview out loud during Thursday's impeachment markup, stating that: ‘In other words, the jury — Senate Republicans — are going to coordinate with the defendant — Donald Trump — on how exactly the kangaroo court is going to be run.' According to the rules expressed in the Constitution, during an impeachment trial of the President of the United States, the Senate takes an oath to act as impartial jurors. According to the rules expressed in the Constitution, during an impeachment trial of the President of the United States, the Senate takes an oath to act as impartial jurors.”
