唐纳德·特朗普的律师周六在总统弹劾审判中公开辩论时受到两党参议员的礼节性赞扬。但是共和党米特·罗姆尼和温和派民主党的回应显示，他们的声明可能产生了意想不到的结果，即支持传唤更多证人。
在审判开始后，纽约参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默举行了新闻发布会，称白宫律师帕特·西波尔隆和私人律师杰伊·塞库洛“做了他们不想做的事:他们为参议院为什么要传唤证人和文件提出了一个非常有说服力的理由。”
民主党参议员需要至少四名共和党人加入投票支持引入新证据的行列，他们似乎获得了至少一名共和党参议员的支持，该参议员此前对引入新证据的投票保持沉默:米特罗姆尼(Mitt Romney)。
罗姆尼周六在接受美国有线电视新闻网和美国全国广播公司采访时说:“我认为我很可能会支持证人，但我还没有最终做出决定，而且在双方的公开辩论结束之前我不会这样做。”。
特朗普的法律团队在周六参议院审判的开幕词中称，民主党想推翻2016年总统选举吗。“他们要求你主动撕毁全国所有的选票，把这个决定从美国人民手中夺走，”西波尔隆说。
特朗普的律师继续否认任何指控补偿物去年与乌克兰的军事援助发生了冲突，众议院情报委员会主席亚当·希夫对白宫的说法做出回应，称他们没有为特朗普的行动提供任何辩护。
美国有线电视新闻网周五报道称，有人无意中听到罗姆尼告诉其他共和党参议员，他对诉讼感到厌烦，并提出了抱怨”没人在看“审判。其他温和的共和党参议员，包括阿拉斯加州的莉萨·穆尔科斯基和缅因州的苏珊·科林斯——他们之前都对投票支持新证人表示乐观——将是必要的，这样民主党才能通过本周可能进行的投票获得引入新证据所需的简单多数。
温和派民主党参议员乔·曼钦(Joe Manchin)表示，众议院民主党人没有拿出一名与总统有直接接触的证人，并表示他希望“听到[代理白宫幕僚长米克]穆尔瓦内和[前国家安全顾问约翰]博尔顿的消息。博尔顿公开表示，他愿意在国会作证。
康涅狄格州民主党参议员克里斯·墨菲告诉美国有线电视新闻网，特朗普团队“没有参与我们许多人担心的一些人身攻击和政治闹剧”
其他共和党参议员继续推迟关于他们是否会支持新证人和文件的问题。
西弗吉尼亚共和党人雪莱·摩尔·卡皮托在回答记者关于目击者的提问时说:“我们将做出决定——我们将进行投票。”。
田纳西州共和党参议员拉马尔·亚历山大在本届任期于年底结束后不再寻求连任，他是民主党希望说服的另一位支持听取新证人证词的参议员。
唐纳德·特朗普总统的律师周六在公开辩论中受到两党参议员的礼节性赞扬，但共和党人米特·罗姆尼和民主党高层表示，他们的话无意中导致支持传唤更多证人。
在1月21日参议院弹劾审判开始时的一份声明中，罗姆尼发表了一份声明，重申了他对参议院公正审判的信念:“上周，我和所有参议员宣誓‘根据宪法和法律进行公正审判:上帝保佑’以确定总统是否犯下了值得他下台的可弹劾罪行。决定现任总统是否应该被免职也许是美国参议院有史以来最严肃的事情。我带着开放的心态和对我履行誓言的庄严责任的认可来完成这项任务。”
MITT ROMNEY SAYS HE'LL 'LIKELY' VOTE IN FAVOR OF WITNESSES FOLLOWING TRUMP DEFENSE TEAM'S OPENING ARGUMENTS
Donald Trump's attorneys were commended by senators on both sides of the aisle for civility in opening arguments Saturday at the president's impeachment trial. But responses from Republican Mitt Romney and moderate Democrats revealed their statements may have had the unintended result of making the case in favor of calling more witnesses.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York held a press conference after the trial's opening arguments, saying White House counsel Pat Cipollone and personal attorney Jay Sekulow "did something they did not intend: they made a really compelling case for why the Senate should call witnesses and documents."
Democratic senators, who need at least four Republicans to join them in voting in favor of introducing new evidence, appeared to garner the support of at least one GOP senator who had previously remained quiet about his vote on the introduction of new evidence: Mitt Romney.
"I think it's very likely I'll be in favor of witnesses but I haven't made a decision finally yet and I won't until both sides' opening arguments are done," Romney said Saturday in statements to CNN and NBC News.
In their opening statements Saturday at the Senate trial, Trump's legal team argued that the Democrats want to overturn the 2016 presidential election. "They're asking you to tear up all the ballots across this country on your own initiative, take that decision away from the American people," said Cipollone.
Trump's attorneys continue to deny any quid pro quo with Ukraine took place last year over military aid, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff responded to the White House arguments by saying they provided nothing that serves as a defense of Trump's actions.
CNN reported Friday that Romney was overheard telling other Republican senators he was bored with the proceedings and complained "no one's watching" the trial. Other moderate Republican senators including Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Maine's Susan Collins — who have both previously expressed optimism about voting in favor of new witnesses — would be needed in order for Democrats to get the simple majority needed to introduce new evidence through a vote likely to place this week.
Moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said that House Democrats did not produce a single witness who had direct contact with the president, and said he wants to "hear from [acting White House Chief of Staff Mick] Mulvaney and [former national security adviser John] Bolton. Bolton has publicly stated he is open to testifying before Congress.
Democratic Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy told CNN the Trump team "didn't engage in some of the personal attacks and political sideshows that many of us are worried about."
Other Republican senators continued to defer questions about whether or not they will support new witnesses and documents.
"We are going to make that determination — we are going to have that vote," West Virginia Republican Shelley Moore Capito responded to reporter questions about witnesses.
Tennessee GOP Senator Lamar Alexander, who is not seeking reelection after his current term concludes at the end of the year, is another senator whom Democrats are hoping to persuade in favor of hearing from new witnesses.
President Donald Trump's attorneys were commended by senators on both sides of the aisle for civility in opening arguments Saturday, but Republican Mitt Romney and top Democrats say their words had the unintended result of making the case in favor of calling more witnesses.
In a January 21 statement at the beginning of the Senate impeachment trial, Romney issued a statement reiterating his belief in an impartial Senate trial: "Last week, I and all senators swore an oath to 'do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: so help me God' in determining whether the president has committed impeachable offenses that merit his removal from office. Deciding whether or not a sitting president should be removed from office is perhaps the most solemn matter that can ever come before the United States Senate. I enter this task with an open mind and a recognition of my solemn responsibility to fulfill my oath."
