参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)周二私下告诉他在参议院的同事，在正在进行的对唐纳德·特朗普总统的弹劾审判中，他还没有足够的票数阻止新的证人证词。
知情的共和党消息人士告诉记者，特朗普的法律辩护团队今天下午早些时候结束辩论后，据报道麦康奈尔在闭门会议上告诉人们，他还不能阻止证人美联社和福克斯商业。
麦康奈尔发表上述评论之际，共和党人和民主党人仍在为是否要求宣誓作证而争论不休。参议院弹劾审判中对潜在证人的投票预计将在几天后举行。
民主党需要四个——任何四个共和党人将投票支持他们传唤约翰·博尔顿和其他人在诉讼中作证。在这一点上，他们面临着几个可能的缺陷。参议员米特·罗姆尼和苏珊·科林斯表示，他们可能会支持证人作证的呼吁。
共和党人主要推动快速审判和无罪开释，特朗普的辩护团队最近几天面临额外压力，此前博尔顿即将出版的书进一步强调了听取新证人证词的重要性。
据报道，这位前国家安全顾问在回忆录中称，总统在8月份告诉他，在乌克兰官员同意调查他的民主党对手，包括前副总统乔·拜登之前，他希望继续扣留对乌克兰的3.91亿美元军事援助。自去年4月宣布竞选以来，拜登一直在大多数民调中领先于2020年的党内提名竞选。
2020年1月28日，DC华盛顿，参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔在参议院弹劾美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的过程中发表讲话。
博尔顿已经表示，如果议员要求，他将作证，尽管特朗普下令禁止他的现任和前任助手配合对他的弹劾程序。特朗普一再谴责听证会是“骗局”和“政治迫害”
这位前国家安全顾问对他与特朗普对话的叙述，挑战了总统法律团队关于零交换的主张。
特朗普和博尔顿的叙述之间的这些差异已经引起了美国选民的怀疑和对真相的渴望。昆尼皮亚克大学周二发布的一项新民调显示，绝大多数人——75%——20%的选民希望参议院允许证人作证。受访者大多按照党派路线回答，95%自称是民主党人，49%是共和党人，75%的独立人士说应该传唤证人。
特朗普的辩护团队警告不要让博尔顿作证。他们声称他的评论是“不可接受的”，可能会给正在进行的审判带来进一步的混乱。
新闻周刊联系麦康奈尔寻求进一步的评论，但没有及时收到发表的回复。
MCCONNELL TELLS SENATORS HE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH VOTES TO BLOCK NEW WITNESSES AFTER TRUMP TEAM'S CLOSING ARGUMENTS
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday privately told his colleagues in the Senate that he doesn't have enough votes yet to block new witness testimonies in the ongoing impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
After Trump's legal defense team made their closing arguments earlier this afternoon, McConnell reportedly told people in a closed-door meeting that he can't yet block witnesses, GOP sources familiar with the conversation told AP and Fox Business.
McConnell's comments come as Republicans and Democrats continue their battle over whether to call for sworn testimony. The vote for potential witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial is expected to be taken in several days.
Democrats need four—any four—Republicans to vote with them to subpoena John Bolton and others to testify in the proceedings. And at this point, they face several possible defections. Senators Mitt Romney and Susan Collins have indicated they will likely support the call for witness testimony.
Republicans, who have primarily been pushing for a fast trial and acquittal, and Trump's defense team have come under additional pressure in recent days after revelations from Bolton's upcoming book further highlighted the importance of new witnesses to be heard.
In his memoirs, the former national security adviser reportedly claims the president told him in August that he wanted to keep withholding $391 million in military aid to Ukraine until the country's officials agreed to investigate his Democratic rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden has been leading the 2020 race for the party's nomination in most polls since announcing his campaign last April.
In this screengrab taken from a Senate Television webcast, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during impeachment proceedings against U.S. President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol on January 28, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Bolton has already indicated that he will testify if asked by lawmakers, despite Trump's order barring his current and former aides from cooperating with the impeachment proceedings against him. Trump has repeatedly denounced the hearings as a "hoax" and "witch hunt."
The former national security adviser's recount of his conversation with Trump challenges the president's legal team's claims of zero quid pro quo.
These discrepancies between Trump and Bolton's account has prompted skepticism from American voters and an eagerness to get to the truth. A new Quinnipiac University poll, released on Tuesday, showed that a large majority—75 percent—of voters want the Senate to allow witness testimonies. Respondents largely answered along party lines, with 95 percent of self-identified Democrats, 49 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of independents saying witnesses should be called.
Trump's defense team has warned against allowing Bolton to testifying. They claim his comments are "inadmissible" and could bring further chaos to the ongoing trial.
Newsweek reached out to McConnell for further comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
