共和党进入第一天问答部分唐纳德·特朗普总统星期三的弹劾审判相信，不管他们是否听到证人的证词，由于两党的无罪释放，总统有可能更有力地退出弹劾程序。
北卡罗莱纳州众议员马克·梅多斯(Mark Meadows)表示:“在众议院弹劾条款的问题上，我们已经有了民主党人的支持，他们是众议院共和党人团体的一员，负责向公众而不是在参议院为特朗普辩护。"获得两党的无罪判决肯定会传达同样的信息。"
三名民主党参议员——西弗吉尼亚州的乔·曼钦、阿拉巴马州的道格·琼斯和亚利桑那州的克里斯滕·西内马——被认为是通配符，因为他们将投票判定总统滥用权力和阻挠国会。
特朗普在推特上写道，民主党人可能会和共和党人一起宣布他无罪，他写道，“克莱因查克舒默绝不会让这种情况发生！“提到民主党参议院少数党领袖。
众议院12月投票弹劾总统导致民主党叛逃者。共和党人强调了参议院民主党人之间潜在的团结裂痕，共和党领导人将其吹捧为对特朗普弹劾的“两党反对”。
参议院于2018年1月22日在华盛顿特区通过一项资助联邦政府的持续决议后，道格·琼斯参议员和乔曼钦参议员对记者发表了讲话
“我听说过，我用过。伊利诺伊州参议院民主党党鞭迪克·德宾说:“如果我得到一张共和党的选票，我会谈论我的两党多数。”。“这在这里很自然，但我认为人们明白如果只是一个、两个、三个人，而不是更多的人。这是旁观者的看法。”
两党无罪释放也可能会支持共和党人对他们试图“掩盖”的论点的反驳，正如民主党人建议他们反对证人证词一样。
布莱恩·沙茨参议员(夏威夷民主党)说:“我认为最终投票结果还不确定。”克里斯·墨菲参议员(康涅狄格州民主党)说，如果民主党投票宣布无罪，他“不会感到震惊”。
琼斯对任何民主党人和共和党人一起投票可能意味着什么的信息置之不理。
“我不听政治辩论。我不听这样的话，”他说。"我是根据自己的良心来判断的。"
琼斯今年秋天将面临艰难的改选，他说他想听听“相关证人”的意见，大多数民主党人都说他们是像前国家安全顾问约翰·博尔顿这样的人。目前，民主党人似乎差两票就能传唤新的证人或文件。犹他州参议员米特·罗姆尼和缅因州参议员苏珊·科林斯是唯一表示支持这一努力的共和党人。
“我是职业律师。琼斯说:“我已经审理了很多案件，每个案件都有一名法官说，‘请不要开始考虑，请在听到所有证据之前不要拿定主意。’。“关于[对国会的阻挠]指控，我越是看到美国总统攻击证人，这个案子就越有说服力。”
曼钦主张证人，但希望首席大法官约翰·罗伯茨决定每个人与审判的相关性。周三早上，他采取了不同寻常的步骤，站在共和党一边，说一个“相关证人”将是前副总统乔·拜登的儿子亨特·拜登。特朗普希望乌克兰调查两位拜登，包括亨特在父亲任职期间被任命为乌克兰天然气公司布里斯马的董事会成员。
参议员迈克·布朗(共和党人)说:“我认为，任何民主党人担心他们最终会做出无罪或定罪的决定，也必须担心他们会如何投票给证人。”。)说。
民主党人，甚至一些共和党人否决了博尔顿-拜登证人交易的想法说这不是“梦幻足球交易”
“我认为[·亨特·拜登]可以澄清自己，”曼钦告诉MSNBC。“但害怕[传唤]任何可能掌握相关信息的人都是错误的，不管你是民主党人还是共和党人。如果它是相关的，那么它应该在那里。
“天哪，我得回家看着西弗吉尼亚的眼睛说，‘这就是我这么做的原因。’“如果我没有答案，也无法解释，我就不能投赞成票，”他阐述道我认真对待我关于公正的誓言。[，我还没有做出无罪释放或定罪的决定。"
REPUBLICANS BOAST OF POTENTIAL BIPARTISAN ACQUITTAL FOR TRUMP; THREE DEMOCRATS UNDECIDED ON VOTE
Republicans went into the first day of the question-and-answer portion of President Donald Trump's impeachment trial Wednesday confident that, whether or not they hear from witnesses, there's a chance the president may walk away from the impeachment process stronger, thanks to a bipartisan acquittal.
"We've already had Democrats come across and join with Republicans when it came to the impeachment articles in the House," said Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, who's part of group of House Republicans charged with defending Trump to the public rather than in the Senate. "To have a bipartisan acquittal verdict certainly would carry the same message."
A trio of Democratic senators—Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Doug Jones of Alabama and Krysten Sinema of Arizona—are considered wildcards in terms of whether they'll vote to convict the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Trump, who tweeted about the potential scenario where Democrats could join Republicans to acquit him, wrote that "Cryin' Chuck Schumer will never let that!" in reference to the Democratic Senate minority leader.
The House's vote in December to impeach the president resulted in Democratic defectors. And Republicans have highlighted potential unity cracks among the Democrats in the Senate, with GOP leaders touting it as "bipartisan opposition" to Trump's impeachment.
(L to R) Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) speak to reporters after the Senate passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government, Capitol Hill, January 22, 2018 in Washington, D.C.
"I've heard it, I've used it. If I get one Republican vote, I talk about my bipartisan majority," Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois said. "That's natural around here, but I think people understand if it's just one, two, three people, as opposed to a larger number. It's in the eye of the beholder."
A bipartisan acquittal could also bolster Republicans' pushback to the argument they're attempting a "cover-up," as Democrats have suggested for their opposition to witness testimony.
"What happens in terms of the final vote, I think, is undetermined," said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), while Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said he "wouldn't be shocked" if there were Democrats who voted to acquit.
Jones brushed aside the messaging around what it could mean if any Democrats vote with the Republicans.
"I don't listen to political arguments. I don't listen to anything like that," he said. "I'm judging based on my own conscience."
Jones, who faces a tough re-election this fall, said he wants to hear from "relevant witnesses," which most Democrats have said are people like former national security adviser John Bolton. Currently, Democrats appear to be two votes shy of being able to subpoena new witnesses or documents. Senators Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine are the lone Republicans signaling they'll support such an endeavor.
"I'm a lawyer by trade. I've tried a ton of cases and in every case, a judge says, 'Please don't start deliberating, please don't make up your mind until you hear all the evidence,'" Jones said. "About the obstruction [of Congress] charge, the more I see the president of the United States attacking witnesses, the stronger that case gets."
Manchin has advocated for witnesses but wants Chief Justice John Roberts to determine each person's relevancy to the trial. He took an unusual step Wednesday morning, siding with Republicans by saying one "relevant witness" would be Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden's son. Trump wanted Ukraine to investigate both Bidens, including Hunter for his appointment to a board position at Ukrainian gas company Burisma while his father was in office.
"I think that any Democrat worried about what the eventual decision they have to make on acquittal or conviction would have to worry about how they vote on witnesses as well," Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) said.
Democrats, and even some Republicans, have shot down the idea of a Bolton-Biden witness deal, saying it's not a "fantasy football trade."
"I think [Hunter Biden] could clear himself," Manchin told MSNBC. "But being afraid to [subpoena] anybody who might have pertinent information is wrong, no matter if you're a Democrat or Republican. If it's relevant, then it should be there.
"By golly, I've gotta go home and look West Virginia in the eye and say, 'This is why I did it.' If I don't have an answer and I can't explain it, I can't vote for it," he elaborated. "I take my oath seriously about impartiality. I have not made a decision yet [on acquittal or conviction]."
