Pelosi suggests Trump's acquittal will be invalid if witnesses aren't called
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As it appears less likely that new witnesses will be called in President Trump's impeachment trial, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is suggesting his acquittal will, therefore, not be valid.
"He will not be acquitted," Pelosi said in a news conference Thursday, The New York Times reports. "You cannot be acquitted if you don't have a trial, and you don't have a trial if you don't have witnesses and documentation and all of that."
Pelosi's comments Thursday, which came in response to a question about how Trump will react to his likely acquittal, comes as the Senate is set to determine whether to call additional witnesses in the impeachment trial. Republican senators reportedly believe they have the votes to prevent new witness from being called, and the Times reports "cracks are beginning to show in Democrats' unity" as well. The impeachment trial could, therefore, be on the verge of wrapping up with Trump's acquittal on Friday.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Pelosi's thoughts ahead of this possible outcome, saying Thursday that "without the evidence, without witnesses and documents would render the president’s acquittal meaningless," Politico reports. After these statements from Pelosi and Schumer, Politico writes it appears Democrats are "already testing out their post-impeachment spin." Brendan Morrow
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
