US Senate calls on witnesses, extending Trump's trial

The US Senate has made a surprise move voting to allow witnesses to be called in Donald Trump’s historic impeachment trial.

Trump's impeachment trial, which was expected to be a one-day event, took an unexpected turn on Saturday when 55 senators voted in favor of calling witnesses to testify about the former president's role in the deadly January 6 attack on Capitol Hill.

Five Republicans joined 50 Democrats in voting in favor of calling witnesses: Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Ben Sasse (Neb.) and Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), who initially voted “no” but later switched to “yes.”

The rest of the remaining senators, 45, opposed calling for witnesses.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of Senate need to vote against Trump for him to be convicted and banned from politics for life.  

What prompted the senators to call for witnesses was the revelation of a heated argument between Trump and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy who implored the former president to call off the Trump loyalists as they were besieging the US Capitol.

Details of fiery phone call with McCarthy show Trump refused to call off Capitol rioters

Former US President Donald Trump engaged in a heated argument with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who implored him to call off the rioters.

Trump refused to give in to McCarthy's request to tell his supporters to end the deadly attack, and instead criticized McCarthy for showing less zeal than the other Trump loyalists. 

The argument between Trump, 74,  and McCarthy, 55, triggered what congressional Republicans familiar with the call described as a “shouting match”.

McCarthy told Trump that the Trump loyalists were breaking into his office through the windows and said to the then-president: “Who the f... do you think you are talking to?”

Congress Republicans said the call revealed Trump had no intention of telling his supporters publicly to stop the violence.

Then-Vice President Mike Pence and congress members were rushed into hiding for safety. Five people died in the incident.

In a statement on Friday night, Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, Republican of Washington, had recounted the expletive-laden phone call.

However, Trump's conviction is seen as unlikely.

At least 17 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would have to join all 50 Democrats for Trump to be convicted.

In related news, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia and one of Trump's most devoted loyalists on Capitol Hill who is notorious for her racist beliefs and QAnon conspiracy theories, attacked Herrera Beutler on Twitter as, "The gift that keeps on giving to the Democrats."

"The Trump loyal 75 million are watching," Greene tweeted on Saturday in a thinly veiled threat.

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