Washington: US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday said that he was not ruling out calling witnesses in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial - but indicated he was in no hurry to seek new testimony either as politicians remain at an impasse over the form of the trial by the Republican-controlled Senate. "We haven't ruled out witnesses," McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to impeach Trump, who became only the third president in US history to be formally charged with "high crimes and misdemeanours".
But the Senate trial may be held up until congressional leaders agree on how to proceed. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is demanding trial witnesses who refused to appear during House committee hearings, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
But the request was rejected by McConnell, who suggested a quick wrap-up of the trial to acquit Trump of the allegations contained in two articles of impeachment.
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