IT'S HAPPENING: Senate GOP tells Trump defense team that early motion to dismiss impeachment charges likely won’t pass

Senate Republicans are telling President Trump’s defense team to prepare for a full Senate trial, stating that any motion for an early dismissal of impeachment charges likely won’t have the votes to pass.

The warnings are a tacit acknowledgement that it would be politically risky to simply discard articles of impeachment — even though all Senate Republicans may ultimately opt to acquit the president.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), an adviser to the Senate GOP leadership and a member of the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees, on Wednesday said a vote to immediately dismiss articles of impeachment and avoid a trial won’t work.

“There’s some people talking about trying to stop the bill, dismiss charges basically as soon as they get over here. I think that’s not going to happen. That would require 51 votes,” Cornyn told reporters Wednesday. “I think it would be hard to find 51 votes to cut the case off before the evidence is presented.”

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