Mitch McConnell

Trump's impeachment trial is expected to begin Tuesday afternoon after a heated debate over GOP rules. It comes after a flurry of preparations by both sides over the weekend.

A new poll shows that 71 percent of Republicans believe that witnesses should testify during Trump's impeachment trial.

"A trial with no evidence—no existing record, no witnesses, no documents—isn't a trial at all," said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

"It's also pretty damn cowardly. Imagine being this afraid," S.E. Cupp said.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has overtaken Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as the country's least popular senator, according to the results of a new tracking poll.

Richard Painter, who served as former President George W. Bush's top ethics lawyer, called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a "perjurer" after the senator took an oath swearing impartiality in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

Republicans for the Rule of Law will begin running advertisements during Fox News programming calling for the testimony of John Bolton during the impeachment trial.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters new witnesses could potentially be called for Trump's Senate impeachment trial, leaving some wondering if Hunter Biden might testimony.

The GOP senator said Nancy Pelosi "gave in" to Mitch McConnell, and that the "dangerous" Senate impeachment trial will end in days, not weeks.

The transfer of the articles will mark a major political win for the Senate majority leader, who was successful in corralling enough support for trial rules that will largely mirror those in Bill Clinton's impeachment trial.

"I think Senator McConnell finally has an opponent who will outraise him," McGrath's campaign manager told Newsweek.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer signaled that Democrats are ready to proceed with a looming impeachment trial and force Republicans at a later date to consider subpoenaing witnesses.

The Senate's majority leader appears to have enough votes to move forward on a set of impeachment trial rules mirroring those of President Bill Clinton's case in 1999.

Andrew Napolitano cited "new emails of people getting instructions directly from the president to hold up on the sending of the [military] funds [to Ukraine]."

"So, for now, we're content to continue the ordinary business of the Senate while House Democrats continue to flounder," the Senate majority leader said.

"Staying silent will only lead observers to infer that you care more about book royalties than, you know, who should be the president of the United States," Daniel W. Drezner wrote.

Maine Senator Susan Collins is the second Republican to criticize Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his pre-impeachment trial comments about being in "total coordination" with President Donald Trump.

"I think Senator McConnell is entitled to his opinion and his approach, so is Senator Murkowski," Kennedy told CNN.

Steve Scalise accused Speaker Pelosi of trying to negotiate her own "quid pro quo" in the Senate. He also contradicted Mitch McConnell's own comments, claiming the Senate "will hold a fair trial."

An impeachment trial is not a criminal trial in which the prosecution is forbidden from calling the defendant to the witness stand.

The rush to judgment is not just on one side of the aisle.

Richard Blumenthal said Murkowski's statements reflected "strong reservations" held by other Republicans in the Senate.

Chris Hayes also said GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski exposed a "real crack" among Senate Republicans over the impeachment trial process.

Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter and former senator Rick Santorum had a heated moment after Patinter compared Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to "a judge impaneling an all-white jury for a Klansman trial."

"Trump will soon be on trial in the Senate on grounds that he breached one oath. McConnell is about to breach two," says law professor Kent Greenfield in op-ed for Louisville Courier-Journal.

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said she was "disturbed" after hearing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top GOP senators were coordinating the impending impeachment trial with the White House.

Glenn Kirschner wrote that Americans should be wary of the "drug deal" the senators may be "cooking up."

Elizabeth Holtzman, a congresswoman during the Watergate trial, said during an MSNBC interview that Speaker of the House Pelosi is "strong-minded" and "savvy"; and adds that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell shouldn't "mess with" Speaker Pelosi.

The standoff between Washington's top leaders will likely continue through the Christmas recess until lawmakers return in the new year.

The Senate Majority Leader told Fox & Friends that the decision to withhold articles of impeachment from the chamber was "absurd."