(CNN)About half of Americans say the Senate should vote to convict President Donald Trump and remove him from office in the upcoming impeachment trial (51%), according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, while 45% say the Senate should vote against conviction and removal.
Nearly seven in 10 (69%) say that upcoming trial should feature testimony from new witnesses who did not testify in the House impeachment inquiry. And as Democrats in the Senate seek to persuade at least four Republican senators to join them on votes over allowing witnesses in the trial, the Republican rank and file are divided on the question: 48% say they want new witnesses, while 44% say they do not.
That last bit might be enough to push a few GOP senators over the hump and into voting to have witnesses.
Be careful what you wish for. Trump can still use executive privilege, the democrats can’t.
He can try to use executive privilege, Ward, but it is unclear that CJ Roberts will buy it.
LOL
The Chief of SCOTUS is the presiding officer of a meeting of the Senate. The fathers decided, in the case of impeachment of a President, it would not prudent to have the normal presiding officer, the Vice President, be in charge.
So.
On the question of executive privilege relevance the House managers can request a ruling BUT any ruling can be questioned by any senator and overruled by a simple majority vote (Rule VII). There is no one to appeal to. The Senate itself is the final authority on every procedural or evidentiary question.
The CJ would could have a voice if the Senate split .50-50.
That will never happen on a question of executive privilege.