'Attack their own jury': GOP says Nadler may have alienated senators during impeachment trial
WASHINGTON – Senators in both parties voiced concern over the fiery rhetoric used by both house prosecutors and the president's counsel and the possibility that the remarks had turned off key moderate Republicans who will decide whether new witnesses are heard from during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
One of those key moderate senators, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters she was "offended" by Rep. Jerry Nadler's remarks Tuesday evening after he accused the president's defense team was lying and said senators would be complicit in a coverup if they shot down calls to hear from John Bolton, Trump's former national security advisor. The president's defense team shot back, demanding that Nadler apologize and that he should be "embarrassed."
"I took it as very offensive," Murkowski told CNN. "As one who is listening attentively and working hard to get to a fair process, I was offended."
The testy back-and-forth resulted in Chief Justice John Roberts admonishing both house managers and the president's counsel as Tuesday's debate went into early Wednesday morning.
Republicans quickly jumped on the admonishment, arguing Nadler attacked the jury and it would not bode well for Democrats who will have to convince at least four Republicans that additional witnesses and documents should be subpoenaed as part of the trial.
"They managed to alienate senators, attack their own jury," said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. "If the point was to try to convince people, I think they’re off to a terrible start."
He added that house managers have "a lot of work to do, to try to win back over senators."
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Democrats wouldn't go that far but acknowledged that Nadler's comments crossed a line in the buttoned-up Senate and encouraged the house managers to veer away from inflammatory rhetoric.
"One of the house managers said things they shouldn't have said," said Sen. Cardin, D-Md. "But the President's counsel said things that shouldn't have been said, as far as the decorum of the Senate is concerned."
Asked if she thought Nadler had crossed a line, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., declined to criticize Nadler directly, but said the moment the Senate had reached "really bears soul searching."
"I've been here for 25 years, never happened before, never had anything like this," she said. "It really bears soul searching. I was starting to take notes to do some of that, because it makes you think."
Contributing: Bart Jansen and Nicholas Wu
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump impeachment trial: GOP says Jerry Nadler alienated key senators
