With opening arguments wrapped up in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, senators now get a chance to ask questions - but they can't ask them out loud.
The impeachment trial is expected to resume at 1 p.m. Watch live below, courtesy of PBS NewsHour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uFd3ZuChl0
Senators on Wednesday must submit their questions to the presiding officer, Chief Justice John Roberts, who will then read the questions and request an answer.
Senators must direct their questions to either the House impeachment managers or the White House lawyers, not both.
The question-and-answer session beginning is expected to last two days and will give lawyers on both sides a chance to make their final points before the senators vote on whether to hear witnesses.
The shift in the trial is also a pivotal juncture as Republicans lack the votes to block witnesses.
Republican senators are straining for ways to deal with fallout from former national security adviser John Bolton's forthcoming book. That leaves them facing a potential setback in their hope of ending the trial with a quick acquittal.
Trump's defense team rested Tuesday with a plea to “end now,” but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell privately told senators he doesn't yet have the votes to thwart Democratic demands for witnesses.
Bolton asserts that Trump tied military aid from Ukraine to investigations into Democratic rival Joe Biden. Trump says Bolton's book is “nasty & untrue.”
