Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
President Trump officially has the votes in the Senate to secure an acquittal in his impeachment trial on Wednesday, according to a whip count by Politico that analyzed public statements by members of the chamber.
Where it stands: More than 34 senators have stated they will vote to acquit the president, meaning Democrats won't have the two-thirds majority they need to remove Trump from office.
The big picture: Acquittal has always been a near certainty since the articles were transmitted by the House, where not a single Republican voted in favor of impeachment.
- "If there’s any suspense at all, it’s over whether a handful of centrist senators will break with their parties on one or both of the impeachment articles," according to Politico.
What's new: A number of senators confirmed on Monday they would vote no on Trump's removal, including Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Kennedy (R-La.), and John Thune (R-S.D.)
- The offices of Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) also confirmed to Politico that they'd vote to acquit.
Go deeper ... Live updates: Closing arguments begin in impeachment trial