Democrats, Republicans react to Senate vote on witnesses

U.S. lawmakers from New Mexico have taken to social media to express their frustration over today's Senate vote to not allow witnesses in the impeachment trial.

Meanwhile, Republicans in New Mexico said witnesses or not, the outcome will be the same.

Sen. Martin Heinrich tweeted: “We have an obligation to the Constitution & to the American people to get the truth. You cannot have a fair trial without witnesses – you cannot have a legitimate acquittal without a fair trial. History will judge harshly Senate Republicans for participating in this cover-up.”

Sen. Tom Udall took it one step forward. He tweeted: “What's a trial without witnesses & documents? A sham. It's a sad day when senators are helping orchestrate a cover-up on behalf of a president. And that's what the majority of @SenateGOP did today when they voted against bringing witnesses & documents into the impeachment trial.”

Rep. Deb Haaland echoed the sentiment and tweeted: “A trial without witnesses or documents isn't a fair trial; it's a cover-up. It is clear that President Trump abused his power & put our national security at risk for his own political gain, which are both impeachable offenses, but Senate Republicans refuse to hold him accountable.”

But a spokesperson for the New Mexico Republican Party said Friday’s vote changes nothing.

“We've known all along that the president will be acquitted of all these charges. The Democrats have failed miserably and they have drug the American people through an unnecessary impeachment,” spokesperson Anissa Tinnin said.

No matter what the Senate ultimately decides, University of New Mexico professor Peter Kierst, who specializes in constitutional law, said there is one thing that everyone can take away from this.

“If nothing else, the issue, the event, has gotten a very serious and very thorough airing, and voters get to judge for themselves how serious this is,” Kierst said.

This is the first Senate impeachment trial in U.S. history where witnesses are not being allowed.