Senate drops witnesses, Trump's trial concludes

Democrats and Republicans in the US Senate have agreed not to call or hear witnesses in the trial of former US President Donald Trump, and instead, a statement about Trump's phone call with leading Republican McCarthy during the Capitol attack will be included in the evidence.

The Senate, Trump's lawyers, and House prosecutors later agreed that instead of calling witnesses, the statement by Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler regarding the phone call between Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy would be included in the evidence.

"Well, Kevin, it looks like these people are more concerned about the election than you are," Beutler quoted Trump as saying. According to her, Trump initially denied that his supporters were involved in the attack, claiming it was a mob from the left-wing Antifa, a claim McCarthy dismissed as false.

Herrera Beutler is one of ten Republicans who voted with Democrats in the House last month to impeach Trump.

News of the phone call emerged hours before Trump's trial was set to resume on Saturday in the Senate, which is divided on whether to convict the former president of inciting insurrection.

Following the agreement to include the statement in the evidence, both sides will have two hours each to present their closing arguments before senators vote on whether to convict Trump.

Trump left the Oval Office on January 20 and is the first former US president to be tried after leaving office. If convicted, the Senate can vote to ban Trump from running for another term.

Conviction is unlikely, as at least 17 Republicans would have to join the 50 Democrats to find Trump guilty. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will vote to acquit Trump, a source familiar with the situation revealed on Saturday, Reuters reports.

Five people died in the January 6 Capitol attacks, including a police officer who was guarding the Capitol.