President prepares to deliver State of the Union Address
Impeachment vote casts shadow over speech - NBC's Chris Pollone reports
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KYMA, KECY/NBC News) - With the final Senate vote on impeachment scheduled for Wednesday, President Donald Trump comes face-to-face with the jurors deciding his fate tonight.
The big question facing the President as he faces his third State of the Union - will he stick to script or take aim at the Democrats?
No answer yet, but on Capitol Hill, leaders on both sides of the aisle are raising plenty of questions about their political rivals.
"We think this president is a bull in a China shop, so we're going to drive a bulldozer through the China shop to get rid of him." said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R) Kentucky, about the impeachment trial.
"The Administration, its top people and Senate Republicans are hiding the truth, they are afraid of the truth." countered Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D) New York.
House Managers and White House counsel delivered their closing arguments Monday. On Tuesday the question is not whether the President will be acquitted, but whether any Republicans will stray from their party's position.
Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, seen as a possible vote for impeachment, announce she would vote "no" on removing the President.
"The constitution provides for impeachment but does not demand it in all instances." said Murkowski on the Senate floor.
With the President hoping for a bipartisan acquittal to propel him into election season, focus turns to red state Democrats, like Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema, and Alabama's Doug Jones.
"I'm working on it." said Jones.
On the eve of the impeachment vote, the President's allies say they hope he avoids the topic during the State of the Union.
"I hope he looks ahead, hope he doesn't dwell on the impeachment. In fact it would suit me fine if he didn't mention it" said Senator Lamar Alexander, (R) Tennessee.
The White House says the President plans to focus on the future.
"He's going to talk directly to the American people about what we have achieved economically." said Marc Short, Vice-President Mike Pence's chief of staff.
Short says Trump will tout the economy, and his efforts to control illegal immigration.
The White House contents Americans are "bored" with impeachment. It promises a State of the Union speech filled with what it calls "relentless optimism."
