Mitch McConnell considering 'kill switch' that allows him to pull plug on Trump impeachment at any time: report
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. (AFP/File / NICHOLAS KAMM)

According to a report at Fox News, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is consulting with senior members of his party in an attempt to cobble to together a "kill switch" rule that would allow him to dismiss the articles of impeachment in the Senate against Donald Trump quickly after a minimum of evidence has been presented.


For the moment, McConnell is keeping the whatever rules the Senate will have to abide by secret from te Democrats, but lawmakers who appeared on the Sunday cable shows have revealed some details.

As Fox News reports, "The discussions came as Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" that the trial could extend "to six to eight weeks or even longer" if the Senate decided to hear from additional witnesses."

McConnell is reportedly going to reveal the rules just prior to the beginning of the impeachment, and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) admitted he expects the "kill switch" rule to be in place from the start.

Saying he would be"very, very surprised" if McConnell's resolution didn't include that kind of kill switch, Hawley told Axios, "I am familiar with the resolution as it stood a day or two ago. My understanding is that the resolution will give the president's team the option to either move to judgment or to move to dismiss at a meaningful time."

Hawley added on Twitter, Trump, "... deserves the right during Senate trial to ask for a verdict or move to dismiss - otherwise trial will become endless circus run by Adam Schiff."

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