Biden, less than two weeks from taking the oath of office, told Pelosi he did not oppose impeaching Trump and would leave the decision to her, according to two people familiar with the conversation. But he also made clear he had no intention of letting the prior president’s conduct interfere with the early days of his own administration…

Initial interest by House impeachment managers in seeking live testimony for the trial quickly foundered, though they have yet to rule out the possibility entirely, according to people familiar with their deliberations, who like others in this report spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe private discussions. Trump rejected a request to testify himself, and calling administration officials — or even nonpolitical White House staff — could spark messy legal battles that could add weeks to the trial.

Many Democrats have concluded that calling witnesses to the violence itself — such as law enforcement officers who battled the mob at the Capitol — could extend the trial indefinitely with little hope changing the outcome, given that 44 of 50 Republican senators voted Tuesday to question the constitutionality of the trial. At least 17 would have to join the 50 Democratic senators to convict Trump and set a potential vote on barring him from future office.