As Allahpundit pointed out earlier, Sen. Dianne Feinstein is not on the verge of voting to acquit Trump. However, Politico published a story this evening noting that three Democratic Senators are rumored to be considering it.
Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Doug Jones of Alabama are undecided on whether to vote to remove the president from office and agonizing over where to land. It’s a decision that could have major ramifications for each senator’s legacy and political prospects — as well shape the broader political dynamic surrounding impeachment heading into the 2020 election.
All three senators remain undecided after hearing arguments from the impeachment managers and Trump’s defense team. But they could end up with a creative solution.
One or more senators may end up splitting their votes, borrowing a move from Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who voted for the abuse of power charge but against the one on obstruction of Congress.
Sen. Tester and Sen. Peters, both from states Trump won, also say they are undecided but Politico says there isn’t the same “chatter” about either of them voting to acquit as the other three.
Manchin is usually a fairly safe bet to defect on issues like this but Politico points out that he may not be as worried about his future in West Virginia as he used to be. Manchin is 72-years-old and it’s not clear if he even plans to run for office again in 2024.
Alabama Sen. Doug Jones is said to be under the most pressure. He had already staked out a position as someone unmoved by partisanship before the trial began so it seems as if he was making a little space to disappoint his party. Jones told Politico he’s heard from a lot of President Trump’s supporters but said, “I don’t think I’ve totally decided.”
As for Sinema, she’s a bit of a sphinx:
It's important to note that @SenatorSinema has not said ANYTHING about her thinking on the impeachment trial. Trio of Dem senators considering vote to acquit Trump https://t.co/rIoSLvA0yG via @politico #AZSEN
— YvonneWingettSanchez 🏜 (@yvonnewingett) January 29, 2020
I did find this interview from mid-December in which she discussed the issue but she really doesn’t hint which way she’s leaning:
