Carl Bernstein accuses GOP senators of cover-up: ‘Shameful episode in our history’

Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein accused Republican senators of a “cover-up” while calling President Trump’s impeachment and likely acquittal “a really shameful episode in our history” during an appearance on CNN Thursday night.

The perspective from the CNN contributor comes as Trump’s impeachment trial looks set to be wrapped up as soon as Friday night or Saturday morning. Republican senators appear to have the votes to block Democrats from calling any new witnesses, including former national security adviser John Bolton.

“They have covered up what the president of the United States has done in his grievous action when they had the the ability to find out more,” Bernstein said in lacerating the GOP majority.

“This is a cover-up, plain and simple,” he continued. “And there has been no attempt throughout this proceeding by the Republicans in this Senate of the United States — the so-called world’s greatest deliberative body, which we now can see how deliberative it is — that we have seen now a really shameful episode in our history that’s going to redound for many, many years.”

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), seen as a possible swing vote on witnesses, announced late Thursday after senators concluded a period of asking questions to both legal teams in the impeachment drama, that he would not back a call for new witnesses. 

“I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitution’s high bar for an impeachable offense,” Alexander wrote on Twitter in the first of a series of tweets explaining his decision.

I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitution’s high bar for an impeachable offense.1/15

— Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) January 31, 2020