Pelosi: Without new witnesses, Trump 'cannot be acquitted'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters the president will not be exonerated if the Senate acquits him by this weekend because the trial would not be a fair one.

“He will not be acquitted,” Pelosi said Thursday. “You cannot be acquitted if you don't have a trial. And you don't have a trial if you don't have witnesses and documentation.”

The Senate is poised to vote Friday on whether to end the trial and vote on two impeachment charges or continue the proceedings by calling new witnesses and seeking documents from the Trump administration.

The Senate Republican majority is growing confident they can defeat a motion to call new witnesses, but it might be close.

The party controls 53 votes, and at least three Republicans are considering a vote to call witnesses.

A 50-50 vote could result — in which case, the motion would fail and no new witnesses would be called.

Pelosi said in the event of a tie, the Senate should let Chief Justice John Roberts, a GOP high court appointee, be the tie breaker.