Despite hours of arguments and 75% of Americans in favor, the Republican-dominated United States Senate is expected to vote down the Democratic effort to hear from additional witnesses, likely bringing the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump to an end by Friday night.
The votes come even after explosive allegations from former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who said the President explicitly sought to withhold foreign aid from Ukraine until it announced investigations into his political opponent. Bolton was prepared to testify if the Senate subpoenaed him.
Those hopes were all but dashed when Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)—a Republican in his last term whom some were hoping would be willing to hear from Bolton—announced he'd be voting against witnesses. Alexander's name, along with "Coward," "#WeWantWitnessesAndDocuments," and "#RIPGOP" began trending on Twitter.
That's when arguably the most famous impeachment witness in U.S. history put in her two cents.
Monica Lewinsky was put through the wringer by the American and international press, slut-shamed by the entire country, entrapped by her friends, and vilified by lawmakers at the age of 22 for an affair that played a major role in the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton.
Lewinsky was deposed in private, with video of the deposition later played before the Senate (the video was not made public). Lewinsky was asked questions about her sex life and sexual history under oath as a woman in her 20s, while the entire nation speculated about it.
Ken Starr, who led the investigation into Clinton, was on television screens everywhere again this week defending Trump in the impeachment trial.
The same people who led the charge in favor of Lewinsky's testimony made the case against witnesses on Trump's behalf over two decades later.
People appreciated Lewinsky's perspective, and their hearts went out to her.
Since her time at the White House, Lewinsky has become an activist against cyberbullying.
The vote on witnesses is expected to take place tonight.
The book Monica's Story details the hostility Lewinsky faced from the media during the Clinton impeachment, and it's available for purchase here.
@PreetBharara/X
@RepBrendanBoyle/X
@twesq/Bluesky
@christopherharris/Bluesky
@evangelinewarren/X
@FrankC164/X
AMC