With Speaker Nancy Pelosi poised transmit articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the United States Senate, all eyes are on who each side will choose as impeachment managers for the Senate trial.
The managers are akin to the lawyers sitting at the defense and prosecution tables during a criminal trial -- they are the participants allowed to argue on behalf of the White House and the House of Representatives.
Trump allies have considered selecting impeachment managers from among the combative members of the House Republican caucus who interrupted impeachment proceedings during the inquiry phase: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC).
But Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the former Republican Whip, urged against such a move, as reported by CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju.
“My advice to [Trump] would be: Let's not infect the Senate trial with the circus-like atmosphere of the House,” Cornyn counseled.
“And I think there would be an increased risk of doing that if you start inviting House members to come over to the Senate and try the case," he explained.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has struggled to keep Republicans in-line, as senators facing re-election in 2020 have been receiving pressure to conduct a fair impeachment trial.
Sen. Cornyn is among the Republican senators up for re-election alongside Trump in 2020.