Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said late Thursday he will coordinate President Donald Trump's defense with White House counsel for his impeachment trial in the Senate, should House Democrats vote to forward articles of impeachment against him, and that there is "zero chance" the Senate will remove him from office.
"The case is so darn weak coming over from the House. We all know how it's going to end," the Kentucky Republican told Fox News' Sean Hannity. "There is no chance the president is going to be removed from office."
McConnell added that "we'll work this process in a short period of time, in total coordination with the White House counsel's office and the people representing the presdient ... there would be no difference between us on how to do this."
McConnell's comments came while the debate still raged on in the House Judiciary Committee late Thursday. Just before midnight, after a marathon 14-hour session, the committee abruptly postponed its vote on approving the articles of impeachment. The vote has been set for 10 a.m. Friday, and approval of the charges of abuse of office and obstruction of Congress is still expected.
McConnell said it would not surprise him if "we got one or two Democrats" who will vote to acquit Trump of the two charges.
"My hope is that there will be no single Republican who votes for either of these articles of impeachment," said McConnell. "It looks to me over at the House the Republicans seem to be solid, and the Democrats seem to be solid."
McConnell also dismissed the impeachment process as a "thoroughly political exercise."
"It's not a courtroom experience," he said. "It's a political experience. They've gone and screwed up the courage to do it. It looks to me that it may be backfiring on them, particularly in swing districts."
But while McConnell thinks the case is weak, the Senate will have "no choice" but to take up the articles of impeachment once the House votes to advance them. He said a trial will likely take place shortly after the first of the year.