Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told McClatchy that he might be open to calling for John Bolton to testify in President Trump’s impeachment trial, but added that he’ll also push to hear from other witnesses, including Joe and Hunter Biden and the anonymous whistleblower.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) issued a statement: “The reports about John Bolton’s book strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues.”

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) to the Washington Post: “I think it’s increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who think we should hear from John Bolton.”

Some Republican senators are privately pushing the White House for information on who in the Trump administration had visibility into John Bolton’s book manuscript over the last month, the New York Times reports.

The senators “feel blindsided.”

Aaron Blake: “The nightmare scenario for the GOP is that they give Trump the quick and witness-free acquittal that he apparently desires, but then information like Bolton’s keeps coming out. Bolton now suggests Trump was indeed telling people privately that the withheld military aid was part of a quid pro quo — a quid pro quo which European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland testified that he communicated to the Ukrainians. This is something Trump’s team has strenuously denied, including at the impeachment trial. What if Bolton isn’t the only person Trump told this to who might suddenly contradict them?”

“However closely this has already been tied to Trump, it can always be tied more closely. Bolton’s upcoming book is a great example of how the hastily assembled walls the Trump team have built around its defense can quickly crumble — and in some cases already have.”

Before last night’s report on John Bolton’s forthcoming book, Republican leaders were confident that they would defeat the vote on subpoenaing witnesses in President Trump’s impeachment trail this week, CNN reports.

But now, it is less certain, according to three GOP sources.

For members: Four Bombshells from John Bolton’s Draft Manuscript

Playbook: “Republicans have done a good job during this process projecting confidence in their mastery of the situation, and their ability to deliver for the president.”

“But as of late Sunday, our GOP sources said they could not predict what was going to happen now with witnesses, and the Republican Conference lunch today will be key in determining the state of play. In other words, these top-level sources were allowing that things may have changed. We have yet to see if Republicans will brush off this new development, or whether it will push enough of them to vote for witnesses.”

“Bolton is not Lev Parnas or one of these other characters who has sprouted up in the Trump era. He’s a through-and-through conservative who was so far to the right that George W. Bush had to wait for recess to make him his U.N. envoy. He’s known to members of the Senate.”

“Here’s the dilemma for Republicans now: If you’re one of the Republicans who were already uncomfortable with this president, how do you vote to not call Bolton after seeing this? Remember: Bolton is publishing an entire book, and so far we know only what he’s said on Ukraine — not everything else he’s seen.”

“The Senate needs to hear from Bolton. The American people deserve to hear from Bolton. If we can’t get Bolton let’s get a subpoena for the book!”

— Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), on Twitter.

A new Fox News poll found that 50% of Americans think that the Senate should vote to convict and remove Trump, while 44% say the upper chamber should not vote to remove the president. 

However, Trump’s approval rating hit a new high of 91% among Republicans in the survey.

Rep. Adam Schiff told NBC News the White House defense is “deathly afraid of what witnesses will have to say” and “if they’re successful in depriving the country of a fair trial, there is no exoneration.”

Politico: “The Republican strategy — which is still fluid — could mean senators have limited time between key procedural votes and the final vote on whether to convict the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. And with the odds growing against additional witnesses being called, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will face critical decisions on how fast he can bring the proceedings to an end.”

“Sen. John Barrasso suggested that an acquittal vote could take place as soon as Friday — if senators don’t agree to subpoena additional witnesses or documentary evidence. Under the organizing resolution that controls the proceedings, Democrats could offer additional motions if the Senate votes down deposing additional witnesses — including former national security adviser John Bolton — but Republicans could then move to shut down debate and call for an up-or-down vote on acquittal.”

Sen. Mitt Romney told CNN that it’s “very likely” that he’ll be in favor of calling witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Trump, but won’t decide until after opening arguments.

New York Times: Lamar Alexander is GOP wildcard on witnesses.

“President Trump and White House officials are looking for at least one Senate Democrat to vote against removing the president from office at the end of his impeachment trial and they see Joe Manchin as the most likely candidate,” the Washington Post reports.

“Trump took particular pride that three House Democrats voted against his impeachment, White House officials said, and he would like to be able to get at least one Senate Democrat to vote for his acquittal so he can claim the decision was bipartisan.”

Playbook: “We anticipate the Trump defense will last today and Monday. Then Senate questions are Tuesday and Wednesday — Dems are expected to use this time, in part, to rebut the Trump defense. The debate on witnesses will probably be Thursday — probably a vote on witnesses, as well. If there are no witnesses, we’d guess they’ll close Friday, and deliberate into Saturday. Vote could come next Saturday or Monday.”

“If there are witnesses, this whole timeline is blown up, and the process will continue for weeks.”

House manager Jerry Nadler closed out his remarks at the impeachment trial with some of the most fiery language that’s been heard so far directed at President Trump, calling him “a dictator,” CNN reports.

Nadler said Trump is the “first and only president ever to declare himself unaccountable and to ignore subpoenas backed by the Constitution’s impeachment power.” 

He continued: “If he is not removed from office, if he is permitted to defy the Congress entirely, categorically, to say the subpoenas from Congress in the impeachment inquiry are nonsense, then we will have lost, the House will have lost, the Senate certainly will have lost, all power to hold any president accountable.” 

“Oh jeez. No one’s watching!”

— Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), quoted CNN, when told there would be six more hours of House manager arguments in President Trump’s impeachment trial.