A small group of Republicans that includes Rob Portman of Ohio, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania have said that the president’s behavior was not appropriate yet not impeachable. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have not tipped their hands and are viewed as possible votes to convict, although not probable.

“It’s a very serious matter and I’m listening in a respectful way,” said Collins, who has already signaled that she may vote for additional witnesses to be called. “I’ve filled up 25 pages of notes on my legal pad and I pay very close attention.”

But for the rest of the party there’s almost no interest in even inching toward a rebuke of Trump. There’s definitely no attempt to censure the president or propose some other formal condemnation short of impeachment. To Republicans, there’s no point trying to concede Trump did anything wrong — a far cry from Democrats’ denunciation of President Bill Clinton’s behavior during his 1999 impeachment trial.

“Our job is not to evaluate in great detail what happened. Our job at this point is to evaluate whether it’s impeachable or not,” said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). “And I don’t see minds changing on that, including mine.”

For Trump, party loyalty is paramount and opposing him is deadly in Republican primaries — ask former Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.). Few Republicans won in 2016 after abandoning him, and since then, few have really even tried.

Schiff seemed to acknowledge that dynamic Friday when he cited an anonymous quote reportedly given by a Trump ally to GOP senators: "'Vote against the president and your head will be on a pike.'" The comments, however, appeared to anger GOP senators, with several uttering, "not true" as soon as Schiff said it.

Still, these days the only Senate Republican running for re-election without hugging the president is Collins.

In other swing states, GOP senators have made the calculation that anything resembling a split with the president is a mistake that could encourage a primary challenge or depress the conservative base in a general election.

“The question is, whether or not what they’ve presented — which could basically fit into the first hours of the debates on Tuesday — does it rise to the level of removal? And I say no,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is up for reelection this November. “Are there stylistic differences between maybe the way I’d do it and the president? Possibly. But stylistic differences aren’t enough for me to vote to remove.”

Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), who has occasionally complained about the president’s tweets and incendiary rhetoric, said Trump is never going to be like other presidents and can’t be evaluated the same way his predecessors were.

Read More