Senate Republicans are weighing a speedy impeachment trial that could include no witnesses for President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Pelosi: Trump Supreme Court pick 'threatens' Affordable Care Act MORE’s legal team or for House Democrats.

The discussions come as the House is moving forward with articles of impeachment against Trump, teeing up a trial in the Senate that would start in January.

The White House has indicated publicly that it has a wish list of potential witnesses, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffSchiff to subpoena top DHS official, alleges whistleblower deposition is being stonewalled Schiff claims DHS is blocking whistleblower's access to records before testimony GOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power MORE (D-Calif.), Hunter Biden and the whistleblower who sparked the impeachment inquiry.

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But Republican senators, including Trump allies and members of leadership, appear reluctant to drag themselves through a drawn-out trial with messy procedural votes when the outcome appears pre-baked.

“I think a protracted period where there are motions to call witnesses offered by both sides and lots of votes … is not going to be terribly popular with either side. I think there’s going to be a desire to wrap this up in at least somewhat of a timely way,” Sen. John Thune John Randolph ThuneSupreme Court fight pushes Senate toward brink House to vote on resolution affirming peaceful transition of power Trump dumbfounds GOP with latest unforced error MORE (S.D.), the No. 2 Republican senator, told reporters.

He added that while a final decision won’t be made until closer to the trial, “there’s going to be a lot of people who I think are going to say, ‘I don’t really want to drag this on.’”

Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamHarris slams Trump's Supreme Court pick as an attempt to 'destroy the Affordable Care Act' Sunday shows preview: Lawmakers prepare for SCOTUS confirmation hearings before election Confirmation hearing for Trump's Supreme Court pick to start Oct. 12 MORE (R-S.C.) asked about the possibility of a Senate trial where neither side got witnesses, replied: “I hope so. That’s what I like.”

Pressed on the White House wanting to call individuals like Schiff, he noted that Democrats could, in turn, call Vice President Pence or Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoWatchdog confirms State Dept. canceled award for journalist who criticized Trump Trump's push for win with Sudan amps up pressure on Congress Putin nominated for Nobel Peace Prize MORE.

“I want to end this thing as quickly as possible,” Graham added.

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How to handle witnesses, or who would be called as a witness, has become a persistent point of debate among senators as they try to game out what a trial would look like.

Though both Trump’s legal team and the House impeachment managers would be able to request witnesses, they’ll need the backing of 51 senators to win the procedural motions to formally call a particular witness. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber.

Sen. Roy Blunt Roy Dean BluntSunday shows preview: Lawmakers prepare for SCOTUS confirmation hearings before election SCOTUS confirmation in the last month of a close election? Ugly Senate to push funding bill vote up against shutdown deadline MORE (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership, warned against getting into a “bidding war” over witnesses.

“When the outcome is almost certain, once both sides have presented their case, I think it would be legitimate to ask is there anymore that we need to hear that is going to change the result, and if not how much more time is reasonable to spend on this?” Blunt said.

He added that “surely no one wants to get into a bidding war of upping the ante on who can call what witnesses, just for the sake of calling witnesses.”

During the Clinton impeachment trial, the Senate passed a resolution 100-0 that established the procedure for filing motions, how long senators would get to ask questions and how witnesses would be called.

A second resolution, on witnesses, broke down along party lines. It allowed for subpoenas for key figures such as Monica Lewinsky, Sidney Blumenthal and Vernon Jordan Jr. to testify as part of the trial.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHawley warns Schumer to steer clear of Catholic-based criticisms of Barrett Senate GOP set to vote on Trump's Supreme Court pick before election Harris slams Trump's Supreme Court pick as an attempt to 'destroy the Affordable Care Act' MORE (R-Ky.), during a weekly press conference on Tuesday, laid out two possible paths for what could happen in Trump’s impeachment trial after the House managers and Trump’s team make their case.

“It could go down the path of calling witnesses and basically having another trial or it could decide and again 51 members could make that decision that they have heard enough and believe they know what would happen and could move to vote on the two articles of impeachment sent over to us by the House. Those are the options. No decisions have been made yet,” McConnell said.

Pressed on his preference and how he thinks any potential witnesses should be handled, the tightlipped GOP leader demurred, saying: “We will make that decision after we have heard the opening arguments.”

The discussions among GOP senators about skipping witnesses come even as the White House is saying it wants to call Schiff, Hunter Biden and others to testify in a Senate trial. Republicans have viewed them as top targets for weeks, but House Democrats blocked their request to call them as part of the public hearings.

“I know the president has made clear he wants Adam Schiff, he wants Hunter Biden, he wants Joe Biden Joe BidenBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Joe Biden should enact critical government reforms if he wins MORE, and many others, but we don't have a witness list past what he has already said publicly,” Hogan Gidley, a spokesman for the White House, told reporters on Tuesday.

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The White House has not formally said who it will try to call as part of a Senate trial. Senators said on Tuesday that they had not gotten a final decision from Trump’s team about what their game plan is or who, if anyone, they would like to call.

Sen. Mike Braun Michael BraunSupreme Court fight pushes Senate toward brink Trump plans to pick Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ginsburg on court Trump dumbfounds GOP with latest unforced error MORE (R-Ind.) said GOP senators were debating rules around witnesses, but the discussions were ongoing.

“I think the issue would be whether you're going to call witnesses or not, in general,” he added.

Sen. Kevin Cramer Kevin John CramerNetflix distances from author's comments about Muslim Uyghurs but defends project Abortion stirs GOP tensions in Supreme Court fight Momentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day MORE (R-N.D.) predicted the White House would be able to get the 51 votes to call witnesses, including Hunter Biden, but questioned the potential political fallout. Republicans have several senators in tough races next year including two — Sens. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSenate GOP set to vote on Trump's Supreme Court pick before election Democratic senator to party: 'A little message discipline wouldn't kill us' Poll: 57 percent of Americans think next president, Senate should fill Ginsburg vacancy MORE (Maine) and Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerBreaking the Chinese space addiction Trump dumbfounds GOP with latest unforced error Billionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden MORE (Colo.) — from Clinton-won states.

“Obviously House managers might want to call [former national security adviser] John Bolton John BoltonJudge appears skeptical of Bolton's defense of publishing book without White House approval Maximum pressure is keeping US troops in Iraq and Syria Woodward book trails Bolton, Mary Trump in first-week sales MORE and the president might want to call the whistleblower. There are probably a lot of senators who would rather not vote on either of those,” Cramer said.

Pressed specifically on Hunter Biden, Cramer added: “I think 51 senators would vote for that. Now 40 of them might rather not vote. ... I think the political problem is what happens to some of the 51 in the upcoming election.”