Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman says he has an open mind about calling witnesses in an impeachment trial for President Donald Trump.

But Ohio’s junior senator wants to start the trial with opening statements from House managers and Trump’s lawyers before deciding whether additional testimony is needed in the Senate, he said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

“It seems fair to me,” Portman said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he has enough votes from GOP senators to proceed with the trial before making a decision on calling witnesses, as Democrats have demanded. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi still has not delivered articles of impeachment to the Senate.

Democrats want the additional testimony from former National Security Adviser John Bolton, who has said he would comply with a subpoena to testify, along with others.

McConnell’s plan would mirror the Senate trial of Bill Clinton, the last sitting president to be impeached. Calling it “the best place to start now,” Portman said Tuesday that precedent should be enough to get the Senate started before making a decision about witnesses.

“I want to be sure we have a fair and thorough process here in the Senate when those articles do come over,” the Terrace Park Republican said.

Trump is scheduled to visit Ohio on Thursday as impeachment looms and the U.S. conflict with Iran over the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani boils. Portman said he likely would not be at the Trump campaign rally in Toledo.

Portman said he had multiple classified briefings scheduled on the situation with Iran and that he believes Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of U.S. service members and “is a person who needed to be taken off the battlefield.”

“This is a guy who has been on the list for a long time,” Portman said.

But he does not support targeting cultural sites in Iran if the country responds with violence to the killing of Soleimani. Trump previously had threatened to do just that – a war crime under international law – but appeared to back off Tuesday afternoon, saying “I like to obey the law.”

Portman said the U.S. was patient in its response to Iranian aggression in the past as they targeted American facilities.

“I think we had to do something. Otherwise going unchecked I think the Iranians get the wrong message, which is this continued violence is OK,” he said. “My hope is now they have seen there will be consequences and that will lead to more peace.”

From the Columbus Dispatch: GOP Sen. Rob Portman: I’m open to calling witnesses after first phase of impeachment trial