Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a private Senate GOP meeting that Republicans currently don’t have the votes to block impeachment witnesses from testifying before the Senate, The Wall Street Journal reports exclusively.

A vote on whether to allow witnesses could come on Friday and McConnell still has a long time to find 51 votes.

With 47 Democratic Senators, at least four Republicans would need to cross the aisle with no Democrats defecting.

NEWS from @lindsaywise: At a meeting of all GOP senators after today's session ended, McConnell said Republicans don't have the votes to prevent witnesses from being called. He had a card with "yes," "no" and "maybes" marked on it. https://t.co/E70TOUr89p — Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) January 28, 2020

The Washington Post has also confirmed the story.

WaPo confirms: McConnell indicated in a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans that he did not yet have enough votes to defeat an effort to call additional witnesses and evidence in the trial. https://t.co/WI3kbX9obh — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 28, 2020

Don’t know if this was his intention but by declaring he doesn’t yet have the votes to block witnesses, @senatemajldr is putting a target on the backs of the handful of undecided Rs.

They’re going to come under enormous pressure over the next 72 hours. — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) January 28, 2020

This is a breaking story and will be updated.