[Blitzer:] Moments from now, the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will speak from the Senate floor for the first time this year. We expect him to talk about impeachment and the airstrike killing Iran's top general. McConnell's appearance comes as new revelations regarding President Trump's role in withholding aide from Ukraine are coming to light. E- mails reviewed by the Web site, Just Security, shows that a top White House budget official made it clear that the order to halt the aid came directly from the president. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, using the e-mails to justify his demands for witnesses during the upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate. Saying, and I'm quoting now, "The newly revealed unredacted e-mails are a devastating blow to Senator McConnell's push to have a trial without the documents and witnesses we've requested. These e-mails further expose the serious concerns raised by Trump administration officials about the propriety and legality of the president's decision to cut off aid to Ukraine to benefit himself." Joining us now, our senior congressional correspondent, Manu Raju. Manu, what is the expectation of what McConnell will say about the impeachment and the U.S. airstrike?
[Manu Raju, Cnn Senior Congressional Correspondent:] I just asked Mitch McConnell whether he had been briefed about the airstrike that killed Qassem Soleimani and he said he would address, quote, "that issue on the floor," when he does open up the Senate chamber for the new session starting at noon Eastern time. So expecting him to address that. And also expect him to address the standoff that's been looming between him and Democrats that were moving forward on this impeachment trial. Democrats have been demanding a deal up front to get witnesses to agree upon, to get those documents released. But Mitch McConnell says those decisions should be punted until afterwards. There should be opening arguments first and, after that, the Senate can vote and make decisions on bringing decisions on bringing forward witnesses, on demanding documents. That's something Democrats are not agreeing to. Mitch McConnell is expected to make clear that he is not going to go forward on moving with the Senate trial until the House sends over its articles of impeachment, those two articles that passed the House late last year. McConnell, instead, plans to move forward on the agenda, President Trump confirming judicial nominees. I'm told he's open to moving the North American Trade Agreement, as well. So all those issues will come up. And expect Chuck Schumer to address the floor afterward, making his demands clear, as well Wolf?
[Blitzer:] How significant, Manu, are these e-mails? Could they potentially move the needle as far as some of the centrist Republicans are concerned? They need several of them, a few of them, at least four, maybe five or six, in order to get witnesses to appear in a Senate trial.
[Raju:] Yes, that's right, 47 Democrats unite. They need four Republicans to break ranks, to vote, to get those witnesses, to get those documents. At the moment, we are not seeing any mass defections happening. Some centrist Republicans, like Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, Susan Collins, of Maine, who are up for re-election, have expressed concerns about Mitch McConnell coordinating with the White House. But, siding with the strategy so far. And other Republicans, including one, Wolf, Joni Ernst, of Iowa, who is running for re-election, told me yesterday she's not there yet on demanding witnesses and certainly not calling for these documents to be released. So McConnell has his conference in mind Wolf?
[Blitzer:] These coming days will be critical, indeed, on several fronts. Manu Raju, up on Capitol Hill, thank you very much. Coming up, reaction to the strike now pouring in from around the world. We're live from the IsraelLebanon border. Also from Moscow. Much more right after this.