McConnell says he is ready to proceed with Trump impeachment trial with no agreement on witnesses

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37. It would require McConnell to invoke the "nuclear" option

He would have to raise a point of order that the Standing Senate rule that requires a 2/3 vote to change those rules does not apply to the rule that predicates the initiation of Senate impeachment proceedings on receipt of the articles from the House. The Parliamentarian (not Roberts, since this would have to occur before the initiation of an impeachment trial) would rule against McConnell because the rules don't contain any such exception. Then McConnell would move to overrule the parliamentarian and a simple majority could reject that interpretation.

It wouldn't actually "change" the Standing Rules -- they would still read exactly as they do now, just as they weren't changed after the nuclear option was invoked to change the filibuster rules as applied to judicial or executive branch nominations.

McConnell hasn't floated the idea of going nuclear to change the rules....yet. I doubt he will ever do so.