With Mitch and Linda setting up a one sided trial where only the democrat floor managers present the evidence without any cross examination, anything can happen. Senators have two things in mind...first, CYA so that they don't get exposed on corruption and second, figuring out a possible way to get rid of Trump without any blow back.
“figuring out a possible way to get rid of Trump without any blow back”
I think it’s absolutely correct that almost all of the Republican senators are part of the insider network aka the “deep state” that sees themselves as the powers that be and that benefits from the continuation of “business as usual”. I have little doubt that they fear Trump as a possible disruption to that business as usual and would love to get rid of him. But Trump represents such a large segment of the public that it will not work to oust him just because he didn’t have effective defenders in a Senate trial because the rules for the trial were structured to prevent such a defense. The only thing I can imagine working is the sudden release at a crucial moment of some “bombshell” evidence that makes Trump look bad enough to give Republican senators plausible cover to “reluctantly” oppose him. Given everything that’s been thrown at the President over the last few years that has just bounced off, I’m not sure what would be “bombshell” enough at this point.