President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial shifted to questions from senators today: questions to the House Managers that are wanting to obtain additional witnesses, while the White House counsel provides reason why additional questions are not needed, because of The House’s lack of providing those witnesses and subpoena’s before filing impeachment.
Trump’s defense team’s plea for it to “end now,” and brush back Democratic demands for witnesses now that revelations from John Bolton, the former national security adviser, have roiled the trial.
Bolton writes in a forthcoming book that Trump told him he wanted to withhold military aid from Ukraine until it helped with investigations into Democratic rival Joe Biden. Of course the House Managers are wanting to have Bolton as a witness, and if that happens, you can be sure the Trump’s counsel will want to call in the Biden’s.
The uncertainty about witnesses arises days before crucial votes on the issue. In a Senate split 53-47 in favor of Republicans, at least four GOP senators must join all Democrats to reach the 51 votes required to call witnesses, decide whom to call or do nearly anything else in the trial.
The witness swaps seem likely to fail as most Republican senators don’t want to call Bolton and most Democrats would rather avoid dragging the Bidens further into the impeachment proceedings.
For more information you can visit our friends at Associated Press.
