President Donald Trump’s defense team wrapped up its opening arguments in the president’s impeachment trial on Tuesday, focusing on discrediting Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton as a potential witness in the case.
Many Senate Republicans had hoped to rush through Trump’s impeachment trial and quickly acquit the president, but Bolton threw a curveball last week whenThe New York Timesreported the former Trump official was claiming in an upcoming book that the president directly sought to bribe Ukraine for his own political gain.
Attorney Jay Sekulow, arguing on Trump’s behalf in the impeachment trial, told the Senate on Tuesday that impeachment was “not a game of leaks and unsourced manuscripts” and called for the Senate to deny allowing Bolton to testify in Trump’s trial.
Trump’s personal attorney Jay Sekulow speaks at a news conference during the Senate impeachment trial on Jan. 24.Alex Wroblewski/Getty
Trump, 73, has denied Bolton’s claims — contending it’s a ploy to boost sales of his “nasty & untrue” book — and piled onto his defense team’s effort to discredit the former aide, bashing Boltonon Twitter this weekand claiming he was bad at his job.
Republican Sens. Mitt Romney and Susan Collin, who are seen as two possible votes with Democrats on allowing witnesses at the impeachment trial, have said they will most likely vote in favor of allowing Bolton to testify, according to theTimes.
Other conservatives would have to join with the Democratic minority, however. Should witnesses be allowed, the trial could stretch for an unclear number of weeks — something Republican leaders are hoping to avoid.
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, who’s helping lead the case against Trump as one of the House of Representatives’ impeachment managers,said on Twitterthat Trump’s defense team’s opening arguments strengthened the case for allowing Bolton’s testimony in the trial.
“We already have strong and direct evidence that Trump withheld military aid to demand political investigations. Bolton further corroborates it,” hewrote. “Senators have taken an oath to be impartial. Don’t they want to hear the full truth? Bolton must testify.”
Senators are expected to vote Friday on the question of new witnesses and evidence, including document requests.
Both House impeachment managers and Trump’s defense team have made their arguments. Wednesday and Thursday will likely focus only on questions to both sides from the senators.
Alex Wong/Getty
John Bolton.Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
In mid-December, Trump became the third president in American historyto be impeached, following a months-long investigation which Democrats say found that he withheld nearly $400 in military aid and other support for Ukraine while pressuring their government to announce an investigation into his 2020 political rivalJoe Biden.
The House impeached Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
House impeachment managers argued that Trump was essentially trying to bribe a foreign government into interfering with the 2020 presidential election.
“In a few weeks or a few months, do my Republican colleagues want to pick up the paper and read that one of the witnesses they blocked had crucial information about the president’s misconduct?” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday, according toPolitico. “At this point, how can Senate Republicans not vote for the witnesses and documents we’re seeking?”
source: people.com
