Schumer requests testimonies from White House witnesses during impeachment trial
WASHINGTON D.C. - On Sunday, the Senate’s top Democrat wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, requesting that current and former White House aides testify during President Trump’s expected impeachment trial.
New York Senator, Chuck Schumer wants a host of senior officials to testify during the trial. His list included acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney, and ex-advisor John Bolton.
But Republicans want a different sort of trial, they’ve requested that it be short and proceed without any witness testimony.
A vote in the House to impeach President Trump is expected, Wednesday.
If a majority votes for impeachment, the case will then move to a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate.
The president is accused of pressuring Ukraine’s leaders to help him gain a political advantage in the upcoming 2020 election. He’s said to have dangled an incentive of $400 million in military aid as well as the prospect of a White House meeting with their president if Ukraine launched a corruption investigation into Trump’s political rival, Joe Biden.
President Trump is also accused of obstructing Congress when The White House refused to allow staff to testify during hearings in the House of Representatives.
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But the President denies the accusations, even referring to the Democratic-led inquiry as a ‘witch hunt’ and predicting that efforts to vilify him would only give him an advantage during the 2020 presidential election.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump lashed out at Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, tweeting, “Nancy’s teeth were falling out of her mouth, and she didn’t have time to think.”
Because Nancy’s teeth were falling out of her mouth, and she didn’t have time to think! https://t.co/rx3pcyofip
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2019
When asked whether he wanted a long or short trial, the president said it “doesn’t matter.”
McConnell, a Kentucky senator, has the final say over the format of the proceedings.