President Trump continues his game of “I would if I could, but I can’t so I won’t,” with Democrats, vowing that former national security advisor (NSA), John Bolton will never testify in the president’s impeachment trial in the Senate.
President Trump said last week in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham that he would “love everybody to testify,” including Bolton, secretary of state Mike Pompeo and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.
But he then went on to say, “…there are things that you can’t do from the standpoint of executive privilege. Especially a national security adviser.” Trump then added, “You can’t have him explaining all of your statements about national security concerning Russia, China and North Korea, everything. You just can’t do that.”
Therefore, according to Trump, John Bolton (and presumably the others he mentioned) will be blocked from testifying at his impeachment trial. This despite the former NSA insisting he would do so if he received a subpoena.
Democrats believe Bolton – who was ousted by Trump last September — has key insight into the president’s failed efforts to secure a so-called quid pro quo with the government of Ukraine. Bolton can provide the “firsthand” testimony that the GOP has been lacking thus far in the impeachment process. Despite the Democrat controlled House having drafted two articles of impeachment, without such firsthand accounts, Republicans have said there is actually no case against Trump.
Bolton surprised the White House earlier this week by announcing he would testify at Trump’s Senate trial if subpoenaed to do so. In a statement, he said he had tried to “resolve serious competing issues” in weighing “my obligations both as a citizen and as a former national security adviser” and concluded that he was prepared to testify.
Regardless of what the president has said regarding blocking Bolton’s testimony, there remains significant doubt that he will even be given that opportunity. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has joined other leading Republicans in asserting that no witnesses should be called, and claimed last week to have enough votes to start the trial on that basis.
Democrats need to persuade four Senate Republicans to join them in a vote on trial rules that would allow witnesses, something that still seems a hard-sell at this point.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is finally expected to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate this week.
Grow up Democrats and ”help” President Trump move on with solving the important issues of our country and keeping his promises to the American people .
Hillary lost the 2016 election ….??thank the Lord… so move on! Get over it!
Why should we not be surprised from a felonious pres. ? The only question is how many repub senators join the cover-up.
You got it all backwards Art . The Democrats are so scared of being exposed they had to come up with a fake impeachment to try to figure out how to stop the exposure of all corruption they are guilty of.
Wake up fool. quit listening to the Main Stream Media and all their propaganda and BS.
A lot less than are keeping Oblamer and Hillary out of prison.
Republican senators opted to believe Trump who has been found (1) to use his foundation’s money to pay for personal things like portrait of himself and violations in His Mar a Lago estate in Palm Beach; (2) to be guilty of lying to Trump University students about their expectations and was directed by courts to reimburse them for their money; (3) to not to be involved in any foundations including his children in the State of New York; (4) to not pay his workers and contractors fairly; (5) to hire illegal immigrants in his business establishments; (6) to violate the emoluments laws by having government officials and dignitaries patronize his business establishments including VP Mike Pence for staying at Trump’s establishment in Ireland even though it was hours away from the business venue; and others. Trump is a crook and the US Liar-in-Chief. I hope we have some decent Republican senators left in the Senate who will look at the evidence and draw their conclusions. This is the reason why we need to get rid of the electoral college system. Two Republican Presidents were elected because of this system- George W Bush who gave us the recession and 9/11 during his administration and now Donald Trump who does not have any morals.
Everything the Democrats do is a sham. So far this term I see no reason for the Democrat Party to exist. The amount of money spent on frivolous investigations is outrageous. The criticism of this president is without basis. He is the best people’s president ever. He was criticized for killing an Iranian terrorist. However we forget that Clinton, while in office had the opportunity to take out osama bin laden and did not. So using democrat reasoning the Iranian general would have to take another 3000 Americans before we act. Our only choice to preserve America is to vote out all Democrats they are the greatest threat to our democracy and Americans.
If my comment is being changed do not publish
Testify about what? ‘Abuse of power’ isn’t an impeachable offense, and governments ‘quid pro quo’ each other all the time. Take blackmail, extortion and bribery out of politics, and everyone in Washington would just have to go home.