Donald Trump: Impeachment trial set to start, Democrats seek to call new witnesses
Republicans warn they will call Joe Biden and son Hunter to a Senate trial if Democrats push for new witnesses.
The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is about to begin, with the House of Representatives due on Thursday (AEDT) to vote to transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate.
The vote will clear the way for the start of only the third Senate impeachment trial in US history as both sides of politics continued to spar over the rules and conduct of the forthcoming trial.
“The American people deserve the truth, and the constitution demands a trial,” Democrat house speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “The House will now proceed with a vote on transmitting the articles of impeachment and naming impeachment managers.”
Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate trial, which will start this week, would not get underway properly until next week after the Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in to preside over the proceedings.
Mr McConnell pushed back against Democrats who have called for new witnesses to be called at the trial, saying there is no need for the Senate to go “fishing” for new evidence.
“If the existing case is strong, there’s no need for the judge and the jury to reopen the investigation. If the existing case is weak, House Democrats should not have impeached in the first place,” he said.
“Impeachment is not a political game. The House majority, fuelled by political animus, may have started this with frivolity, but it will fall to the Senate ... to end it with seriousness and sobriety.”
The Senate will vote next week on a package of rules to govern the trial and Senators will be given the opportunity during the trial to vote on whether or not to call any new witnesses.
Democrats want to call former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to testify, among others.
Democrat leaders have accused Republicans of a “cover up” in trying to prevent witnesses from testifying.
“The American people will fully understand the Senate’s move to begin the trial without witnesses and documents as a pure political cover-up,” Ms Pelosi said. “Leader McConnell and the President are afraid of more facts coming to light.”
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate so Democrats need four Republicans to agree to vote for witnesses in order to secure new testimony.
Three moderate Republican Senators, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have said they are open to voting for witnesses.
Republicans say that if the Democrats succeed in their push for witnesses, they will try to call former vice-president Joe Biden and his son Hunter, as well as the anonymous intelligence whistleblower whose complaint about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine triggered the impeachment inquiry.
Ms Pelosi will name on Thursday (AEDT) the Democrat impeachment managers who will act as prosecutors for the trial. It is expected that the small group will be led by house Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff and house Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler.
The President’s team is expected to be led by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone as well as Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow.
President Trump has dismissed the impeachment trial as a partisan political witch-hunt and a hoax.
In recent days he has called for the Senate to vote to dismiss the charges against him without holding a trial.
But senior Republicans are opposed to the move, saying it would be better for the President to hold a trial and then be acquitted.
“There is little or no sentiment in the Republican conference for a motion to dismiss,” Mr McConnell said. “Our members feel we have an obligation to listen to the arguments.”
The Senate trial will judge charges that the President abused his power in pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The house, which impeached Mr Trump on December 18, also charged him with obstructing Congress by seeking to block witnesses and documents in the house impeachment inquiry.
The Senate needs a two-thirds majority, or 68 votes to convict President Trump and remove him from office, but there is no indication that any more than a handful of Republicans would join Democrats in voting to convict the President.
Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia
More Coverage
Trump calls Zelensky a dictator without elections
Donald Trump has accused Volodymyr Zelensky of being a ‘dictator’ and abusing billions in US support after the Ukrainian leader complained about being left out of talks with Russia
Warring parties unveil plans to split Sudan in two
The two warring factions in Sudan have announced parallel plans for the country’s future, nudging it closer to becoming a de facto partitioned state after three years of civil war.