White House bids to stop Bolton testimony

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John Bolton

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s defence team, seeking a speedy acquittal at his Senate impeachment trial, resisted Democratic efforts on Wednesday to have former national security advisor John Bolton testify, arguing that it could prolong the divisive proceedings for months.

Trump lashed out at Bolton on Twitter, saying his former aide was coming out with potentially damaging allegations in an upcoming ‘nasty & untrue book’ because he was fired from his White House position.

Bolton reportedly claims in the book that Trump told him military aid to Ukraine was tied to Kiev investigating his political rival Joe Biden — the charge at the heart of the two articles of impeachment approved on Dec 18 by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

The fight over Bolton’s testimony intensified as the senators who will decide Trump’s fate began directly questioning Democratic prosecutors and White House lawyers.

Taking turns by party, senators spent 10 hours submitting written questions, which were then read aloud to the chamber by Supreme Court Chief Justice
John Roberts, who is presiding over just the third impeachment trial of a president in US history.

The 100 members of the Senate will return at 1pm on Thursday to pose further questions to the White House defence lawyers and the seven House prosecutors seeking Trump’s removal from office for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said it may be an “uphill fight” to garner enough Republican support to issue a subpoena to Bolton, who has said he is
ready to testify.

Republicans hold a 53 to 47 seat edge in the Senate and four Republicans would need to side with the Democrats to compel Bolton to appear.

Trump called on Republicans to reject a push for witnesses when the issue comes up
for a vote on Friday and blasted Bolton, whom he fired in September.

“Frankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now,” Trump said.

“(He) goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book. All Classified National Security. Who would do this?”

Echoing the views of many of his Republican colleagues, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming came out against further witnesses and urged an early end to the trial.

“America has heard enough,” Barrasso said.

“A majority of Americans are saying this is a waste of time because they know the president is not going to be removed.”

Opinion polls on whether Trump should be removed are actually evenly divided but a two-thirds majority — 67 senators — is needed to convict the president and Trump is virtually assured of being acquitted. — AFP