Impeachment trial-Trump team wraps arguments

Transcript

Opening arguments are over in the impeachment trial of President Trump.

Yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon Trump’s defense attorney’s finished up their third day in opening arguments.

Now the next question is whether to allow witness testimony like that of former national security adviser John Bolton is still up in the air.

The New York Times reported Bolton wrote in the manuscript of an upcoming book that Trump told him directly he was withholding security aid for Ukraine until Ukraine pursued investigations into Joe Biden and his family.

Despite the leaks of Bolton’s upcoming book, a source close to the president’s legal team says they’re optimistic that there won’t be witnesses called.

However some Republicans like Senator Mitt Romney say they would like to hear Bolton testify.

The president responded on Twitter saying he never told Bolton “that the aid to Ukraine was tied to Democrats, including the Bidens'” and that “if Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book.”

Before witnesses, senators will get up to 16 hours over two days to question House impeachment managers and Trump’s defense team.

Democrats are expected to use much of that time hammering home their call for witnesses in the hopes of winning over moderate Republicans.

After that, a four hour debate, equally divided, will take place between the House managers and the White House counsel on whether to move to consider witnesses and documents.

Posted 1.29.20