Trump rejects surprise call to testify in his impeachment trial
Donald Trump’s lawyers have rejected a surprise request from the House impeachment managers for the former president to testify at his impeachment trial in the US Senate next week.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead House impeachment prosecutor, in a letter to Trump on Thursday, asked him to provide testimony under oath.
Raskin said that Trump’s response this week to the House’s charge that he was responsible for the assault on the Capitol last month disputed crucial facts about his actions, and demanded further explanation.
“Two days ago, you filed an answer in which you denied many factual allegations set forth in the article of impeachment,” wrote Raskin, Democrat of Maryland. “You have thus attempted to put critical facts at issue notwithstanding the clear and overwhelming evidence of your constitutional offense.”
“If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021,” Raskin wrote.
The House impeached the ex-president over his role in the invasion that left five people dead, including a member of law enforcement.
Trump was blamed for inciting an insurrection when the lawmakers were busy certifying the victory of Joe Biden in the November 3 election.
In an open letter later on Thursday, Trump’s attorneys, Bruce Castor and David Schoen, called the request a “public relations stunt.”
“Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone: You cannot prove your allegations against the 45th president of the United States, who is now a private citizen,” they said in a letter.
Trump adviser Jason Miller also said, “The president will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding.”
Schoen and Miller said Trump’s defense team plans to assert that the case should be dismissed outright on constitutional grounds, and that he is not guilty of the bipartisan “incitement of insurrection” charge.
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