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| Trump accuses Democrats of avoiding Senate trial to protect Bidens | Trump accuses Democrats of avoiding Senate trial to protect Bidens |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| President Trump on Tuesday accused Democrats of seeking to avoid an impeachment trial in the Senate to protect Joe Biden and his son Hunter, whose service on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while his father was vice president has come under scrutiny. | President Trump on Tuesday accused Democrats of seeking to avoid an impeachment trial in the Senate to protect Joe Biden and his son Hunter, whose service on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while his father was vice president has come under scrutiny. |
| Trump weighed in on Twitter as an impasse continued over the timing and scope of an expected Senate trial. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has held back the two articles of impeachment — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — passed this month by the House. | Trump weighed in on Twitter as an impasse continued over the timing and scope of an expected Senate trial. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has held back the two articles of impeachment — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — passed this month by the House. |
| She and Senate Democrats are seeking guarantees that a Senate trial will include several witnesses, notably acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton, who declined to participate in the House impeachment proceedings. Democrats also are pushing for the release of documents relevant to Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine that the White House has refused to provide. | She and Senate Democrats are seeking guarantees that a Senate trial will include several witnesses, notably acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton, who declined to participate in the House impeachment proceedings. Democrats also are pushing for the release of documents relevant to Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine that the White House has refused to provide. |
| “The Democrats will do anything to avoid a trial in the Senate in order to protect Sleepy Joe Biden, and expose the millions and millions of dollars that ‘Where’s’ Hunter, & possibly Joe, were paid by companies and countries for doing NOTHING,” Trump said in his tweet. “Joe wants no part of this mess!” | “The Democrats will do anything to avoid a trial in the Senate in order to protect Sleepy Joe Biden, and expose the millions and millions of dollars that ‘Where’s’ Hunter, & possibly Joe, were paid by companies and countries for doing NOTHING,” Trump said in his tweet. “Joe wants no part of this mess!” |
| What’s Mitch McConnell’s endgame in shaping the Senate impeachment trial to benefit Trump? | What’s Mitch McConnell’s endgame in shaping the Senate impeachment trial to benefit Trump? |
| Trump has previously insisted that a Senate trial include the Bidens as witnesses, along with the anonymous whistleblower whose complaint sparked the impeachment inquiry. | |
| While records suggest that Hunter Biden was paid lucratively for his service on the board of the Burisma energy company, no evidence has emerged of any wrongdoing. There has also been no evidence that Joe Biden, now a Democratic presidential candidate, was paid in connection with his son’s service on the board. As part of his duties as vice president, Joe Biden was heavily involved in U.S. policy toward Ukraine. | While records suggest that Hunter Biden was paid lucratively for his service on the board of the Burisma energy company, no evidence has emerged of any wrongdoing. There has also been no evidence that Joe Biden, now a Democratic presidential candidate, was paid in connection with his son’s service on the board. As part of his duties as vice president, Joe Biden was heavily involved in U.S. policy toward Ukraine. |
| As Trump tweeted from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on New Year’s Eve, it remained unclear when a trial might start in the Republican-led Senate. | As Trump tweeted from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on New Year’s Eve, it remained unclear when a trial might start in the Republican-led Senate. |
| Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is insisting that senators hear opening statements by House impeachment managers and lawyers for Trump before deciding whether to allow either side to call witnesses. McConnell has also indicated that it would be fine with him if Pelosi never transmits the articles of impeachment and a trial is not held. | Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is insisting that senators hear opening statements by House impeachment managers and lawyers for Trump before deciding whether to allow either side to call witnesses. McConnell has also indicated that it would be fine with him if Pelosi never transmits the articles of impeachment and a trial is not held. |
| At the heart of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. | At the heart of the Democrats’ case is the allegation that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. |
| Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) continued late Monday night to push his party’s case for calling witnesses. | Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) continued late Monday night to push his party’s case for calling witnesses. |
| “So far, neither Senator McConnell nor any Republican Senator has articulated a single good reason why the trial shouldn’t have the witnesses or the documents we requested,” he said in a tweet. “The American people deserve to know the truth.” | “So far, neither Senator McConnell nor any Republican Senator has articulated a single good reason why the trial shouldn’t have the witnesses or the documents we requested,” he said in a tweet. “The American people deserve to know the truth.” |
| Meanwhile, some House Democrats pressed the argument Tuesday that Pelosi should hold onto the articles of impeachment as long as necessary. | |
| “We shouldn’t send them until we have assurances it’s going to be a fair and honest trial,” Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said during an appearance on CNN, adding that he wants “assurances that the trial isn’t going to be a sham.” | |
| Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Washington next week. | Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Washington next week. |
| Biden struggled over the weekend to explain his position on what he would do in response to a subpoena to testify in a Senate trial. For much of Saturday, he suggested he would defy such a subpoena, before changing course and saying he would abide by “any subpoena that was sent to me.” | Biden struggled over the weekend to explain his position on what he would do in response to a subpoena to testify in a Senate trial. For much of Saturday, he suggested he would defy such a subpoena, before changing course and saying he would abide by “any subpoena that was sent to me.” |
| That latter comment came even as Biden continued to insist there is no “legal basis” for him to be called as a witness in the impeachment proceedings. | That latter comment came even as Biden continued to insist there is no “legal basis” for him to be called as a witness in the impeachment proceedings. |
| Democrats have argued that the issue of the Bidens’ involvement in Ukraine is irrelevant to the question of whether Trump abused his power when he asked Zelensky to launch an investigation into the Bidens. | Democrats have argued that the issue of the Bidens’ involvement in Ukraine is irrelevant to the question of whether Trump abused his power when he asked Zelensky to launch an investigation into the Bidens. |
| Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report. | Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report. |