Category: Donald Trump

Senator Hawley Preparing Motions to Subpoena Schiff, Bidens, Whistleblower in Impeachment Trial

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Senator Josh Hawley revealed he plans to draft motions to subpoena House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, and the alleged ‘whistleblower.’

The move would be especially urgent due to new revelations that moderate Republican senators are threatening to join Democrats in their call for new witnesses in the impeachment trial.

“If the witness vote succeeds, Hawley aims to force votes on subpoenas for House Intelligence Chairman Schiff (D-Calif.), Vice President Biden, Hunter Biden, Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, the still-unnamed whistleblower,” Politico reported over the weekend.

“If the Senate calls witnesses, I will ask for votes on all these next week,” Hawley tweeted.

RELATED: Romney Says He’s ‘Very Likely’ to Join Democrats on Call For New Impeachment Witnesses

An Urgent Move

Hawley’s proposal is pivotal considering a New York Times report on suspiciously leaked manuscript details involving a book from former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

The report – from anonymous sources – indicates that Bolton accuses President Trump of withholding military aid to Ukraine until Joe Biden and his son Hunter were properly investigated.

While the media hit job smacks of a replay of that carried out against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, it is enough to cause weak-kneed senators to crumble and attempt to completely re-litigate the impeachment articles in the Senate.

Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has admitted, “I think it’s very likely I’ll be in favor of witnesses.”

Susan Collins, Senator from Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, Senator from Alaska, are also reportedly flaking. Meaning Democrats would need just one other Republican colleague to tuck their tail between their legs and join them in the impeachment hit job.

Should they succeed, Hawley’s measure would present the impeachment managers with a difficult double-edged sword, raising the specter that Schiff, Biden and the whistleblower could all be called to testify.

RELATED: Report: GOP Adding a ‘Kill Switch’ Option to Prevent Democrats From Turning Impeachment Into Circus

Activate the Kill Switch

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finalized rules for the impeachment trial, adding what some defined as a ‘kill switch’ in which the President’s legal team could either move to judgment or move to dismiss at a meaningful time.

The House failed to do their homework and call Bolton to testify in the first place. Bolton’s claims in a book he is setting up for online pre-order contradict the reality behind the transcripts of the telephone call. So, they’re not a game-changer by any stretch. That said, perhaps it’s time to implement the ‘kill switch.’

Seeing Schiff, the Biden’s, and the whistleblower dragged in to testify would be an interesting prospect sure, but the longer this gets dragged out, the longer Democrats and the media will have to continually manufacture new evidence – just as they did with Kavanaugh.

It’s time to stop the madness.

The post Senator Hawley Preparing Motions to Subpoena Schiff, Bidens, Whistleblower in Impeachment Trial appeared first on The Political Insider.

Romney Says He’s ‘Very Likely’ to Join Democrats on Call For New Impeachment Witnesses

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Senator Mitt Romney has revealed he’d be in favor of new witnesses being called to testify in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

Romney’s decision comes just prior to controversy over anonymous sources relaying information on a book manuscript by former National Security Advisor John Bolton to the New York Times.

The Times indicates that the manuscript accuses President Trump of withholding military aid to Ukraine until Joe Biden and his son Hunter were properly investigated.

Romney, however, was wavering already and suggesting he’d side with Democrats before the Times published that report.

“I think it’s very likely I’ll be in favor of witnesses, but I haven’t made a decision finally yet and I won’t until the testimony is completed,” the former presidential candidate said on Saturday.

If Romney was in favor of teaming up with Democrats before the Bolton report, he’ll most assuredly be demanding witnesses now.

RELATED: Seven Senators Who May Hold the Key to Trump’s Presidency

Romney Wanted to Hear From Bolton From the Start

Senator Romney was suggesting he’d like to hear from Bolton weeks ago.

“I would like to hear from John Bolton and other witnesses, but at the same time I’m comfortable with the Clinton impeachment model when we have opening arguments first and then we have a vote on whether to have witnesses,” he said.

Democrats would need four Republicans in total to side with them on calling new impeachment witnesses.

Other key individuals that Democrats hope to see defect had listened to the impeachment managers opening arguments and were outraged at the suggestion that if the Senate fails to bend to the whim of their House colleagues they’d be engaged in a “cover-up.”

“I took it as offensive,” Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said last week. “As one who is listening attentively and working hard to get to a fair process, I was offended.”

Are her offended sensibilities going to outweigh the obvious media collusion with the Bolton revelations?

Aside from Romney and Murkowski, the resistance would also likely need Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Cory Gardner of Colorado to join their side. Collins and Murkowski have, like Romney, been vocal in the idea that they’d be open to new witnesses.

Romney and Political Pressure

Prior to the onset of the impeachment trial, Romney issued a statement explaining his mindset regarding witnesses.

“I have made clear to my colleagues and the public that the Senate should have the opportunity to decide on witnesses following the opening arguments,” he said.

“I will conclude by noting that this is not a situation anyone would wish upon our country,” he continued. “It is difficult, divisive, and further inflames partisan entrenchment. There is inevitable political pressure from all sides.”

The idea that Romney can be so easily swayed from day to day seems to suggest he easily crumbles under that political pressure.

Or is he really being swayed at all? Perhaps this has been the plan all along.

Back in October, Romney hinted that he’d vote to remove the President should impeachment pass in the House of Representatives.

Appearing in an interview with ‘Axios on HBO,’ Romney, according to the outlet, “made it clear that he’s open to voting to remove Trump.”

This is just a continuation of the Senator’s opportunism when it comes to swiping at Trump or praising him when it suits his own needs. Does he smell blood in the water?

The post Romney Says He’s ‘Very Likely’ to Join Democrats on Call For New Impeachment Witnesses appeared first on The Political Insider.

Trump’s legal team begins defense in Senate impeachment trial

Posted on by PBS NewsHour
As the Senate impeachment trial continued on Saturday, President Trump's legal team laid out their case against removing him from office, contending the Democratic House managers left out crucial facts during this week's arguments. Jami Floyd, host and legal editor at WNYC New York Public Radio, and Ryan Goodman, co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss.