Donald Trump has said he has ‘great confidence’ that some Democrats will vote to acquit him in his impeachment trial, as he slammed the trial ‘a hoax’.
In an interview with Peter Doocy for Fox News ahead of a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, the president said he expects some Democrats – as well as Republicans – will vote in favor of his acquittal.
The president also took the opportunity to brush off his trial as ‘boring’ and a ‘hoax’.
‘I got to watch a little bit,’ he said.
‘It’s very boring. I call it the impeachment hoax, and that’s what it is, it’s a hoax,’ he slammed the trial.
‘It should have never taken place, should have never been allowed to happen, but I have great confidence in Republican senators and probably some Democrats, from what I understand, Peter.’
Donald Trump said he has ‘great confidence’ that some Democrats will vote to acquit him in his impeachment trial in an interview with Peter Doocy for Fox News on Thursday night (above)
The president also took the opportunity to brush off his trial as ‘boring’ and a ‘hoax’
Trump’s confidence came as news broke that Republicans are on track to clear him on Friday as key Republican Senator Lamar Alexander (center, leaving the trial above) said he will vote against calling key witnesses
Trump’s confidence came as news broke that Republicans are on track to clear him on Friday as a key senator said he will vote against calling key witnesses.
As the impeachment trial drew to a close Thursday evening, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander announced he would vote against calling additional witnesses, which likely put the nail in the coffin of the Democrats’ efforts to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify against Trump.
With no witnesses, senators are expected to wrap up the trial with a final vote expected to acquit the president Friday afternoon.
When asked by Doocy if he had any concerns about the impeachment trial, Trump launched into a pitch of his achievements so far in his presidency to show ‘why he shouldn’t be in this position’.
‘Well I shouldn’t be in this position ‘coz we have done more than any other president in the first three years,’ said Trump.
‘You know that, everybody knows that most importantly your father knows that as he watches – who’s a great guy,’ Trump said of Steve Doocy, the Fox & Friends presenter who he has previously ranked a ’12 out of 10′.
Trump continued: ‘We’ve done a lot with the tax cuts, the regulation cuts, and with the military – rebuilding it – and terrorism. We got rid of 100% of the ISIS caliphate.
‘We could go on forever and nobody’s done what we’ve done – and it’s a ridiculous, horrible, partisan situation.’
Trump also said the US is in ‘great shape’ over the coronavirus outbreak, after the sixth US case of the deadly disease was confirmed Thursday
He dismissed claims by Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren that healthcare cuts had left the US vulnerable to the outbreak and called her ‘Pocahontas’ and ‘a disaster’
Trump also said the US is in ‘great shape’ over the coronavirus outbreak, after the sixth US case of the deadly disease was confirmed Thursday.
This marked the first time the disease has been transmitted from one person to another in the States.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an international public health emergency on Thursday over the outbreak of the disease.
‘What I’m doing is we’re dealing very closely with China.
‘We’ll be making certain announcements over the next 24 hours and 48 hours and we’re great shape. China is not in great shape unfortunately,’ he said.
Trump added that the US is ‘working very closely with China and some other countries’ to tackle the spread of the disease.
He dismissed claims by Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren that healthcare cuts had left the US vulnerable to the outbreak.
Warren had slammed Trump earlier in the week saying ‘Trump’s approach to keeping us safe from disease outbreaks is a mess’.
Trump retaliated Thursday by calling her a ‘disaster’ and mocking her proposed plans to control online speech.
‘She’s Pocahontas for a reason – she’s a disaster,’ he said.
‘She wants to have something where she takes away free speech, and she’s the one that really violates it more than anything when you look at all the yarns that she’s told.
Trump hit out at the Democratic candidates saying they are ‘the ones who are going to destroy it with their crazy plans’ and who will ‘destroy everything
Trump made fun of Michael Bloomberg’s height calling him ‘mini Mike’
Trump spoke to Fox News ahead of a campaign rally (above) in Des Moines, Iowa, Thursday
‘She’s failing, she’s failing the polls – whether it’s Bernie or Biden or someone it’s not going to be Elizabeth Warren.’
The other candidates in the race for the White House also weren’t immune from Trump’s tirade.
He hit out at Bernie Sanders for saying social security is under threat under Trump.
‘I’m the one that saved it,’ he said.
‘I’ve been here four years and I’ve not touched it apart from making everything stronger – making our country stronger.
‘Our country strong is what’s saving social security. So I’ m not touching social security.’
Trump said the Democrats are ‘the ones who are going to destroy it with their crazy plans’ and who will ‘destroy everything’.
President Trump made fun of Michael Bloomberg’s height calling him ‘mini Mike’.
The impeachment trial came to a close on Thursday ahead of what is expected to be a final vote on Friday.
Republican Senator Alexander’s announcement Thursday evening that he would vote against calling additional witnesses seemed to seal the fate of the trial, with the president now expected to be acquitted.
‘It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation,’ Alexander said in a statement.
‘When elected officials inappropriately interfere with such investigations, it undermines the principle of equal justice under the law. But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year’s ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate,’ he said.
‘I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitution’s high bar for an impeachable offense,’ Alexander noted.
The impeachment trial came to a close on Thursday. Republican Senator Alexander’s (above) announcement Thursday evening that he would vote against calling additional witnesses seemed to seal the fate of the trial, with the president now expected to be acquitted
Republican Senator Susan Collins said in statement Thursday evening she will vote to call witnesses, making her the first GOP lawmaker to break ranks and join the Democrats.
That leaves Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski as question marks. Romney has said he wants to hear from more witnesses. Murkowski is not showing her hand.
But even if both are yes that would make it a 50-50 vote on the matter. Democrats needed four Republicans in order to call additional witnesses.
Democrats were hoping to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify.
Democrats want to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton who has made a series of bombshell claims about Trump in his book
Chief Justice John Roberts (pictured) would not answer a question from DailyMail.com when he left the Capitol on Thursday as to whether he would vote on witnesses if it was a 50-50 tie
Bolton has made a series of bombshell claims in his book, including that Trump was freezing US aid to Ukraine until that country agreed to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden.
Meanwhile the Republican leadership is working on a plan to combat a tie vote when the matter comes before the chamber on Friday.
A resolution being discussed that would nullify a tie, a scenario Republicans have been concerned about. A 50-50 vote would hand the decision over to the presiding officer in the Senate, who is Chief Justice John Roberts.
‘I think we’ll avoid it,’ Republican Senator Mike Braun told reporters during a dinner break.
Roberts would not answer a question from DailyMail.com when he left the Capitol on Thursday as to whether he would vote on witnesses if it was a 50-50 tie.
The witness vote is expected to be the last matter senators vote on before they move to debate whether or not to convict President Trump.
‘Tomorrow’s the big day,’ Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said as he left the Capitol Thursday evening.
‘This is really the game day tomorrow. It’s not the Super Bowl,’ Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told reporters in the Capitol.