Donald Trump asserted Tuesday morning that Joe Biden and his son Hunter should be forced to appear in Congress to testify as part of the impeachment hearings.
The president claimed the impeachment inquiry is focusing its attention on calling second and third-hand witnesses instead of looking at direct evidence hearing from those who were directly involved – including the transcript of his phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, which he says proves there was no wrongdoing.
‘Why is such a focus put on 2nd and 3rd hand witnesses, many of whom are Never Trumpers, or whose lawyers are Never Trumpers, when all you have to do is read the phone call (transcript) with the Ukrainian President and see first hand?’ Trump lamented in a Twitter thread Tuesday morning.
‘He and others also stated that there was ‘no pressure’ put on him to investigate Sleepy Joe Biden even though, as President, I have an ‘obligation’ to look into corruption,’ he continued, ‘and Biden’s actions, on tape, about firing the prosecutor, and his son’s taking millions of dollars, with no knowledge or talent, from a Ukrainian energy company, and more millions taken from China, and now reports of other companies and countries also giving him big money, are certainly looking very corrupt (to put it mildly!) to me’
‘Both Bidens should be forced to testify in this No Due Process Scam!’ Trump insisted.
Donald Trump lamented Tuesday morning that the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry is focusing its attention on gaining testimony from second and third-hand witnesses
The president insists that Joe Biden (right) and his son Hunter Biden (left) should be ‘forced to testify’ as several of his allies and aides have been targeted by the congressional probe
Trump said in another tweet Tuesday that he will be releasing by week’s end a call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the summer
The Democratic impeachment inquiry into the president is underway in the House and public hearings will commence this week, starting Wednesday with Ambassador William Taylor, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Ukraine and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent.
A handful of administration officials have been subpoenaed by the trio of House committees conducting the proceedings, but Trump claims they are immune from being compelled to testify by Congress.
Among those subpoenaed who have not shown up include acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, one of his top aides, Robert Blair, legal adviser to the National Security Council John Eisenberg, his deputy, Michael Ellis and Brian McCormack, an aide at the White House Office of Management and Budget who previously worked for Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
As the inquiry heats up, Trump has ramped up his defense of his interactions and policies with Ukraine and its leader.
Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sparked the impeachment inquiry after a whistle-blower revealed the nature of the call – leading Democrats to claim the president set a quid pro quo of military aid for the nation in exchange for an investigation into the Bidens’ business dealings there.
Trump said he would be releasing this week another transcript of a separate call he had with Zelensky earlier in the summer that he says would further prove his innocence.
‘I will be releasing the transcript of the first, and therefore more important, phone call with the Ukrainian President before week’s end!’ Trump tweeted Tuesday.
Republican ranking member of the Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes sent a letter to Chairman Adam Schiff with a list of witnesses the GOP felt should be questioned as part of the impeachment inquiry.
Schiff rejected the requested list of witnesses, which included the whistle-blower and Hunter Biden.
Trump has ramped up his defense as the impeachment inquiry heats up. He claims there was no wrongdoing and that his July 25 call with Zelensky, which he released a transcript of in September, was ‘perfect’
‘The committee … will not facilitate efforts by President Trump and his allies in Congress to threaten, intimidate and retaliate against the whistleblower who courageously raised the initial alarm,’ Schiff said in a letter to Nunes.
‘The whistleblower has a right under laws championed by this committee to remain anonymous and to be protected from harm,’ he continued.
The whistle-blower anonymously reported his claim that he heard Trump’s call with Zelensky was improper, but outlets have circulated CIA agent Eric Ciaramella’s name as the alleged whistle-blower.
Hunter Biden was on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas firm, Burisma Holdings, from 2014 to earlier this year. He reportedly was paid millions to serve in more of a symbolic role on the board.
He assumed the role when his father was still serving as vice president to Barack Obama, and Trump claims it is his duty as president to report what he felt could be corruption in U.S. politics related to Ukraine.
So far, the House has held several closed-door hearings with those related to the allegations being levied against the president, including former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and Yovanovitch’s successor who has since stepped down William Taylor.
Republicans claim they are not being given equal consideration in the inquiry led by the Democrat-controlled House, insisting their requested witnesses are not being called and they are not being given the same time for questioning the witnesses who have been called so far.