Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Impeachment trial: Sen. Harris wants to hear from John Bolton
"This is where witnesses should be brought forward, and all parties should have the ability to cross-examine them, and to determine their veracity, their truthfulness, and their ability to actually know what they say they know," says California Sen. Kamala Harris.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readPresident Trump’s defense team is making their arguments in his impeachment trial this week.
But on Sunday night, The New York Times reported that a draft manuscript of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s new book claims President Trump explicitly told Bolton aid for Ukraine was being withheld -- pending an investigation into the Bidens and their connection to a Ukranian natural gas company, Burisma.
This could influence the 100 Senators who will decide the president’s fate.
“This is the trial,” says California Sen. Kamala Harris. “So this is where witnesses should be brought forward, and all parties should have the ability to cross-examine them, and to determine their veracity, their truthfulness, and their ability to actually know what they say they know.”
Some Republican Senators have floated the idea of a witness swap -- agreeing to call Bolton to testify in exchange for Hunter Biden, the former vice president’s son who served on Burisma’s board.
But Harris says Hunter Biden has no bearing on the two articles of impeachment against President Trump.
“This is not a swap meet,” Harris says. “The witnesses that should come forward should be relevant to the charges that are before us. That's it. The rest of it is their attempt to politicize, to try and litigate the 2020 election, and a red herring."
