Impeachment trial: what does Trump fear most about Bolton’s new book? He has the ‘evidence’, Democrats say
- Donald Trump wanted aid to Ukraine frozen until it helped on probes of political rivals
- Statement was described in an unpublished manuscript by former White House national security adviser John Bolton
Senate Republicans are suddenly facing intense new pressure to call witnesses in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial after a new report that the president told his national security adviser in August he wanted to continuing freezing aid to Ukraine until the government there investigated a political rival.
The demand was outlined in a New York Times report Sunday evening citing an unpublished manuscript by John Bolton, who was fired as by the president in September.
Trump’s lawyers were to resume their defence of Trump when the Senate reconvenes Monday afternoon. By the end of the week, the Senate could be holding votes on whether to subpoena additional witnesses demanded by Democrats, including Bolton.
But if there is no witness testimony, the trial could end as early as Friday.
“John Bolton has the evidence,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Twitter. He urged at least “four Senate Republicans” to join Democrats in allowing for witnesses to appear before the trial.