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Tuesday 7 January 2020

to calling new witnesses. pected to end with Trump's "Call me a skeptic that
Bolton left a message for acquittal. He clashed with there's anything he would
McConnell before he is- Trump while working at add," said Sen. John Thune
sued his statement on Mon- the White House, and the of South Dakota, a mem-
day morning, a person fa- two men offered differing ber of Republican leader-
miliar with the matter con- versions of whether he re- ship,
firmed to The Associated signed or was fired when Florida Sen. Marco Rubio
Press on the condition of he left office. tweeted that the Senate
anonymity because he or Should he testify, Bolton should not move beyond
she wasn't authorized to would almost certainly be the evidence collected in
speak publicly. asked about a comment the House inquiry — a pro-
McConnell has called for he is said to have made cess that McConnell has
a swift impeachment trial, that he did not want to called the "least thorough"
with a possible final vote be "part of whatever drug in history.
after opening arguments. deal" European Union Am- "Our job is to vote on what
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is surrounded He has repeatedly referred bassador Gordon Sondland the House passed, not to
by reporters after remarks on the floor about the looming im- to President Bill Clinton's im- and White House chief of conduct an open ended
peachment trial of President Donald Trump and Trump's order
to kill an Iranian general, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, peachment, when leaders staff Mick Mulvaney were inquiry," Rubio tweeted.
Jan. 6, 2020. decided how to proceed "cooking up" as Trump pres- And another Republican,
Associated Press after the trial had started. sured Ukraine to investigate Missouri Sen. Josh Haw-
In that case, witnesses Democrats. ley, introduced legislation
Continued from Front the House's impeachment gave closed-door deposi- That pressure, as Trump was Monday to change Senate
If Bolton were to appear, he inquiry, including meetings tions and some excerpts withholding security aid to rules to allow the dismissal
could provide a first-hand with Ukrainian officials. of those interviews were Ukraine, was at the heart of articles of impeachment
account of events central His willingness to comply played on the Senate floor. of the inquiry in the House, if they aren't transmitted to
to the impeachment case with a subpoena could "The Senate has a unani- which voted to impeach the Senate.
against the president. As complicate the strategy mous bipartisan precedent Trump on Dec. 18. "I don't know why we
a senior adviser, he was of Senate Majority Leader for when to handle mid- Senate Minority Leader would" hear from Bolton,
present for key moments Mitch McConnell, who trial questions such as wit- Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Hawley said, "but let's start
that were investigated in has expressed resistance nesses — in the middle of said in a statement after the trial."
the trial," McConnell said as Bolton's announcement House Intelligence Com-
he opened the Senate on that "momentum for un- mittee Chairman Adam
Monday. covering the truth in a Sen- Schiff, D-Calif., signaled in
First, though, the Senate ate trial continues." a tweet that he will not call
must receive the articles Schumer said that it is "now Bolton again in the House,
of impeachment. House up to four Senate Republi- writing that "the Senate
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has cans to support bringing in must allow testimony from
stalled the transmission Mr. Bolton" and the other him, Mulvaney and others."
of House-passed articles witnesses he has proposed, Schiff had invited Bolton
against Trump in a bid for including Mulvaney. Re- to testify in the inquiry but
the witness testimony that publicans hold the Senate did not subpoena him,
Democrats are seeking. with a 53-seat majority, and saying he didn't want the
Pelosi did not provide any Democrats would have to impeachment case to lan-
clues about her next steps find four Republicans to guish in the courts. Instead,
Monday. But in a tweet she vote with them to issue a the House voted to im-
said Trump and McConnell subpoena. peach Trump for obstruc-
have "run out of excuses" If Republicans oppose the tion of Congress.
for not calling witnesses or subpoenas Democrats Bolton late last year teased
producing documents that have proposed, Schumer that he would have more to
Trump has blocked. said, "they would make ab- say about Ukraine, tweet-
Trump told Rush Limbaugh solutely clear they are par- ing that people should "stay
on his radio show that the ticipating in a cover up." tuned." The Associated
whole process is "sad for At least one Senate Repub- Press reported in November
our country" and suggest- lican was ready to hear that Bolton is writing a book
ed that Pelosi doesn't want from Bolton. "He has first- and has a deal with the
a trial. hand information," Sen. Mitt publisher Simon & Schuster,
"She doesn't want to get a Romney, R-Utah., told re- according to three publish-
vote because how could porters. "Assuming that the ing officials with knowledge
anybody possibly — it's to- articles of impeachment of the situation. Two said
tally partisan," Trump said. reach the Senate, I'd like to the deal was worth $2 mil-
Bolton's testimony would hear what he has to say." lion. They spoke on condi-
inject an element of unpre- Other Republicans down- tion of anonymity because
dictability to an impeach- played the possibility of they weren't authorized to
ment trial that is widely ex- calling Bolton at the trial. speak publicly. q