Dems Seek to Ask Donald Trump to Testify Under Oath in Impeachment Trial

On February 9th, Donald Trump will face his second Senate impeachment trial, having been acquitted quickly and confidently the first time around.

Still, this is a technically historic moment.  No Commander in Chief has ever been impeached twice, and none have been convicted in a Senate trial.  (Nixon resigned before that was a possibility).

Now, in what could prove to be a stunning development, the Democrats are looking to have Trump himself in the hot seat.

The House Democrats who will present the case against former President Donald Trump in his Senate impeachment trial are requesting the former president testify under oath during proceedings next week.

Congressman Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland who is the lead impeachment manager, sent a letter to Mr. Trump and his lawyers Thursday asking him to answer questions about his conduct on January 6, when a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building.

Raskin suggested Mr. Trump provide his testimony, which would include cross-examination, as early as Monday, February 8, and no later than Thursday, February 11.

He also cited some historical precedents for presidents to provide evidence.

“Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton both provided testimony while in office — and the Supreme Court held just last year that you were not immune from legal process while serving as president — so there is no doubt that you can testify in these proceedings,” Raskin wrote. “Indeed, whereas a sitting president might raise concerns about distraction from their official duties, that concern is obviously inapplicable here. We therefore anticipate your availability to testify.”

One would imagine that Trump and his legal team are going to push for some other arrangement, perhaps in the form of written answers akin to how Trump’s testimony was handled during his first impeachment trial.