Trump Tamps Down Democrats’ Hope for Bolton Testimony in Fox Interview

With a Senate impeachment trial just days away now, the most pressing question on the minds of Americans everywhere is whether or not any new information will be presented during this process.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has consistently and coldly stated that his portion of the impeachment process will move quickly, and he has all but guaranteed that Donald Trump will not be removed from office when it is all said and done.

This means, as McConnell has stated in no uncertain terms, that he isn’t planning to have any additional witnesses called in the Senate whatsoever.  Then came the revolution that former national security adviser John Bolton would be willing to testify, so long as he was subpoenaed first.

This gave the Democrats some real hope that they would be able to force McConnell into allowing just such a spectacle in the Senate.  Now, President Trump is throwing cold water on that idea.

President Trump indicated in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle”that he would use executive privilege to block former national security adviser John Bolton and other administration officials from testifying in his Senate impeachment trial if necessary.

The comments followed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announcing earlier in the day she will take steps to send impeachment articles to the Senate next week, paving the way for the start of a trial in a matter of days.

The President was taking a broad view of the situation.

“I think you have to for the sake of the office,” Trump replied when asked by host Laura Ingraham if he would use executive privilege to stop testimony from Bolton, who said this week he would be willing to testify.

He then referenced several other officials, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, saying he would like for them to testify but can’t allow it because of executive privilege concerns.

“I would love everybody to testify,” Trump said. “I’d like Mick to testify, I’d like Mike Pompeo to testify, I’d like Rick Perry to testify. I want everybody — but there are things that you can’t do from the standpoint of executive privilege.”

McConnell’s suggested streamlining of the Senate process has received heavy pushback from Democrats and Republicans alike, who are more concerned with transparency than scoring a political victory.