TRUMP, on Democrats who want witnesses to testify: “They didn’t want John Bolton in the House. They were in too much of a rush. Now they want them all in the Senate. Not supposed to be that way!”
THE FACTS: False. Bolton, Trump’s former NSA adviser, refused to testify. Democrats chose not to pursue a subpoena and risk an extended court struggle. Bolton signaled willingness to testify at the trial if he’s subpoenaed.
TRUMP’s legal brief: “The practical application of the Impeachment Clause by Congress supports the conclusion that an impeachable offense requires especially egregious conduct that threatens the constitutional order and, specifically, that it requires a violation of established law.”
THE FACTS: Egregious conduct, yes. But impeachment does not require a crime to have been committed. The Constitution’s framers had a vigorous and well-documented debate over just that point.
At apnews.com
