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Trump impeachment: president dismisses John Bolton's Ukraine claims as 'false' – live Trump impeachment: president dismisses John Bolton's Ukraine claims as 'false' – live
(31 minutes later)
Asked about Bolton’s allegations that he directly tied Ukraine military aid to investigations of rivals, Trump says one word: ‘False’Asked about Bolton’s allegations that he directly tied Ukraine military aid to investigations of rivals, Trump says one word: ‘False’
Lamar Alexander, another Republican senator who is being closely watched for how he will vote on allowing new witness testimony in the impeachment trial, remained vague following the news about John Bolton.
Senators Mitt Romney and Susan Collins have indicated openness to calling Bolton to testify, but Democrats will need to convince four Republicans to cross party lines in order to get their request for new witness testimony approved.
Ken Starr, one of the newer members of Trump’s legal team, is making his debut in the Senate impeachment trial.
Starr played a key role in Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial, issuing the eponymous Starr Report on the former president’s extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky.
“We are living in what can aptly be described as the age of impeachment,” Starr told senators.
Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts announced that the president’s legal team has a little over 22 hours left to finish opening arguments.
Kicking off today’s opening arguments, Jay Sekulow, one of Trump’s lawyers, attributed the president’s interest in Ukraine launching investigations to “deep policy concerns” about potential corruption.
Sekulow also appeared to get in a dig against John Bolton after the fomer national security adviser reportedly claimed in his forthcoming book that Trump directly tied Ukraine’s military assistance to investigations of Democrats.
“We deal with transcript evidence; we deal with publicly available information,” Sekulow said. “We do not deal with speculation — allegations that are not based on evidentiary standards at all.”
Opening today’s proceedings, Senate chapain Barry Black and majority leader Mitch McConnell both wished a happy birthday to chief justice John Roberts, who is spending his 65th birthday presiding over the impeachment trial today.
“Lord, thank you for giving our chief justice another birthday,” Black said at the end of his opening prayer.
McConnell jokingly added, “I’m sure this is exactly how you planned to celebrate today.”
Roberts thanked them for their birthday wishes and for “not asking for the yeas and nays,” elicting laughs from those gathered in the chamber.
Senator Kelly Loeffler, the newest addition to the Senate who was recently appointed to fill the seat of former Georgia senator Johnny Isakson, has come out swining against Mitt Romney after he expressed support for calling John Bolton to testify.
Romney said earlier today that he believed it was “important” to hear from the former national security adviser and predicted other Republican senators would come around to supporting the request for Bolton’s testimony.
Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts has assumed his post in the Senate chamber, and the impeachment trial has officially resumed.
Trump’s lawyers will soon continue their opening arguments, and they will likely seek to address Democrats’ demands to have John Bolton, the former national security adviser, testify in the trial.
Leaving a caucus lunch, Senate Republicans largely ignored reporters’ shouted questions about John Bolton’s potential testimony in the impeachment trial.
Press restrictions have been enforced on Capitol Hill since the start of the impeachment trial, sparking complaints from the congressional reporters who are usually allowed to roam hallways to interview lawmakers.
If three Republican senators were to support Democrats’ proposal to have new witness testimony in the impeachment trial, it could create an awkward 50-50 vote in the Senate.If three Republican senators were to support Democrats’ proposal to have new witness testimony in the impeachment trial, it could create an awkward 50-50 vote in the Senate.
Majority leader Mitch McConnell has said a tie vote will not be enough to force witness testimony, but that interpretation could be up for debate.Majority leader Mitch McConnell has said a tie vote will not be enough to force witness testimony, but that interpretation could be up for debate.
Lisa Murkowski, one of the Republican senators being closely watched for how she will vote on allowing new witness testimony in the impeachment trial, said she is looking forward to the Senate making a decision on the matter.Lisa Murkowski, one of the Republican senators being closely watched for how she will vote on allowing new witness testimony in the impeachment trial, said she is looking forward to the Senate making a decision on the matter.
As Democrats intensified their demands for former national security adviser John Bolton to testify, Murkowski noted she has previously said she is “curious as to what John Bolton might have to say.”As Democrats intensified their demands for former national security adviser John Bolton to testify, Murkowski noted she has previously said she is “curious as to what John Bolton might have to say.”
“I’ve also said there is an appropriate time for us to evaluate whether we need additional information — that time is almost here,” Murkowski said. “I look forward to the White House wrapping up presentation of its case.”“I’ve also said there is an appropriate time for us to evaluate whether we need additional information — that time is almost here,” Murkowski said. “I look forward to the White House wrapping up presentation of its case.”
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney has put out a statement, through his lawyer, contradicting the report about John Bolton’s forthcoming book.Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney has put out a statement, through his lawyer, contradicting the report about John Bolton’s forthcoming book.
Mulvaney’s lawyer said that Bolton “never informed” the acting chief of staff about concerns he had after speaking with Trump in August and that Mulvaney “has no recollection” of speaking to Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, about Ukraine potentially investigating Democrats.Mulvaney’s lawyer said that Bolton “never informed” the acting chief of staff about concerns he had after speaking with Trump in August and that Mulvaney “has no recollection” of speaking to Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, about Ukraine potentially investigating Democrats.
Trump’s lawyers are set to continue presenting their opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial in about 30 minutes.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
Republican senators Mitt Romney and Susan Collins indicated that a report about John Bolton’s forthcoming book made them more likely to support calling the former national security adviser to testify.
However, some of Trump’s Senate allies said they are still against calling Bolton to testify, dismissing the former official as a “disgruntled employee” trying to sell books.
Welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, Trump told reporters he has not seen a manuscript of Bolton’s book, which reportedly includes a claim that the president directly linked Ukraine’s military assistance to investigations of the Democrats.
The blog will have updates and analysis from the Senate trial once it resumes, so stay tuned.
A number of Trump’s Senate allies are trying to discredit John Bolton by claiming the former national security adviser is a “disgruntled employee” who is only trying to sell books.
When Bolton left the administration in September, he and the president publicly argued over whether he has been fired or resigned.
One Republican senator, Josh Hawley of Missouri, is explaining his opposition to John Bolton testifying by questionably claiming that the former national security adviser is not actually a “first-hand witness.”
But witnesses who testified in the House impeachment inquiry have said Bolton was present for a number of key moments in the Ukraine controversy.
A handful of Senate Republicans are signaling they will likely support calling John Bolton to testify in the impeachment trial, but many of their colleagues remain staunnchly opposed to the idea, even casting doubt on the former national security adviser’s claims.
Sitting alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office, Trump said the administration would announce its Israeli-Palestinian peace plan tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET.
The president’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, has been working on the peace place, the details of which remain under wraps.
But Palestinian leaders have already expressed skepticism about the deal, predicting it will be unfairly weighted in Israel’s favor.
Netanyahu and his election opponent, Benny Gantz, are visiting the White House this week as the administration finalizes its peace proposal.
Trump told reporters at the White House he has not yet seen the manuscript of John Bolton’s book, which reportedly includes a claim that the president directly tied Ukraine’s military assistance to investigations of Democrats.
Asked about the allegations from his former national security adviser, Trump offered a one-word response to a Fox News reporter: “False.”
Republican senator Lindsey Graham expressed openness to hearing testimony from John Bolton, but the top Trump ally also said he would then want to hear from Joe Biden and the whistleblower whose complaint sparked the impeachment inquiry.
There were reports last week that Senate Democrats were considering a possible “witness swap” to hear from administration officials and the Bidens, but Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer then said that proposal was “off the table.”
As some Republican senators indicate they will support a subpoena of John Bolton, others are busy claiming the report about the former national security adviser’s book does not change anything about the Senate impeachment trial.
But as a Washington Post reporter noted, the argument that Bolton’s claims about Trump tying Ukraine’s military assitance to investigations are not new contradicts the defense strategy of the president’s lawyers.
Reacting to the New York Times’ report on John Bolton’s book, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called the revelation “stunning” and said the former national security adviser’s allegations go “right to the heart” of the impeachment trial.
Schumer noted that Republicans have previously criticized witnesses in the impeachment inquiry for not providing “first-hand evidence” about the Ukraine controversy, underscoring the need for Bolton to testify about his own experiences in the Trump White House.
“How can Senate Republicans not vote to call that witness and request his documents?” Schumer asked.
Bolton’s claim that Trump directly tied Ukraine’s military assistance to investigations of the Democrats also demonstrates a number of White House officials “were ‘in the loop’ on this scheme,” Schumer added.
“We are all staring a White House cover-up in the face,” Schumer said.
Senator Susan Collins’ statement about the John Bolton news emphasized that reports of the former national security adviser’s book have made calling new witnesses in the impeachment trial all the more important.
“The reports about John Bolton’s book strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues,” Collins’ statement said.
In addition to Collins and Mitt Romney, who expressed a desire to hear from Bolton this morning, Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Lamar Alexander are being closely watched for how they might vote on calling new witnesses.