Donald Trump Might Testify At Impeachment Trial To Return To The ‘Spotlight,’ Reporter Says
CNN White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny told host Abby Philip on Sunday that former President Donald Trump might testify at his forthcoming impeachment trial due to his desire for attention, Raw Story.
“He is now taking it [impeachment] much more seriously, we’re told,” he said.
“He has followed the advice of Senator Lindsay Graham and he’s going to retain a South Carolina lawyer, Butch Bowers, who is really — has never operated on this type of impeachment level. He’s done some state impeachment cases, but President Trump is very engaged.”
Zeleny claimed that there are currently not enough Republican senators in support of impeachment to convict Trump. The reporter continued to suggest that the trial could give Trump a chance to emerge more powerful, which he said would run contrary to the desires of some Republicans in the GOP.
“He’s watching all of this very carefully. And Abby what if he decides to come to the Senate and essentially testify in his own defense. How dramatic would that be? He’s been out of the spotlight for a while, so I don’t think we can totally rule that out. He might just love to do that.”
If Trump decides to testify at the trial, he might be alongside some familiar faces. Per BBC, former National Security Adviser John Bolton previously said he would testify at the trial against his former boss. Bolton was notably fired by Trump after 16 months in his position and would go on to write a tell-all book on his experience, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.
According to BBC, it’s unclear whether the Senate will subpoena Bolton or whether he is serious about taking the stand. The publication pointed to his previous provocations on potential testimony that never materialized and suggested he might be attempting to stay in the spotlight.
Trump has begun to assemble a defense team for the forthcoming trial, which charges him with inciting insurrection, NBC News reported. As of now, it’s unclear whether Bowers will be the only lawyer representing Trump. Nevertheless, Graham has publicly praised the attorney and pointed to his has a breadth of experience in South Carolina and federal courts. The senator also highlighted that Bowers served in George W. Bush’s Justice Department.
As The Inquisitr reported, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is allegedly fearful of corporate America’s response to the Capitol riots, and reports have suggested that he might vote to convict Trump.
