Democratic candidates call for White House officials to testify during Senate impeachment trial

Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and businessman Tom Steyer during Thursday’s Democratic primary debate called on White House officials to testify during the Senate’s impeachment trial. 

“As we face this trial in the Senate, if the president claims that he is so innocent, then why doesn’t he have all the president’s men testify?” Klobuchar told the audience at the PBS News Hour/Politico debate in Los Angeles. 

“Richard Nixon had his top people testify,” she continued. “We should be hearing from [White House chief of staff Mick] Mulvaney, who is the one under oath. Witnesses have said that Mulvaney is the one that said. ‘Okay, we’re going to withhold this aid to a fledgling democracy to get dirt on a political opponent.'”

“We should hear from [former National Security Adviser John] Bolton, who told his own staff to go see a lawyer after they met with the president. That is the case,” she said. 

Steyer echoed Klobuchar’s sentiment, saying witnesses are required to present a fair case to the American people.

“I actually agree with Senator Klobuchar,” Steyer said. “The question here is if we want the American people to understand what is going on, we need to have the administration officials testify on TV so we can judge. The court that counts is the court of public of opinion.” 

Klobuchar’s comments come after Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Wednesday that he will ask for votes during the impeachment trial calling for witnesses, including Bolton and Mulvaney, to testify. 

Schumer has also said he would like Mulvaney’s senior adviser Robert Blair and budget staffer Michael Duffey to testify.

However, Republican senators have suggested that they want to delay a decision on witnesses until after the trial has started. 

Schumer on Thursday met with Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), but the two did not come to an agreement on witnesses or requests for additional documents ahead of the Christmas break.