Trump Refuses to Testify in Impeachment Against Him
Congressmen expect the former president to testify on Monday and no later than Thursday, February 11.
Former US President Donald Trump refused on Thursday (02.04.2021) to testify in the impeachment trial that opens next week against him and which he considered "unconstitutional", declining a request from the legislators who serve as prosecutors in the process.
Trump's defense ridiculed the request by Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, who is leading the prosecution, to be questioned about the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill as a "communication coup."
"Your letter from him only confirms what everyone knows: He cannot prove his allegations" against Trump, attorneys Bruce Castor and David Schoen said in their response.
Although the attorneys did not say whether Trump would testify, a senior adviser, Jason Miller, flatly said he would not. "The (former) president will not testify in an unconstitutional process," Miller told AFP.
Five days from the trial
The refusal is known five days before the start in the Senate of Trump's trial on the charge of "incitement to insurrection."
In his second unprecedented impeachment trial, Trump is accused of fomenting his supporters' attack on the US Legislature a month ago, forcing lawmakers to halt proceedings to certify the victory of Joe Biden, his rival in the elections. November presidential election.
Raskin had asked Trump, who maintained without evidence that Biden won by massive fraud, to give his testimony "under oath", before or during the trial, between Monday 8 and Thursday 11 February. "If he declines this invitation, we reserve all rights, including the right to argue at trial that his refusal to testify weighs heavily against him," he wrote.
They signal him to incite the attack on the Capitol
Democratic lower house prosecutors, called impeachment managers, say the Republican leader was responsible for the attack on the headquarters of Congress, which left five dead. "In a grave betrayal of his oath of office, President Trump incited a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol," they said.
But Trump's team argued in a brief Tuesday that everything Trump said in the days and hours before the attack to encourage supporters to reject Biden's election victory was covered by his constitutional right to free speech.
Some defendants point out to him
The January 6 attack continues to make waves in Washington. Some 180 people have been indicted for the taking of the Capitol. Several of the defendants have said they were encouraged by the Republican magnate, who less than two hours before the attack summoned his supporters gathered at a rally in front of the White House to "fight like hell" to support his claims of electoral victory. .
Although Democrats have regained control of the Upper House, they will find it difficult to garner the support of 67 out of 100 senators needed for a guilty verdict. Last week, 45 of the 50 Republican senators made it clear in a vote that they believe that trying a former president is unconstitutional.
