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In the impeachment process against Donald Trump, prosecutors asked the former president of the United States to testify under oath. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote a letter to Trump as chief prosecutor. It says Trump’s lawyers had rejected numerous allegations in a statement despite the “overwhelming burden of proof.” Therefore, a personal statement is necessary. Either in the process before the Senate or shortly before.
If the former president refuses to testify, this could be used against him in so-called impeachment proceedings, Raskin wrote. In the past, even incumbent presidents like Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton have testified at such trials. “So there is no question that he can testify in this process.”
According to the media report, Trump does not want to testify
For Trump, a sworn statement could be risky, especially since Democrats would likely question him on many issues. If it is later proven to be untrue, it could be prosecuted. Therefore, Trump should do everything in his power to avoid making a statement, even if this will now be more difficult after the end of his term.
As reported by US broadcaster NBC News, citing Trump’s attorney, Bruce Castor, Trump will not obey a request to testify under oath. In a letter to Raskin, Trump’s lawyers also wrote that there could be no negative effects because the proceedings were “unconstitutional” anyway.
The then president of the United States did not appear in the first impeachment trial against Trump, which had started over the Ukraine issue. It ended with an acquittal by the then Republican-dominated Senate.
Trump charged with “inciting riots”
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives decided to initiate impeachment proceedings for “incitement to riot” on January 13, a week after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
The then president is accused, among other things, of inciting his followers to unrest at a rally. Among other things, he had said: “If you don’t fight like the devil, you will have no more land.”
As a former president, Trump can no longer be removed from office. The Senate could block him from future positions at the federal level, making a candidacy impossible in the 2024 presidential election. The two-thirds majority in the room that is necessary for a conviction is not emerging. This would require 17 Republicans to vote with all 50 Democrats.
