Trump to refuse to testify at Senate impeachment trial News
Sgt. Dana M Clarke // Public domain
Trump to refuse to testify at Senate impeachment trial

Lawyers for former US president Donald Trump said Thursday that Trump would not testify at his upcoming impeachment trial, which is slated to begin on February 9. House Impeachment Manager Jamie Raskin had requested that Trump testify earlier on Thursday.

The House Impeachment Managers submitted an 80-page memo earlier this week outlining the facts that they claim clearly show Trump is responsible for the insurrection at the Capitol. These facts were disputed by Trump’s new attorneys in their response. Raskin asked for the testimony “in light of [Trump] disputing these factual allegations.”

The request also reminded Trump that former presidents Clinton and Ford both testified while in office and therefore, “there is no doubt” that Trump can testify at his trial. The request concluded by telling Trump that if he were to decline the invitation to testify, Raskin and his team reserve the right to “establish [Trump’s] refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding [his] actions.”

Trump’s attorneys responded by stating that the request was Raskin’s latest “public relations stunt” and claimed that the request “proves what is known to everyone: you can not prove your allegations.”

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