House impeachment managers want former President Donald Trump to put his money where his mouth his, inviting the Mar-a-Lago resident to testify at his own impeachment trial next week.
In a letter to the former president, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the lead House impeachment manager, offers Trump the opportunity to “provide testimony under oath” given that he has disputed “factual allegations” about his conduct leading to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection attempt and on the day of.
Trump spent the months before Jan. 6 stoking the myth that the election was stolen. His campaign to subvert the election culminated in a riot at the Capitol that left five dead.
On the day of the riot, Trump reportedly cheered on the attack. As rioters breached the Capitol, Trump tweeted that then-Vice President Mike Pence should have agreed to abrogate his constitutional duties and refused to confirm Biden’s victory.
Raskin writes that Trump would be subjected to “cross-examination” if he testified. Raskin offered any date between Feb. 8 and Feb. 11 for Trump to testify.
“Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton both provided testimony while in office – and the Supreme Court held just last year that you were not immune from legal process while serving as President – so there is no doubt that you can testify in these proceedings,” the letter reads.
“Indeed, whereas a sitting President might raise concerns about distraction from their official duties, that concern is obviously inapplicable here,” the letter reads.
Raskin continues:
“If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021,” the letter reads.
Read the letter here:
