Battle for witnesses looms as defense rests in Trump trial

fight over calling witnesses to testify in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial intensified Tuesday after Trump's lawyers closed ir defense calling abuse of power charges against him politically motivated. Democrats sought to have Senate subpoena former White House national security visor John Bolton to provide evidence after leaks from his forthcoming book suggested he could supply damning evidence against Trump. But Republicans threatened to demand that Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his son Hunter also testify, in a move aimed at damaging party's possibly best chance of defeating Trump in vember election.

'If people want witnesses, we're going to get a lot of witnesses'

"If people want witnesses, we're going to get a lot of witnesses," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. At only third ever presidential impeachment trial in US history, Trump's lawyers closed out ir three-day defense in Senate by calling for a speedy acquittal of Trump and accusing Democrats of bringing politically motivated charges in an attempt to reverse his 2016 election victory. "What y are asking you to do is to throw out a successful president, on eve of an election, with basis and in violation of constitution," Trump's le counsel Pat Cipollone said.

" American people are entitled to choose ir president," he told senators sitting as jury. "We urge Senate to reject se articles of impeachment." Trump is accused of cheating in his 2020 reelection effort by pressuring vulnerable ally Ukraine to anunce investigations into both Bidens and a spurious conspiracy ory, promoted by Russia, that Kiev helped Democrats in 2016. impeachment charges say president froze vital military aid to Ukraine for two months last summer to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky to publicly anunce probes, illicitly drawing a foreign nation into US electoral politics.

Trump's lawyers mostly steered clear of those specific allegations. Inste y argued that impeachment case was rooted in "policy differences" and that charges against him, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, are too weak and thinly-sourced to justify his removal from office. y said a conviction would set a precedent for US politics that would result in retribution-driven political battles for years to come. " bar for impeachment cant be set this low," said Jay Sekulow, ar Trump lawyer. "If partisan impeachment is w rule of day... future presidents -- Democrats, Republicans -- will be paralyzed moment y are elected," he said.

am Schiff, he of Democrats' prosecution team, said that Republicans' arguments were "t particularly relevant to charges against president." " president's lawyers ... really did t, cant, defend president on facts," he said. trial, which began in earnest seven days ago, turns w to senators submitting written questions to prosecution and defense through presiding Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts over Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday y are expected to take up issue of calling witnesses, which Republicans originally believed y could defeat and bring trial to a swift close with ir 53-47 majority in Senate.

But leaks from Bolton's coming book, suggesting he could provide evidence of Trump's wrongdoing appear to have convinced several Republicans to support calling witnesses. Bolton reportedly says Trump told him in August that aid to Ukraine, totaling almost $400 million, would stay frozen until Zelensky anunced investigations into Democrats, including Bidens. Late Tuesday Senate Majority Leer Mitch McConnell told Senate Republicans y did t have eugh votes yet to block a witness call -- implying that at least four Republican senators would cross party lines and side with 47 Democrats in an expected vote.

Trump and his supporters have pummeled Bolton in media. But Trump's former White House chief of staff, retired general John Kelly, said Tuesday that he trusts Bolton on matter. "If John Bolton says that in book, I believe John Bolton," he said in Florida. Senator Graham told Fox News that he expected Republicans would still be able to defeat witness vote on Friday and trial would be finished before annual State of Union speech which Trump is to deliver to Congress on Tuesday. "This, to me, needs to end, end w," Graham said.

Trump himself, at a campaign rally in New Jersey, said Democrats were carrying out "deranged partisan cruses." But Graham, one of Trump's strongest defenders in Senate, also threatened to make Democrats pay a price if y are determined to call Bolton. Republicans would insist on subpoenaing two Bidens as well as ors linked to Ukraine case. He said y would want to kw "was it legitimate for president to believe re was corruption and conflicts of interest on Bidens' part in Ukraine?" 

(Im credit: PTI)