Chuck Schumer has called for Witnesses in the White House Administration to Testify during Senate Trial

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There is an explosive publication of details regarding the efforts of the White House to withhold Ukraine’s military aid. So, the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer has called for witnesses in the administration of Donald Trump to testify during Trump’s impeachment trial. Schumer said in a press conference, he said, “Simply put, in our fight to have key documents and witnesses in a Senate impeachment trial, these new revelations are a game-changer”. He was referring to the publication of emails in The New York Times showing Trump instructed his administration to withhold the funding and the actions taken by the White House officials. The Hill reported Schumer said, “This new story shows all four witnesses we Senate Democrats have requested were intimately involved and had direct knowledge of President Trump’s decision to cut off aid in order to get benefit himself”.

Schumer added, “And when you combine these new revelations with the explosive emails from Michael Duffey released last weekend, it makes the strongest case yet for a Senate trial to include the witnesses and documents we have requested”. The published emails have shown how the White House officials, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and an official at the Office of Management and Budget, Michael Duffey responded to Trump’s decision to withhold Ukraine military aid. The Times also reported Trump rejected to release the aid despite pleas from his former national security adviser John Bolton, his secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and his defense secretary Mark Esper.

It is noteworthy that Trump was impeached by the Democratic-led House on 18 December 2019. The charges against Trump were an abuse of power and obstruction of the U.S Congress. The investigation has focused on the efforts of Trump to push Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky to start an investigation against his political rival Joe Biden (former Democratic vice president) and his son Hunter. The Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell has informed Schumer he will not allow the witnesses to testify in front of the U.S Senate trial against Trump. Schumer responded and said any trial without witnesses will not be accepted.