The former vice president Joe Biden has criticized the concept of providing testimony in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in exchange for key witnesses. He also called the move a farce and said it would turn the process into political theater. Biden was speaking during the first day of opening arguments in the U.S Senate’s impeachment trial, at a campaign stop in Iowa. The former vice president said, “The reason why I would not make the deal, the bottom line in this is a constitutional issue. We’re not going to turn it into a farce, into some kind of political theater. His comments came following several reports indicated Democratic senators had privately considered the idea of swapping Biden’s testimony for witnesses who possess first-hand knowledge about the president’s dealings with Ukraine.
It is noteworthy that Biden is the 2020 Democratic hopeful. He has found himself at the heart of the impeachment trial into Trump after the president encouraged Ukraine to launch political investigations into the Biden family. He said, “Republicans were trying to turn it into political theater and I want no part of being any part of that. I have no problem, as you’ll find out the rest of this campaign, debating Trump, debating the majority leader, debating Lindsey Graham, debating any of these guys. I don’t have any problem”. Democratic leaders also shot down the idea of exchanging Biden’s testimony for witnesses.
Democrats have long said the president was looking political investigations into Biden to undermine the former vice president’s candidacy and aid in his re-election efforts. The House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff is now leading as the head of Democratic impeachment managers from the U.S House of Representatives. He said, “This isn’t like some fantasy football trade.” He added: “Trials aren’t trades for witnesses”. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also said, “I think that’s off the table. First of all the Republicans have the right to bring in any witness they want. They haven’t wanted to and that trade is not on the table”.