(The Washington Times)
Stephen Dinan October 7, 2019
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and his son Hunter could be forced to testify if the Senate ends up holding an impeachment trial of President Trump, say congressional aides who questioned whether Democrats have thought through the full implications of their impeachment drive.
Not only could Mr. Biden be forced to be in D.C. at a critical moment in the presidential campaign, but so could many of his chief rivals — the half-dozen senators also vying for Democrats’ presidential nomination, impeachment experts said.
For that matter, if the House chooses to impeach Mr. Trump on charges stemming from the special counsel’s Russia investigation, aides said it could open the door to witnesses such as fired FBI Agent Peter Strzok or even major figures from the Obama administration.
Mr. Trump could even be present for the entire spectacle. Experts said the Senate would have a hard time refusing him if he demanded to confront the witnesses against him.
“I don’t think the Dems have thought this through at all,” one staffer told The Washington Times.
Democrats have control of impeachment in the House, where it takes only a majority vote to pass articles of impeachment, which are effectively a political indictment.
Should the House take that step — Speaker Nancy Pelosi insists she’s not made up her mind, but she and her troops appear to be rushing that way — the matter would then go to the Senate, where a trial is held, the senators sit as a jury, and it takes a two-thirds vote to convict and oust the president.
Republicans have a majority in the upper chamber, giving them full control over what an impeachment trial would look like.
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