Kellyanne Conway claimed Democrats would regret calling additional impeachment witnesses because Hunter Biden would be the first person summoned by Senate Republicans in response.
On Monday, Conway, 53, addressed President Trump’s impeachment trial, which is set to begin on Tuesday. It is not yet clear which witnesses, if any, will be called to give additional testimony related to Trump’s impeachment. Republican senators, such as Maine Sen. Susan Collins, have signaled interest in hearing from other fact witnesses. Former national security adviser John Bolton has been a top target for Democrats since he announced his willingness to testify.
Speaking with America’s Newsroom, the presidential counselor said Democrats would regret calling additional witnesses because it could mean that Republicans would summon Biden to testify about possible corruption between him, his father, and the Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma.
“The fact that the Democrats want to go down the road of possible witnesses is what our grandmothers always told us: Be careful what you wish for,” Conway said. “Witness No. 1 would have to be Hunter Biden.”
She claimed that Biden, the 49-year-old son of former Vice President Joe Biden, should “willingly” testify before the Senate to clear his name. Trump’s request for an investigation by Ukrainian officials into the Bidens became the foundation of the House’s impeachment. Some Republicans have suggested that testimony from either Biden could validate Trump’s request.
Conway explained: “Why not just put himself up and say, ‘I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ve done nothing wrong.’ Eighty-three thousand dollars a month from Ukraine’s largest natural gas company with no energy experience whatsoever. His father has no energy, but he had no energy experience. That’s a million bucks a year, pretty much.”
She added that the White House thinks testimony from Bolton would add “very little” to the Democrats’ case for impeachment.
“[The House] failed to make a case, and now they want the Senate to play cleanup. You know, for months, the Democrats had this show trial, this one-sided show trial, in basically a kangaroo court, not allowing us to present our own witnesses, to present our own evidence,” Conway said. “And now they want the Republican-controlled Senate to do their bidding for them.”
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Sunday that Republicans did “not have the votes” to end the impeachment with a dismissal of the articles. It is unclear how many witnesses will be called, but Texas Sen. Ted Cruz estimated that the trial could take eight weeks “or longer” if witnesses were allowed.
