This is a game-changer and puts enormous pressure on Republican senators to allow firsthand witnesses like John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney to testify in the impeachment trial. /THREAD
We now know that former National Security Advisor John Bolton would testify that Donald Trump told him directly that he was withholding military aid to pressure Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election.
This is confirmation of the core impeachment allegation against Trump: that he abused the power of the presidency for personal political gain.
It directly contradicts the White House defense lawyers, who claimed there were no witnesses with firsthand knowledge of Trump's crimes.
It directly contradicts the White House defense lawyers, who claimed there were no witnesses with firsthand knowledge of Trump's crimes.
Further, we now know that Bolton would testify that White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was present for a conversation between Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani discussing Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, considered an obstacle to the Ukraine scheme.
This is EXACTLY what Republicans have been asking for: firsthand witnesses that directly talked with Donald Trump.
Republican senators now have no choice but to put country before party and uphold their oaths by voting to call witnesses like John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney to testify.
If Republicans in the Senate don’t allow key witnesses to testify, this trial will be seen as an absolute sham and Republicans’ acquittal of Donald Trump will be seen as nothing more than a cover-up, especially when we now know they have incriminating evidence. /END
