Donald Trump and his lawyers have urged for Hunter Biden – former vice president Joe Biden’s son – to be questioned in the impeachment trial, arguing the Bidens participated in corrupt activities while working for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. 

On January 28^th a press conference regarding Trump’s impeachment trial was held by Sen. Chuck Schumer and other Democratic senators. During the conference, Schumer expressed to reporters that despite Trump’s insistence for Hunter Biden to be questioned, he is irrelevant to the trial. Rather, Schumer suggested that this move is not only to tarnish the integrity of the Bidens, but an “intentional misdirection, a distraction” from John Bolton’s allegations, the former national security advisor, who disclosed that Trump would only provide military aid to Ukraine if they gave information about his opposition in return.

“Hunter Biden has nothing to do with the facts of this trial.” Schumer explained, “President Trump is so obsessed with Joe Biden and Hunter Biden that he’s willing to risk our elections and our national security to go after him. And now the President and his lawyers are willing to risk the solemnity and purpose of an impeachment trial to go after him.”

“The fact that the President and some Republicans are proposing Hunter Biden as one of their witnesses,” Schumer summarised, “just goes to show they have no one to defend the President on the merits, plain and simple.” 

Schumer further went on to criticise Jay Sekulow, a member of Trump’s defense team, for spreading misinformation after Sekulow stated that one of their arguments to prove Trump’s innocence is that there were no eyewitnesses to Trump’s actions who have testified.

He remarks, “[Sekulow] has the nerve and the gall to get up there and say that there are no eyewitness testimony when we know that John Bolton has eyewitness testimony, and is willing to testify.” 

Schumer also addressed the importance and need for witnesses like John Bolton to speak in the impeachment trial. “The bottom line remains,” he explains, “It is on the shoulders of four Republican senators to ensure that John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and the others with direct knowledge of the President’s actions testify in a Senate trial.”

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