This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
On December 28, 2019, Joe Biden took to Twitter to clarify his stance on testifying in President Trump's impeachment trial. In a series of tweets, he emphasized that there would be 'no legal basis' for a Senate subpoena to compel his testimony.
Mr. Biden, a presidential candidate, had previously stated that he would not comply with a subpoena to testify in the trial. He explained that testifying would allow President Trump to shift attention away from his own conduct and onto Mr. Biden.
According to Mr. Biden, 'The reason I wouldn't is because it's all designed to deal with Trump doing what he's done his whole life: trying to take the focus off him.' He added, 'The issue is not what I did.'
Mr. Biden's comments come after the House impeached President Trump over his campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate Mr. Biden and his son Hunter Biden. The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, and the minority leader, Chuck Schumer, have been in a standoff over proceedings for a trial, with Mr. Schumer requesting to call Trump administration officials for testimony.
