President Trump’s legal team argued John Bolton’s book manuscript should be “inadmissible” in the impeachment trial and urged an immediate acquittal as they wrapped up arguments before senators on Tuesday.
Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said senators should not pry the trial wide open to new evidence in light of the New York Times’ reporting on Bolton’s book manuscript that says Trump explicitly linked a hold on Ukraine aid to an investigation of Joe and Hunter Biden.
“You cannot impeach a president on an unsourced allegation,” Sekulow said, of reporting on the manuscript.
Sekulow dismissed those referring to the Bolton manuscript as new “evidence.”
“I’d call it inadmissible,” Sekulow said.
And even if Bolton’s allegations – which Trump denies – are true, Trump’s legal team said that the president still can’t be impeached because there is no underlying crime. Sekulow warned such a standard on impeachment would paralyze future presidents.
“The bar for impeachment cannot be set this low,” Sekulow said. – read more