US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stated that US President Donald Trump will be allowed to testify in the ongoing impeachment inquiry against him if he chooses, but has shut the door on the whistle blower coming out publicly to testify.
The House has launched an impeachment inquiry into Trump after a whistle blower from the CIA alleged Trump asked Ukraine’s government in a July phone call to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, in exchange for $300m military aid, alleging a quid pro quo, an allegation Trump has vehemently denied.
Trump has released transcripts of his two calls with Ukraine’s leader Zelensky and the Ukraine government has said it didn’t feel any pressure from Trump’s phone call and Trump has issued threats against the whistle blower with Republicans saying the whistle blower must come out if the Democrats are to have any tangible impeachment exercise against the president.
Pushing back against accusations from the president that the process has been stacked against him, Pelosi said Trump is welcome to appear or answer questions in writing, if he chooses.
“If he has information that is exculpatory, that means ex, taking away, culpable, blame, then we look forward to seeing it,” she said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation. “Trump could come right before the committee and talk, speak all the truth that he wants if he wants,” she said.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also supported Pelosi, saying;
“If Donald Trump doesn’t agree with what he’s hearing, doesn’t like what he’s hearing, he shouldn’t tweet. He should come to the committee and testify under oath. And he should allow all those around him to come to the committee and testify under oath,”
Schumer told reporters. He said the White House’s insistence on blocking witnesses from cooperating begs the question: What is he hiding?
