House Democrat Wants John Bolton Subpoenaed, After Saying He Would Testify

As the battle on the Hill continues over permitting witness testimonies during the Senate impeachment trial, there’s a new twist: A Democrat in the House wants to subpoena former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), since the House voted to impeach President Donald Trump, has stood firmly by his position against agreeing to allow testimonies before the trial has begun. Democrats, however, worry that this means witnesses will ultimately be left entirely out of the process.

Among those most sought after for testimony by Democrats is Bolton, who was a key member of the White House during the events surrounding the Ukraine scandal. That’s why it was good news for them this week when Bolton surprised Senate Republicans by saying that he would be willing to appear on the stand if he was subpoenaed.

President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has also made similar remarks recently.

Included among the arguments made by Republicans against allowing witness testimonies, is one put forth by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.). He has said that because Bolton was not subpoenaed by the House during its impeachment inquiry, the Senate should not be allowed to issue their own subpoena.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is calling Rubio’s bluff, however. On Wednesday, Khanna told MSNBC that he hopes to subpoena Bolton in the House to testify “this week or next week.” He said that with Bolton now being open to testifying in the Senate, there’s “no argument” against testifying before the House. House Democrats are reportedly currently considering this action in quiet.

Khanna also admits the move would also undermine Rubio’s position on trial witnesses.

This week, both parties are still locked in a showdown over the impeachment trial rules. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has declined to pass on the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial. She has said she needs Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to agree to allow witness testimonies.

The stalemate may be coming to an end, however, with McConnell announcing Tuesday that he has the votes to approve his version of the trial rules and begin proceedings without Democrats’ support.