Trump Impeachment: Confidant Pleads With President, 'Please Testify'

Long-time Donald Trump ally and personal friend Chris Ruddy thinks it would be a great idea for the U.S. President to testify before the Republican-controlled Senate in the upcoming impeachment hearings scheduled for January 2020.

The CEO of Newsmax Media, which publishes Newsmax.com and broadcasts the Newsmax TV network, is so close to Trump, The Washington Post once referred to him as "the Trump Whisperer." His support for Trump extends to practically all the president's policies and pronouncements. Ruddy was an early donor to Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.

Interviewed on CNN by Christianne Amanpour, Ruddy went all in to support the idea Trump should testify. In reply to a statement by Amanpour asking if Trump would present himself to the Senate and allow the revelation of documents he's blocked, would Trump do so?

"I think it’s a great idea," replied Ruddy. "I think the president should testify because he is his most able ... I haven’t talked to him about it but I do think he would be powerful witness. He would be great."

Ruddy then made a personal appeal to Trump: "Mr. President, if you’re watching this show, please testify. I think it would be good because you’re your number one witness."

His view stands directly against that of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and most of the other GOP senators that favor a swift trial without the need for calling any witnesses at all.

The aim is to avoid giving Democrats the chance to call their own witnesses such as White House acting chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney and former national security adviser John Bolton that might advertently or inadvertently add more to the Democrats' evidence Trump should be impeached for.

An ABC News and The Washington Post poll released Tuesday shows a majority of Americans think Trump will face a fair trial in the Senate. It also said Trump aides that have not cooperated with House impeachment investigators such as Mulvaney and Bolton should be allowed to testify.

The poll found that 7 in 10 Americans think administration officials should be able to testify. It also reveals 79 percent of Democrats, 64 percent of Republicans and 72 percent of Independents agree Trump should allow these people of his to appear in a Senate trial.

Ruddy's statements to Amanpour shows he agrees with these sentiments.

"I would encourage Mitch McConnell, who I know and all the senators to do a fair trial," he said.

"He has previously said that he wanted Mick Mulvaney and others to testify. So I think if he thinks the forum is fair … He didn’t think the House forum was fair."