Why Does Trump Want A Senate Impeachment Trial? President Says House Hearings Was Witch Hunt

President Trump on Friday said he’s looking forward to an impeachment trial in the Senate and suggested House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and the whistleblower, whose complaint touched off the impeachment inquiry, be called as witnesses.

Trump called into his favorite morning cable TV show, “Fox & Friends,” one day after lunching with Republican senators who will be responsible for trying the president if the House approves articles of impeachment.

“Frankly, I want a trial,” Trump declared.

The House wrapped up its public hearings Thursday into whether Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rivals in exchange for $391 million in military aid and a White House visit. Witnesses testified the president’s pressure tactics were “unusual” and confirmed Trump was seeking a quid pro quo that would benefit his re-election effort.

Trump fell back on his favorite trope of calling the impeachment investigation “a continuation of the witch hunt” – a reference to the investigation into whether his campaign conspired with Russian entities trying to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election -- and downplayed the testimony by saying he didn’t know most of the witnesses.

“There’s nothing there,” Trump said, adding, “There should never be an impeachment.”

Trump said a Senate trial would give him the opportunity to call other witnesses, including Hunter Biden, whose relationship to the Ukraine energy company Burisma was something Trump wanted investigated with an eye toward digging up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, who is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

“There’s only one person I want more than 'Where’s Hunter?' and that is Adam Schiff,” Trump said. Schiff led the impeachment inquiry and pointedly accused Trump of attempting to bribe Ukraine into helping him.

The president said he believes the whistleblower who complained about Trump’s July 25 phone call to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is a “political operative.”

“I want the whistleblower, who put in a false report, to testify,” Trump said. Democrats said they did not call the whistleblower because everything in the complaint was corroborated by other witnesses.

Elsewhere, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Thursday initiated an inquiry into Joe Biden and his son, sending a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that seeks documents involving the Bidens’ communications with Ukrainian officials.

Republicans have been trying to liken the elder Biden’s effort to get a corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor fired to Trump’s actions. Biden, however, was carrying out stated U.S. and European Union policy.