WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton said Monday that he is “prepared to testify” if he is subpoenaed by the Senate in its impeachment trial.
Bolton, who left the White House in September, said that he has weighed the issues of executive privilege and that after “careful consideration and study” decided that he would comply with a Senate subpoena.
“I have concluded that, if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify," he said in a statement.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has publicly expressed resistance to calling new witnesses in the trial, though Democrats are pressing to hear from Bolton and others who did not appear before the House's inquiry in the upcoming proceedings.
Bolton's statement comes as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is stalling House-passed articles of impeachment against Trump in a bid to get new witnesses to testify. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has proposed calling several witnesses, including Bolton, but McConnell has so far rejected Schumer's terms.
It is unclear when Pelosi will eventually release the articles. If she decides to do so in the coming days, a Senate trial could start as soon as this week.
“We can’t hold a trial without the articles,” McConnell tweeted Monday. “The Senate’s own rules don’t provide for that. So, for now, we are content to continue the ordinary business of the Senate while House Democrats continue to flounder. For now.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration has made a formal determination that Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has assumed the role of an unlikely hero. Donning his iconic green t-shirt, the Ukrainian Leader has been praised for his relatable look and unique war-time approach as support pours in for his country under attack. Melinda Haring, deputy director, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss Zelenskyy's rise from comedian to a leader on the world stage.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell went ahead and stirred the pot this week with a series of public talks signaling a firmer hand from the central bank going forward.
Turkish media reports say a second superyacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in a resort in southwestern Turkey.
Catching you up on what you Need to Know on Mar 23, 2022, as NATO meets in Brussels to discuss Ukraine, mortgage rates rise, Justin Trudeau is set to lead Canada until 2025, tornadoes sweep through Louisiana, California may do away with SATs, and a Starbucks in Seattle unionizes.
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson is declaring at her confirmation hearing that she will rule “without any agendas” if approved as the high court’s first black female justice.
In response to the Florida ‘Don’t’ Say Gay Bill,’ Disney employees staged a companywide walkout after CEO Bob Chapek was late to condemn the legislation. Cheddar News speaks with Maxx Fenning, president at Florida LGBTQ+ advocacy group PRISM on the issue.
Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code and author of "Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It's Different Than You Think), joined Cheddar to discuss the many challenges for women in the workplace after the upheaval caused by the pandemic and the solutions she presents.
Hate crimes from the start of 2022 against Asians reportedly more than doubled compared to 2021, according to the NYPD. Amid the surge of attacks, Amber Reed, the president and co-founder of the grassroots organization AAPI Montclair, joined Cheddar News to talk about how it's looking to help Asian Americans with classes and techniques to defend themselves. “We're seeing racism literally killing people who look like us, and these self defense classes are a chance for us to rewrite a narrative of victimhood into one of empowerment," she said. "We learn first how to be aware of our surroundings because we know that being distracted, appearing weak can make you a target, and then that we focus on disengagement."
