Schiff Dismisses Trump’s Call to Testify in Senate Trial

Democratic Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Adam Schiff (L) and Ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Devin Nunes (R) during the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence public hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 19, 2019. (Shawn Thew/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Sunday dismissed President Donald Trump’s call for Schiff to testify during the Senate impeachment trial.

“What would I offer in terms of testimony? That I heard Dr. Hill say such and such?” Schiff asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.

“The only reason [for] them to go through this is to mollify the president and that’s not a good reason to call a member of congress,” Schiff added.

He didn’t go so far as to say he would not testify.

“I don’t want to comment on it,” Schiff said after he was asked about whether he would appear in the Senate trial.

On Saturday, Trump wrote on Twitter that Schiff, who is the head of the impeachment inquiry, may have to testify.

Schiff “will be compelled to testify should the Democrats decide, despite the fact that my presidential conversations were totally appropriate (perfect), to go forward with the Impeachment Hoax,” wrote Trump.

The longtime congressman from California also said he wants to first speak with his constituents before going ahead with impeachment, suggesting that he’s seen several recent polls that show the independents are souring on the inquiry.

“I want to discuss this with my constituents and colleagues before I make a final judgment on this,” Schiff said.

“I certainly think that the evidence has been produced overwhelmingly shows serious misconduct from the president,” Schiff said. “I certainly want to hear more from my constituents and more from my colleagues.”

Last week, Trump told Fox News that he wants a trial in the Senate.

“We wanna call the whistleblower. But you know who I want as the first witness, because frankly, I want a trial,” he said. “The whistleblower, in my opinion, is a political operative,” the president added in the interview.

The House Intelligence Committee led by Schiff has held public hearings with witnesses in the impeachment inquiry, attempting to probe whether Trump misused his power by asking Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, and alleged 2016 election interference. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s foreign minister, and other White House officials have denied allegations of quid pro quo or bribery.