Bolton Witness Appearance, New Trigger in Impeachment Trial... Signs of Fracture in Republican Party

Disclosure of Upcoming Book Content
Republicans Also Voice Support for Testimony
Democrats Pressure for Witness Appearance
Testimony Possible if 4 Republicans Defect

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The flicker of the impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump in the Senate, which had been dying out, has been revived as the issue of former White House National Security Council (NSC) advisor John Bolton's witness appearance has emerged as a key point. Pressure on President Trump is mounting as cracks are appearing within the Republican Party, which had so far blocked the adoption of impeachment witnesses through unity.

According to U.S. media on the 27th (local time), opinions have been raised within the Republican Party about the necessity of adopting former advisor Bolton as a witness, causing embarrassment to the party leadership. The Senate consists of 100 seats, with the Republican Party holding a majority with 53 seats. The Democratic Party and independents hold 45 and 2 seats respectively. To pass a witness summons agenda, a majority of 51 votes is required, so if 4 Republicans defect, witness summons becomes possible.

The embarrassment stems from the fact that Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, who have taken a stance against President Trump despite being from the same party, have expressed support for adopting Bolton as a witness following reports of his claims. Senator Romney told reporters, "It seems increasingly likely that other Republican senators will join people like us who think Bolton's testimony should be heard." Senator Collins also conveyed that reports about Bolton's book have strengthened the need for testimony and sparked many conversations among Republican colleagues.

Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Lamar Alexander are also classified as possible defectors but have not yet clearly stated their positions. The New York Times (NYT) reported that Republican Senator Patrick Toomey expressed agreement with adopting Bolton as a witness during a closed Republican dinner held that day.

This atmosphere arose because Bolton mentioned in his upcoming book that "President Trump wanted to link military aid to Ukraine with investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son."

Given the situation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell held a lunch with Republican senators and urged them to prepare for any eventuality regarding Bolton's witness summons but also to withhold hasty judgments, attempting to maintain party discipline. This implies that the issue of witnesses should be reviewed after the impeachment managers and the president's defense team finish their arguments and the subsequent Q&A process, but it is interpreted as essentially emphasizing non-adoption of witnesses.

The Democratic Party is calling even more strongly for Bolton's appearance as a Senate witness. The impeachment managers, composed of Democratic senators acting as prosecutors in the Senate impeachment, immediately issued a statement demanding the Senate "summon Bolton as a witness and submit his notes and related documents."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, claimed, "Bolton's allegations forced the Republicans to choose between the Constitution and a cover-up." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also launched an offensive, saying, "Bolton's remarks prove the legitimacy of the House impeachment articles on President Trump's abuse of power," and urged, "Republican senators must agree to call Bolton as a witness."

On the defensive, President Trump tweeted on the day of the report, "I never told John Bolton to link investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son with Ukraine aid," and reiterated on the following day, "I can say I never said anything to John Bolton." President Trump's legal team refrained from commenting on Bolton's statements during the Senate impeachment hearing held that day and instead attacked the Bidens, but it was insufficient to dilute the attention focused on Bolton's possible witness appearance.

Conflicts within the Republican Party are also being observed. According to The Washington Post (WP), Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler criticized her party members who are positive about adopting Bolton as a witness, saying, "There are those who want to give in to the demands of the left."

Bolton had stated in a statement on the 6th that he would comply if summoned as a witness by the Senate. However, he did not appear, citing President Trump's order to refuse testimony.

Even if Bolton testifies, the prevailing opinion is that it remains difficult for the Senate to pass the impeachment. Unlike the House, which requires a simple majority, the Senate impeachment requires a two-thirds majority of 67 votes. Currently, the Republican Party holds 53 of the 100 Senate seats. While some Republican defections necessary for impeachment approval can be expected, realistically, expecting enough defections to reach the level required for impeachment is virtually impossible.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.