WASHINGTON—Following the first day of questions in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) held a Facebook Live on Thursday to answer questions from his constituents, and share his impressions of the trial proceedings. In an effort to increase transparency, Murphy has held multiple Facebook Lives throughout the trial to hear directly from the people he serves.

On the upcoming vote to subpoena additional witnesses and documents to make this trial fair, Murphy said: “…[T]here has never ever been a trial in the history of the United States Senate—remember the Senate impeaches not just presidents, but judges as well—that did not have witnesses. And in fact, almost every trial that has occurred in the Senate has included witnesses that were not called before the House. Why? Because the Senate has an independent responsibility to get to the truth. That's why it's called a trial.”

On John Bolton specifically, Murphy continued: “Since the House sent the articles to the Senate, John Bolton has a) made clear that he is willing to honor a subpoena, he will not fight it in court; and b) he has written a book—and that book has leaked. And in it we know he says that the president directly ordered him, or at least told him, that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into the president's political opponents.”

On Republicans’ desire to subpoena Hunter Biden, Murphy said: “I am reluctant to turn the Senate into a political and partisan sideshow. I am reluctant to essentially become complicit in the very corruption scheme that the president is on trial for.”

On the president’s corruption, Murphy concluded: “This trial is about the President of the United States engaged in the scheme to use the official powers of the United States government in order to destroy the president's political rivals. And he couldn't get Ukraine to do that, President Zelensky didn't want to fall into that trap. And that's what President Zelensky told me personally, in September of last year.”

Last week, Murphy blasted Senate Republicans for rejecting amendments to ensure additional witnesses and documents be included as trial evidence before arguments were heard, and did another Facebook Live after the first day of House managers arguments in the trial.

Click Here to View the Full Video of Murphy’s Facebook Live

 

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