Joe Biden clarifies he'd testify in impeachment trial under lawful circumstances, but says GOP has no legal basis
Former Vice President Joe Biden made some waves Friday evening when he told The Des Moines Register he wouldn't comply with a congressional subpoena to testify in President Trump's upcoming Senate impeachment trial. But he eased the breaks on that Saturday morning.
Biden, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, who is connected to the impeachment saga because of accusations from Trump's allies that he and his son Hunter were involved in corrupt activities in Ukraine, initially said he wouldn't comply because it would take attention away from Trump and possibly play a role in letting him off the hook. But on his Twitter account the next morning, the former vice president clarified that he would always comply with a lawful order — he just doesn't think the Republicans have any legal basis in this case, so as far as he's concerned it's a moot point.
Biden said the subpoenas should be sent to the White House instead, calling those who can actually provide testimony about Trump's interactions with Kyiv to the stand.
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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
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