Joe Biden Says He Would Not Testify In Donald Trump’s Impeachment Trial

Joe Biden is pushing back against suggestions that he might be called as a witness in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, saying he did not want to feed into a “farce.”

As the impeachment trial begins and both sides make opening arguments, Republicans have suggested that both the former vice president and his son, Hunter Biden, should testify. Trump was impeached by the House after evidence that he pressured Ukraine to announce an investigation into the Bidens based on what is widely considered unfounded allegations of corruption. Republicans have suggested that Biden’s testimony could give credence to Trump’s actions to pressure Ukraine.

After some initial reports that Democrats were considering offering Biden as a witness in exchange for their own witnesses who they believe would cement the case against Trump, Biden said he would not go for it.

“The reason why I would not make the deal, the bottom line is, I, this is a constitutional issue,” he said, via CNN.

“And we’re not going to turn it into a farce, into some kind of political theater.”

Biden was responding to a question from a voter at a campaign event in Iowa, where the Democratic primary kicks off next month. Biden has been focusing on the campaign trail while several of his primary opponents returned to Washington for the impeachment trial.

Despite the reports that Democrats were considering a deal where the Bidens would testify in exchange for top White House officials like acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton, that deal now appears to be dead. As CNN reported, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that consideration was “off the table.” House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, who is the lead impeachment manager, also pushed back and said that such a trade would only allow Trump and Republicans to continue to attack a political opponent and would be an abuse of the impeachment trial.

Biden has grown defensive of son Hunter as he came under attack, accusing Republicans of improperly going after his family. In a Democratic debate last week, Biden said that Republicans were telling “flat-out lies” about his son and called on television networks not to perpetuate the attacks.

“I understand how these guys are, this Republican Party,” Biden said, via the Washington Examiner.

“They have gone after — savaged my surviving son, gone after me — told lies your networks won’t carry on televisions because they are flat-out lies.”