Sen. Joe Manchin Wednesday agreed that Hunter Biden would be a "relevant witness" in the Senate's impeachment trial of President Donald Trump and that he has no problem with calling on him to testify.
"I don't have a problem there, because this is why we are where we are," the West Virginia Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "Now, I think that he could clear himself, of what I know and what I've heard."
If the Senate agrees to allow witnesses to testify in the impeachment trial, Republican lawmakers have called on Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, to top the list and testify about his actions in Ukraine, where he was employed by energy giant Burisma.
It would be wrong to be "afraid to put anybody that might have pertinent information" up as a witness, no matter if one is a Democrat or a Republican, said Manchin. "If it's relevant, it should be there."
He added that he would "absolutely" vote to include Hunter Biden as a witness if he's ruled as being pertinent to the impeachment case.
"I want witnesses," said Manchin. "I want people to tell me what you know. You're asking me to make the most important decision I've ever made in a critical arena I'm in or as an individual, and I want to hear everything I can...anybody that has pertinent information has to be considered as a witness."
Manchin also said he has not made a decision on a move among a handful of Democrats to split up the articles of impeachment against Trump and voting to acquit him on the charges of obstruction of Congress.
"I take my oath seriously," said Manchin. "I have not made a decision yet...I have a question. I want to ask somebody have you ever been in a trial when you weren't able to call witnesses? That's one simple question I want to ask. There's pertinent evidence, and so until I see these two days, eight hours today and tomorrow, I'll be closer to a decision then."
Manchin said he believes both the House managers and the president's defense counsel have done "admirable jobs" in presenting their cases, but he wants to ask why the Trump team does not want witnesses called.
"We have an obligation and a responsibility to have a thorough trial," he said. "How do you have a trial without witnesses and evidence to the charges that are brought against the president of the United States? And he said that he wanted witnesses, too, to clear his name. He ought to have the right to have a fair trial in the Senate. That's what we're trying to do."