Former President Donald Trump will not testify in his upcoming Senate impeachment trial, Fox News reports.
Trump senior adviser Jason Miller told the network on Thursday that Trump ''will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding.''
The House impeachment managers asked Trump to testify under oath either before or during the impeachment trial about ''his conduct'' on the day of the Capitol attack.
Trump’s legal team called Impeachment Manager Jamie Raskin's request for testimony a "public relations stunt" and said they "cannot prove" the allegations against him.
"We are in receipt of your latest public relations stunt," Trump's attorneys Bruce Castor and David Schoen wrote to Raskin. "As you certainly know, there is no such thing as a negative interference in this unconstitutional proceeding."
"Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone: you cannot prove your allegations against the 45th President of the United States, who is now a private citizen," they continued.
They added: "The use of our Constitution to bring a purported impeachment proceeding is much too serious to try to play these games."
The impeachment managers made the request after Trump’s legal team filed an answer to the Article of Impeachment denying what the managers call "incontrovertible facts about the president’s conduct on and leading up to" the Capitol riots.
Trump’s legal team responded saying that "the 45th president of the United States performed admirably in his role as president, at all times doing what he thought was in the best interests of the American people."
In a letter to Trump, Raskin wrote that the former president has "attempted to put critical facts at issue notwithstanding the clear and overwhelming evidence of your constitutional offense."
"In light of your disputing these factual allegations, I write to invite you to provide testimony under oath, either before or during the Senate impeachment trial, concerning your conduct on January 6, 2021," Raskin wrote. "We would propose that you provide your testimony (of course including cross-examination) as early as Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, and not later than Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. We would be pleased to arrange such testimony at a mutually convenient time and place."
Raskin added: "If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021."
Raskin asked Trump for a response by 5 p.m. on Friday.