As calls grow for former national security adviser John Bolton's Senate testimony on President Donald Trump and Ukraine and with the release of an upcoming book, Sen. Josh Hawley said Monday that he's not saying witnesses shouldn't be called in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, but he does think that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff should be the "number one" person to take the stand.
"We know his staff had contact with the so-called whistleblower before the whistleblower filed his complaint," the Missouri Republican told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" about Schiff, a California Democrat and lead House impeachment manager.
"We know Schiff's staff gave the whistleblower direction," Hawley continued. "I want to know what direction. I want to know what they talked about. By the way, Schiff lied about that. Why did he?"
Hawley also said the Senate needs to hear from Hunter Biden, the younger son of former Vice President Joe Biden.
"He is right at the center of this," said Hawley. "What was he doing in Ukraine? What was he doing with Burisma? And probably Joe Biden? What did Joe Biden know when he asked the Ukrainians to fire that prosecutor who was looking into Hunter?"
Hawley said he doesn't necessarily believe The New York Times' accounting of what Bolton's manuscript says after the newspaper reported Bolton had claimed Trump told him about keeping military aid on hold pending investigations on the Bidens. However, he added the book is now on preorder and the controversy is "certainly going to sell a lot of books."
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said over the weekend he'd prefer to vote on the record that has already been established to keep the trial from becoming "a circus," and to handle the Bidens in another way, but Hawley said he thinks if witnesses will be called, all should be sought "who are material and relevant."
"We need to hear from the whistleblower, too," said Hawley.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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