A last-minute House impeachment managers' demands to call in witnesses to testify in the impeachment case against former President Donald Trump is a "Hail Mary" because they have not met the burden of proof needed to convict the president of inciting his supporters to attack the Capitol.
"This Hail Mary is [because] everybody knows the outcome of this proceeding, which is that President Trump is going to be acquitted," Cruz told reporters. "It takes 67 votes to convict, and there aren't 67 votes, and those on the extreme far left are angry right now. Today is a reflection of their anger."
He also blamed the decision to call in witnesses a "leftist Twitter" uproar from people who "got really upset last night that they weren't calling witnesses."
Lawmakers voted Saturday to consider witnesses, in a last-minute fight, after Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., revealed a heated phone call between Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., while last month's riot at the Capitol that Democrats say showed Trump’s indifference to the violence.
"I think the House managers were feeling the heat on their left flank, and so they decided [to] surprise [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer and the Democrats by saying they wanted witnesses at this point," Cruz told reporters. "Nobody knows what's going to happen. I will say this, if we do call witnesses, it's not going to be on one side."
"We were coming into this morning and the Democratic senators had agreed witnesses were not needed," Cruz argued. "Everyone expected that we'd have closing arguments and a vote today. And then at the last minute, the House managers changed their mind and they decided they wanted to call a witness."
He added, if the House impeachment managers call Herrera Beutler, it is "very likely" Trump's attorneys will call in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is "clearly a relevant witness to this matter."
"Pelosi can testify as to when she knew about the threats on the Capitol, what she knew specifically," Cruz said. "We heard already that the House sergeant at arms turned down National Guard protection for the Capitol on Jan. 6 because of quote the optics, and I think Speaker Pelosi can testify as to whether she made a decision based on optics based on politics, not to have additional protection at the Capitol to prevent the terrorist attack that played out."
But Cruz added his view remains that witnesses are not needed.
"I think if the Democrats want to open this Pandora's box, and I don't think this is going to work out well," Cruz said.
Cruz also said he does not think Trump should be forced to testify at his own impeachment trial, as there is a "long tradition" reflected in the Bill of Rights that an individual is not required to testify against themselves at their own trial.
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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