WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — “Is Hunter Biden a relevant witness, senator?” asked MSNBC’s Willie Geist to West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin earlier this morning. “You know, I think so. I really do. I don’t have a problem because this is why we're where we are,” said Manchin, who is now the first Senate Democrat to suggest they would support calling the former vice president’s son as a Senate witness.
The embattled son of 2020 presidential candidate and President Barack Obama's former Vice President, Joe Biden, has been in hot water lately. While facing increased scrutiny into his role at Burisma Holdings, the younger Biden has also been the subject of a paternity case in Arkansas which alleges that Hunter is the father of former stripper Lunden Roberts’ young child.
Democrats have opposed calling either the former Vice President, or his son, as witnesses during the Senate's portion of the impeachment trial, saying they are not relevant to the case regarding President Trump.
The president and Republicans, however, have questioned son Hunter Biden’s work for Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy firm which he joined in 2014 – at the same time his father had been tapped by President Barack Obama to serve as his administration’s point man on Ukraine issues – and say his testimony is relevant to the case.
Michigan Democrat Sen. Gary Peters also recently left the door open to the possibility, and Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz recently called Hunter’s testimony “directly relevant.”
The Senate could vote as soon as this week on whether or not to call witnesses.
Democrats want to call former National Security Advisor John Bolton as a witness, but at least four Republican Senators will have to vote in favor of opening the proceedings to witnesses not heard by the House of Representatives.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican ally of Trump, said Tuesday that if Bolton is called as a witness, then Biden should be as well.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer shot down the idea, telling reporters he is “not bargaining” with Republicans on a deal to trade Bolton’s testimony for Biden’s.
