Member of Trump’s Defense Team: President Has a Right to Witnesses, Impeachment Managers Don’t

A member of President Donald Trump’s legal team has told Fox News that the House impeachment managers don’t have the right to call witnesses in the upcoming Senate trial but that the President does. Robert Ray, a former independent counsel investigating the Clintons, made the claim on Monday’s Fox & Friends.

Fox’s Pete Hegseth asked Ray about having witnesses while simultaneously appearing to mock Democrats for wanting to call witnesses. Ray responded by re-enforcing the oft repeated notion that there may not be any.

“It’s the President’s right under the Sixth Amendment to have witnesses, not the other way around. There’s no right for the House managers to have witnesses,” Ray said.

“Look, it’s a trial. It’s an opportunity for fairness finally, and for both sides to present. If the Senate decides that it needs witnesses in order to resolve something, then that’s an entirely appropriate step for the Senate in their discretion to make.”

“But, if on the other hand this is the type of impeachment, an entirely partisan effort, that ultimately doesn’t have basis or foundation, what need would there be of witnesses? And if the Senate can make that judgment without witnesses, they are entirely permitted to do that. That’s our job to present that case. And that case will be presented later this week.”

Ray’s argument seems to suggest that Trump’s legal team wants to convince the Senate to acquit him without calling witnesses. It is unlikely constitutional and other lawyers would agree with Ray’s reasoning.

Watch the video above, via Fox News.