Impeachment Managers Ask Trump to Testify Under Oath

House impeachment managers want former President Trump to make his case under oath. One of the managers, Rep. James Raskin, sent a letter to Trump's legal team Thursday requesting that Trump testify either before or during the trial, which begins on Tuesday, reports the Hill. There was no immediate word on whether Trump would comply. Raskin says the request comes after Trump disputed allegations raised by House Democrats in the article of impeachment. “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, per the AP. Trump is accused of inciting the riot on the Capitol that day.

"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," Raskin added. The Washington Post notes that the impeachment managers do not have the authority to subpoena Trump if he decides not to testify. Raskin, though, said Trump had no excuse to skip. "Indeed, whereas a sitting president might raise concerns about distraction from their official duties, that concern is obviously inapplicable here,” he wrote. (Trump recently shook up his legal team.)