Democrats press Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to allow witnesses in the trial of Donald Trump over abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

McConnell, continuing three years of protection of Trump, is refusing to permit testimony from White House officials with first-hand knowledge of the Trump-Ukraine affair. They include White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and Office of Management and Budget political appointee Michael Duffey, who order the Pentagon to carry out Trump’s freeze of security assistance to Ukraine.

Duffey issued the command 90 minutes after the July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump sought investigations to tarnish Presidential candidate Joe Biden and to cover up Russia’s involvement in the 2016 US election.

The call led to a formal complaint by the CIA official liaising with the White House over Ukraine. That in turn sparked House hearings that culminated in last Wednesday’s impeachment.

See also TrumpWatch, Day 1,066: Ukraine Aid Frozen 90 Minutes After Trump-Zelenskiy Call
See also TrumpWatch, Day 1,064: Trump Impeachment — McConnell Block on Witnesses May Delay Trial

The Majority Leader’s tactic continues the White House effort to prevent witnesses from testifying and providing documents, ordering them to defy House committee subpoenas — an effort that has brought the obstruction of Congress charge against Trump.

McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are negotiating the rules for the trial. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not transmitting the articles of impeachment formally until the rules are agreed.

Schumer said at a Sunday news conference:

Until we hear from the witnesses, until we get the documents, the American people will correctly assume that those blocking their testimony were aiding and abetting a cover up, plain and simple….President Trump, release the emails, let the witnesses testify, what are you afraid of?

Klobuchar said of Duffey, who told the Pentagon to stay silent about the aid freeze, “This man should testify.”

Trump’s close friend Sen. Lindsey Graham said — ironically, given the impeachment focus on Trump’s abuse of power — that Pelosi is “trying to tell Mitch McConnell how to run the Senate. She’s trampling on the separation of powers.”

Schumer and McConnell last met on Thursday, with no prospect of a follow-up until after the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The Minority Leader said on Sunday that he told McConnell, “We need witnesses and documents, it’s only fair, it’s only right.”

When McConnell refused, Schumer said, “Please think about it over these holidays.”

He added Sunday, “Let’s hope he is.”