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Trump’s Former Chief of Staff: Impeachment Trial Without Witnesses Is ‘a Job Only Half Done’

“You open yourself up forever as a Senate that shirks its responsibilities,” John Kelly said.

Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said the Senate impeachment trial against President Trump should be considered “half a trial” if lawmakers vote to end proceedings without calling witnesses. “In my view, they kind of leave themselves open to a lot of criticism,” he told NJ.com. “It seems it was half a trial.” He also referenced a recent Quinnipiac University poll, stating that three-quarters of Americans are in favor of calling more witnesses for the trial. “If I was advising the United States Senate, I would say, ‘If you don’t respond to 75 percent of the American voters and have witnesses, it’s a job only half done,’” Kelly said. “You open yourself up forever as a Senate that shirks its responsibilities.” The former chief of staff also said ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton is an “an honest guy and an honorable guy,” and said he believes Bolton’s claim that Trump withheld aid to Ukraine in order to pressure them into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. The leak of Bolton’s forthcoming book has brought calls for him to testify at the trial.