Donald Trump says John Bolton 'would would know nothing about what we're talking about' ahead of impeachment trial
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington email
Donald Trump has told reporters at the White House that John Bolton, his former national security advisor and a potential key witness at his upcoming Senate impeachment trial, “knows nothing” about the Ukraine quid pro quo scandal, an apparent attempt to dismiss the significance of any testimony he might give before Congress.
Senate leader Mitch McConnell has said he is prepared to push on with the trial without having first agreed a deal on new witnesses and evidence with opposition Democrats, as House speaker Nancy Pelosi urges him to publish a resolution outlining the rules of engagement “immediately”.
After the Iran crisis deepened with the bombing of two US military bases in Iraq overnight, the president was ridiculed for seeking to reassure Americans by tweeting “All is well!” before making a statement declaring the country is now “standing down” but would face punishment through new economic sanctions rather than via military conflict.
During a brief address from the White House, the president made vague claims that General Qassem Soleimani planned "new attacks on American targets" before his killing. He also threatened new sanctions and repeated false claims that the Obama administration had paid for Iranian missiles in recent attacks.
Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves
Show all 29
Meanwhile, members of Congress heard from the administration about its justification for military strikes in Iran.
House Speaker Pelosi intends to introduce a resolution this week to prevent further military action from the president
The president just spoke with PM Boris Johnson, per the White House: "The two leaders discussed the current situation in the Middle East and agreed to continue close coordination in support of shared national security interests."
The call follows yesterday's similar calls with Germany's Angela Merkel and Qatar's Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Graham resolution calls on Pelosi to 'immediately' send impeachment articles
NBC News reports that it obtained a draft of a resolution from South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham that demands House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "immediately" hand over articles of impeachment to the Senate.
The draft says the US Constitution does not provide the speaker "with the power to effectively veto a resolution passed by a duly elected majority of the House of Representatives by refusing to transmit such a resolution to the Senate."
Withholding the articles "is a flagrant violation of the separation of powers expressly outlined in the bicameral impeachment process under the Constitution of the United States," it says.
Pelosi delayed sending articles to begin a trial as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell boasted "total coordination" with the White House and has not ensured that the trial will included witnesses and evidence.
McConnell says he has the votes necessary to vote on Senate rules for the trial.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to move forward with a resolution to limit Donald Trump's military actions with Iran, urging the administration to "advance an immediate, effective de-escalatory strategy that prevents further violence".
The House Rules Committee will discuss the resolution tonight, and the full House is expected to take up a vote on the measure tomorrow.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies