House Democrats have asked Donald Trump to appear in person next week to testify during his impeachment trial. Representative Jamie Raskin, who is the lead impeachment manager, wrote Trump to ask for his personal appearance, noting Trump’s lawyers “denied many factual allegations set forth in the article of impeachment.”
Trump doesn’t have to comply with the request. However, Raskin made clear in the letter that Trump’s refusal to show could reflect negatively on his conduct on January 6. The article of impeachment specifically singles out Trump’s denial of losing the election and his false claims about election fraud.
As a result of Trump’s false statements, a “Stop the Steal” movement rose up around his failed campaign to derail the results of the 2020 election. This culminated with the deadly attack on the Capitol on January 6, which left 5 dead. During Trump’s speech in DC just hours before the attack, he told supporters to “fight like hell,” a statement the impeachment manager is likely to make central to the case.
