Washington, Oct 5
US President Donald Trump has conceded that House Democrats have enough votes to pass a resolution calling for his impeachment, but he believed the Republican-controlled Senate will stand by him in a potential trial.
"So the Democrats, unfortunately, they have the votes," Trump said on Friday while speaking to reporters outside the White House.
"They can vote very easily, even though most of them, many of them, don't believe they should do it."
The impeachment inquiry, announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September 24, stemmed from a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a July 25 phone call to investigate Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate for the 2020 election, as well as issues related to alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, Xinhua news agency reported.
Once the Democratic-controlled House passed articles of impeachment against the President, the Senate will have to hold a trial.
Trump told reporters that he believed the Senate will side with him if a trial happened.
"We have a great relationship in the Senate," he said. "I believe the Senate -- and I haven't spoken to that many Senators -- but I believe the senators look at this as a hoax."
The President reiterated once again that there was no quid pro quo in his phone call with Zelensky.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in an interview with CNBC on Monday that his chamber would have "no choice" but to hold the trial if articles of impeachment were sent to the Senate floor.
In a new campaign ad posted on Facebook, McConnell spoke directly in front of a camera and rallied support for stopping the impeachment.
"Nancy Pelosi is in the clutches of a left-wing mob," he said. "They've finally convinced her to impeach the President. All of you know your Constitution. The way that impeachment stops is a Senate majority, with me as majority leader."
"But I need your help," the top Senate Republican added. "Please contribute before the deadline."
Also on Friday, House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings issued a subpoena to the White House seeking documents related to Trump's interactions with the Ukrainian leadership.
In a letter to Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Cummings, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel ordered that the documents should be produced by October 18.
The subpoena came after the three committees separately sent a letter earlier on Friday seeking documents from Vice President Mike Pence as part of their investigation.
