On Thursday, U.S. House Democrats asked former President Donald Trump to testify under oath for the Senate impeachment trial set to start next week.
House impeachment managers have sent a letter to the Trump team, requesting Trump testify as early as next Monday and no later than next Thursday, according to local media reports.
Democratic House lawmaker Jamie Raskin, a former constitutional law professor, wrote in the letter that Trump's response to the article of impeachment had "denied many factual allegations." Therefore, Democrats requested the former president testify under oath.
"If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021," Raskin wrote to Trump.
Opening arguments in the impeachment trial in an evenly split Senate will begin the week of Feb. 8. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the schedule last month after reaching an agreement with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had pushed for a delay to give Trump a chance to organize his legal team and prepare a defense.
The Democrats-controlled House voted to impeach Trump over "incitement of insurrection" in a 232-197 vote on Jan. 13, making him the first U.S. president to be impeached twice.
The impeachment came in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that left five people dead.