GOP senator says it looks like House has ‘weak hand’

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said Sunday that he has not “prejudged anything” ahead of the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, but it looks like the House has a “weak hand.”

Shelby said on ABC’s “This Week” that the Senate trial “ought to be fair,” adding that he had some “not conclusive” early observations.

“One, it looks to me at this juncture that the House has got a weak hand,” he said. “They’re wanting us in the Senate to open the case up and to try everything – re-try their stuff.”

The Alabama senator added that he would be “open to listening to the arguments” to allow more witnesses like  John Bolton to testify in front of the upper chamber, if the former national security adviser would add something new. 

“I think that’s the only way to be fair to both sides in this case,” he said.

“I think the House rushed to judgment on this,” Shelby said.  “They could have pursued this a lot longer. But they made a political decision. And I think it’s — they’ve got problems now and they want us to unwind their problems.”

{mosads}The Senate will begin the impeachment trial into President Trump this week after the House officially transmitted the upper chamber the articles of impeachment last week. The House passed articles including abuse of power and obstruction of Congress against the president last month.

Senate Democrats have been pushing to get Bolton to testify, and he has said he is willing to appear if subpoenaed. But Senate Republicans have argued against having additional witnesses in the trial, saying the House should have been more complete in its investigation.