Former Vice President Joe Biden told the editorial board of the Des Moines Register that he would not comply if subpoenaed to testify in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate.

He said he testimony would only be used to take the focus off of Trump and the offenses alleged against the president in two articles of impeachment passed by the House.

In early December, Biden first made his feelings about the subject known in an interview with NPR’s Rachel Martin.

„No, I’m not going to let you take the eye off the ball here. Everybody knows what this is about,“ he told Martin. „This is a Trump gambit he plays. Whenever he’s in trouble he tries to find someone else to divert attention to.“

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Former Vice President Joe Biden told the editorial board of the Des Moines Register that he would not comply if subpoenaed to testify in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate – repeating comments he made earlier this month.

The 2020 candidate said the testimony would only be used to take the focus off of Trump and the offenses alleged against the president in two articles of impeachment passed by the House.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, and Senate parameters for the trial – including witnesses – have yet to be determined. It is unclear if witnesses will be called. Biden has not been subpoenaed.

Speaking to the editorial board at the Register, an important potential endorsement ahead of the fast-approaching Iowa caucuses, Biden reiterated his reasoning.

„The reason I wouldn’t is because it’s all designed to deal with Trump doing what he’s done his whole life: trying to take the focus off him,“ Biden said in an interview with the editorial board of the Des Moines Register. „The issue is not what I did.“

He called the grounds to call him „specious“ and said he didn’t think it would play out that he would be called. He also discussed coverage of the trial, were he to testify.

„What are you going to cover?“ Biden asked. „You guys are going to cover for three weeks anything that I said. And he’s going to get away. You guys buy into it all the time.“

„This guy violated the Constitution,“ He added of Trump. „He said it in the driveway of the White House. He acknowledged he asked for help.“

In early December, Biden first made his feelings about the subject known in an interview with NPR’s Rachel Martin.

„No, I’m not going to let you take the eye off the ball here. Everybody knows what this is about,“ he told Martin. „This is a Trump gambit he plays. Whenever he’s in trouble he tries to find someone else to divert attention to.“

The House impeached Trump for obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. The latter charge stems from a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump tried to use the power of the presidency to get dirt on Biden ahead of the 2020 election. In a July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump mentions Biden’s son Hunter and a conspiracy theory about the 2016 election and asked Zelensky to „do us a favor.“

Trump has insisted that the phone call was „perfect“ and has denied any wrongdoing.