'Impeachment is about Trump’s conduct, not mine': Biden expands on subpoena remarks

Nicholas Wu | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Presidential impeachment: Clinton, Johnson, Nixon test U.S. democracy Presidents have been impeached, but none have been removed from office due to impeachment. Confusing? Here's how.

Former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden looked to clarify his remarks about complying with congressionally issued subpoenas in a series of tweets on Saturday morning.

Biden said he cooperated with all "legitimate congressional oversight requests" in his 40 years in public life but argued there was no "legal basis for Republican subpoenas for my testimony in the impeachment trial."

"The subpoenas should go to witnesses with testimony to offer to Trump’s shaking down the Ukraine government — they should go to the White House," Biden added.

During a Friday interview with the Des Moines Register's editorial board, Biden said he would not comply with a Senate subpoena during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate.

But I am just not going to pretend that there is any legal basis for Republican subpoenas for my testimony in the impeachment trial. That is the point I was making yesterday and I reiterate: this impeachment is about Trump’s conduct, not mine. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 28, 2019

House Democrats passed two articles of impeachment against Trump on Dec. 18 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, but have delayed the transmission of the articles to the Senate until senators come to an agreement on a Senate trial.

Democratic and Republican senators, however, are currently at what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., described as an "impasse" over negotiations on the format for a Senate trial.

More: Biden says he would not comply with a Senate subpoena in the impeachment trial of President Trump

Democrats want to be able to call documents and witnesses who declined to comply during the House's impeachment inquiry like former national security adviser John Bolton and Office of Management and Budget official Michael Duffey.

Some Republicans, on the other hand, have floated the possibility of calling Biden or his son Hunter Biden during the Senate trial.