President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE said Wednesday that he would let the GOP-controlled Senate decide whether his impeachment trial should include witness testimony.

Trump also said that he would rather go the “long way” with a Senate impeachment trial and have former national security adviser John Bolton John BoltonDiplomacy with China is good for America The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep DOJ launches probe into Bolton book for possible classified information disclosures MORE and others testify, but that their appearances would pose a risk to national security.

“I would rather go the long way. I would rather interview Bolton. I would rather interview a lot of people,” Trump said at a news conference at the end of a two-day appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

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“The problem with John is that it’s a national security problem,” the president continued, indicating executive privilege would apply to Bolton's testimony. “He knows some of my thoughts. He knows what I think about leaders. What happens if he reveals what I think about a certain leader and it’s not very positive and I have to deal on behalf of the country?”

Trump added that Bolton left his White House on negative terms last September and “you don’t like people testifying when they didn’t leave on good terms.”

Trump also said he would like to have Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoHouse panel halts contempt proceedings against Pompeo after documents turned over Outgoing ambassador to China slams Beijing over coronavirus: 'Could have been contained in Wuhan' Hillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers MORE and former Energy Secretary Rick Perry Rick PerryOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Democrats push resolution to battle climate change, sluggish economy and racial injustice | Senators reach compromise on greenhouse gas amendment stalling energy bill | Trump courts Florida voters with offshore drilling moratorium OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump signs major conservation bill into law | Senate votes to confirm Energy's No. 2 official | Trump Jr. expresses opposition to Pebble Mine project Senate votes to confirm Energy's No. 2 official MORE testify in the Senate impeachment trial, but that executive privilege would also apply to their testimony for national security reasons.

He added that he’d “love” to have acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyMick Mulvaney to start hedge fund Fauci says positive White House task force reports don't always match what he hears on the ground Bottom line MORE appear, though there was “not much he could add” beyond an interview Mulvaney did with Fox News’s Chris Wallace Christopher (Chris) WallaceBiden town hall draws 3.3 million viewers for CNN Gates says travel ban made COVID-19 worse in US CNN slammed for soft questions during Biden town hall: 'The media is broken' MORE in October.

Trump instructed Bolton, Mulvaney and other current and former officials not to testify under subpoena in connection with the impeachment inquiry in the House, asserting executive branch immunity. The Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump for obstructing Congress by blocking witnesses and document production, in addition to abusing his power in his dealings with Ukraine.

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Democrats have been pushing to call witnesses in the Senate, arguing the process would be otherwise unfair and tilted to favor the president. Trump’s attorneys, meanwhile, have argued Democrats should have sought a resolution to the subpoena fight in court, claiming Trump was asserting constitutional privilege protections offered to the executive branch.

Trump’s remarks in Davos came one day after his trial began in earnest in the Senate. Republicans defeated a number of amendments offered by Democrats to the rules of the trial seeking to subpoena documents and witnesses, including Bolton and Mulvaney, at the outset of the proceedings.

The rules resolution approved in a party-line vote in the early hours Wednesday morning allows for debate on witnesses following the opening arguments by House impeachment managers and the president’s lawyers.

Trump’s lawyers and his White House have shown opposition to calling Democratic-sought witnesses in the impeachment trial, though Trump on Wednesday deferred to the Republican-controlled Senate while railing against his impeachment as a “hoax.”

“I’m going to leave that to the Senate,” Trump said when asked if witnesses should be called. “The Senate is going to have to answer that.”

“I’m going to head back and I’ll be watching,” the president said of the impeachment proceedings. “But it’s really going to be up to the Senate.”

Most Republicans have remained opposed to witness testimony, but a handful of more moderate members have expressed an interest in hearing from witnesses. Senate Democrats need four Republicans to break with their colleagues in order to compel witnesses to testify.