众议院民主党人表示希望唐纳德·特朗普参与弹劾调查，但一名共和党议员称之为“浪费时间”
佛罗里达州民主党众议员瓦尔·戴明斯说，她希望特朗普或他的律师能参与弹劾调查并为自己正式辩护，但佐治亚州共和党众议员道格·柯林斯周日上午完全驳回了这一建议。
据哥伦比亚广播公司周六报道，柯林斯在周三的第一次众议院司法委员会弹劾听证会上要求更多共和党支持的宪法学者。周日，柯林斯对福克斯新闻主播克里斯华莱士(Chris Wallace)关于特朗普是否会为其在乌克兰的交易进行合法辩护的调查做出回应，他只是简单地取消了听证会。
白宫律师会参加弹劾调查为总统辩护吗？司法委员会高级成员众议员道格·柯林斯回应道:“这完全是美国人在浪费时间。”
—福克斯新闻周日(@福克斯新闻周日)2019年12月1日
华莱士在采访中问柯林斯，后者是否知道白宫律师是否会参与并为总统辩护。
“我想我们还在考虑这个问题，但是我有一个问题要问你，克里斯:他们为什么要参加另一场重播？科林斯说:“顺便说一下，我们又回到了司法委员会的重播季。”。“我们已经有宪法学者在委员会中讨论穆勒报告，其他人[问]，‘有可弹劾的罪名吗？’这完全是美国在浪费时间。"
“问题是[主席杰里·纳德勒和其他人已经由[决定了。他们已经在撰写弹劾条款，不管他们是否有任何公正、程序。”
柯林斯提到了他周六写给民主党众议院司法委员会主席杰瑞·纳德勒的一封信，信中要求在该委员会周三的首次弹劾听证会上成立一个由宪法学者和学者组成的更加“平衡”的小组。他声称支持弹劾特朗普的学者比例为“3比1”。柯林斯说，在比尔·克林顿弹劾听证会上，“有四倍多的证人”，而且在最终不成功的弹劾过程中，有均衡比例的人被请来作证。
科林斯继续说:“我认为这里的问题是[民主党人]正在努力争取在年底前完成这项工作。”。“因为他们想在明年选举之前，在每个人都看穿假[这个过程之前，现在就抓住这位总统。”
柯林斯说，民主党正试图“推翻”2016年投票给特朗普的近6300万人的选票。
佛罗里达民主党众议员瓦尔·戴明斯周日接受美国广播公司新闻采访时表示，她希望特朗普能代表自己并派律师出席听证会。
瓦尔·戴明斯众议员说，她希望总统。特朗普将参与弹劾调查:“我们当然希望总统、他的律师能利用这个机会。”
白宫没有表示他们是否会参加。
—本周(@本周ABC)2019年12月1日
戴明斯说:“我认为现在的主要焦点是让总统和他的律师参与弹劾程序，你知道，他们享有尼克松总统和克林顿总统同样的特权。”。
“我们当然希望总统、他的律师能利用这个机会，”她继续说道。"如果他没有做错什么，我们当然急于听到对此的解释。"
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN CALLS TRUMP IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY 'A COMPLETE AMERICAN WASTE OF TIME'
House Democrats expressed hope Donald Trump will participate in the impeachment inquiry, but one Republican congressman called it "a waste of time."
Florida Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings said she's hopeful Trump or his attorneys will participate and formally defend himself in the impeachment inquiry, but Georgia GOP Congressman Doug Collins dismissed that suggestion entirely Sunday morning.
As reported by CBS News Saturday, Collins requested more Republican-backed constitutional scholars at the first House Judiciary committee impeachment hearing Wednesday. On Sunday, Collins responded to Fox News anchor Chris Wallace's inquiry into whether Trump will mount a legitimate defense of his Ukraine dealings by simply writing off the hearings altogether.
Will White House counsel participate in the impeachment inquiry to mount a defense of the president? Rep Doug Collins, ranking member of the Judiciary committee, reacts: "this is a complete American waste of time right here."
— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) December 1, 2019
Wallace asked Collins during the interview if the latter knew whether the White House counsel is going to participate and mount a defense of the president.
"I think we're still looking at that, but I have a question for you Chris: why would they want to participate in just another rerun? We're back here again by the way in rerun season here in the Judiciary Committee," Collins said. "We've already had constitutional scholars in the committee talking about the Mueller report and others [asking], 'Is there an impeachable offense?' This is a complete American waste of time right here."
"The problem is [chairman] Jerry Nadler and the rest of them have already [made up their] mind. They're already writing the articles of impeachment, whether they have any fairness, process."
Collins referenced a Saturday letter he wrote to Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler requesting a more "balanced" panel of constitutional scholars and academics at the committee's first impeachment hearing on Wednesday. He claimed there is a "3 to 1 ratio" of scholars in favor of impeaching Trump. Collins said there were "more than four times as many witnesses" during the Bill Clinton impeachment hearings and a balanced ratio of people brought in to testify in that ultimately unsuccessful impeachment process.
"I think the problem here is the [Democrats] are on a timeframe to try and finish this out by the end of the year," Collins continued. "Because they want to get at this president, right now, before everybody sees through this process sham [ahead of] the elections next year."
Collins said Democrats are trying to "overturn" the votes of the nearly 63 million people who voted for Trump in 2016.
Speaking with ABC News on Sunday, Florida Democratic Representative Val Demings expressed her hope that Trump will represent himself and send attorneys to the hearings.
Rep. Val Demings says she hopes Pres. Trump will participate in the impeachment inquiry: "We are certainly hoping the president, his counsel will take advantage of that opportunity."
The White House has not indicated whether they will participate.
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 1, 2019
"I think the main focus right now is to have the president and his counsel, who you know are given the same privileges as President Nixon and President Clinton had, to engage and participate in this impeachment process," Demings said.
"We are certainly hoping the president, his counsel will take advantage of that opportunity," she continued. "If he has done nothing wrong, we're certainly anxious to hear an explanation of that."
