Senate Dems privately weigh Biden-for-Bolton gambit

WASHINGTON — Several Senate Democrats are privately discussing the possibility of calling Republicans’ bluff on witnesses, weighing an unusual trade in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial: the testimony of Hunter Biden for the testimony of a key administration official.

Publicly, most Democrats have scoffed at the growing GOP clamor to hear former Vice President Joe Biden’s son testify, dismissing him as irrelevant to the charges against Mr. Trump and accusing Republicans of trying to distract from the allegations against the president.

But behind closed doors, a small group of Democratic senators and aides have begun to question that logic, sounding out their colleagues on whether they should back a witness deal that could lead to testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton or other administration officials with possible firsthand knowledge of the Ukraine controversy, according to multiple Democratic officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private discussions.

These Democrats said they believe having Hunter — or possibly Joe Biden — testify could backfire on Mr. Trump and the GOP, giving Mr. Biden and the party a platform to strike back and paint Republicans and the White House as obsessed with trying to damage one of Mr. Trump’s 2020 presidential rivals.

“If you want to give Joe Biden an opportunity to sit in the well of the Senate and answer the question, ‘Do you think the president acted appropriately?’ go right ahead,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a Biden supporter who is close with the family. Mr. Coons has not discussed the matter with Mr. Biden or Democratic leaders but said his longtime friend could hold his own.

“I can’t imagine a person more comfortable in the well of the Senate than a man who spent 36 years here as a United States senator,” he said.

The discussions about the Bidens are being closely held, and the issue is fraught for Democrats, due to the differing levels of support for Mr. Biden in a chamber stocked with presidential candidates and the clashing views on impeachment strategy.