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Martha MacCallum Grills Eric Swalwell On Senate Process: ‘It’s Not The President’s Team’s Responsibility To Prove Him Innocent’

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Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum pressed Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell on the topic of whether the Republican-led Senate should allow witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

Thursday night’s “The Story with Martha MacCallum” interview came as the Senate conducted its third day of hearings. MacCallum began her interview with Swalwell by asking why the House “let this process” get out of their “control” when they could have taken the time to push for witnesses.

Swalwell countered by saying that former national security advisor John Bolton “wouldn’t come forward” when they “asked him to come forward” and they “didn’t have time to waste with an election coming.”

“Hold on,” MacCallum interrupted. “You said it was so, so urgent, right? Then there was a four week lull, 33 day lull in between. So if it was so urgent and you were so worried that the president was going to wreak havoc on the coming election, why was there that big gap? And again, if that’s the case, why not push for those witnesses like Mulvaney, who I know is very important to Democrats, when you had control of the situation?”

The California Democrat accused the Senate of trying to “rig the outcome,” then pushed back on the witness question:

“It’s worthy of asking, if what you say is true, the Democrats should not have gone through the way that we did, and we should’ve waited and gone for the witnesses, if thats true, are you saying that now that it’s in the Senate, even if those witnesses are relevant and could provide damaging information against the president, you should punish the Democrats and not hear from them?” he asked. “That doesn’t make sense to me either.” (RELATED: ‘You Can’t Make This Stuff Up’: CNN Analyst Says After Going Viral For Literally Making Up A Story About Republicans)

“I’m not saying either way,” MacCallum responded. “I’m just sort of assessing the way this whole thing has played out in the truth of the matter is that essentially now you have the defense in control of this part of the courtroom drama. I know we are not in a courtroom, but essentially now you have the Senate in control – that’s just what it is, and they get to call the shots, so it makes it less likely that your side is going to get what you want. It’s not the president’s team’s responsibility to prove him innocent. It’s the other side’s burden to prove that he’s guilty. That’s the way that these things tend to work.”