Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden said the Senate impeachment trial that will keep several of his 2020 Democratic presidential rivals off the campaign trail isn’t necessarily a logistical advantage for candidates who aren’t also U.S. senators.
“I don’t know that it’s an advantage, and it may actually be an advantage to be in the midst of what is going to be a very difficult process judging the president,” Mr. Biden said in an interview over the weekend with a local Iowa TV station. “[They] might get a whole lot of coverage.”
Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts all have to be in Washington, D.C., for the impeachment trial of President Trump. Major action is set to start on Tuesday.
Mr. Sanders told supporters in Iowa on Monday that supporters are going to have to pick up the slack since he’ll be “stuck in Washington” for “God knows how long.”
He also said last week he’s concerned about how the trial will affect his campaign and that he’d rather be campaigning in the early states but that he thinks the American people know he has a job to do.
Mr. Trump is facing charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Democrats are alleging that he improperly withheld military aid to Ukraine unless the country agreed to announce politically beneficial investigations, including into Mr. Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine.
The president has denied any wrongdoing.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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