Trump says he will 'strongly consider' testifying in impeachment inquiry
US President Donald Trump has said he will "strongly consider" giving testimony in the ongoing impeachment inquiry by the Democratic-led House of Representatives.
Trump on Monday responded to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement a day earlier where she said the president could "come right before the committee and talk... or he could do it in writing."
"Even though I did nothing wrong, and don’t like giving credibility to this No Due Process Hoax, I like the idea & will, in order to get Congress focused again, strongly consider it!" Trump tweeted.
House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry against Trump in September after a whistleblower alleged the Republican president pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who had served as a director for Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
The impeachment probe shifted to a public phase on November 13 after weeks of closed-door interviews in the House.
The White House has asked officials not to comply with the impeachment inquiry, and it's unclear whether Trump would follow through on testifying himself, particularly under oath.
Trump has complained that the impeachment inquiry has been "very hard on my family."
“I have one problem. And it has been very hard on my family," he said at a campaign rally in Louisiana on Thursday, adding that "impeachment, to me, is a dirty word."
Trump further complained that the impeachment looming is both “crazy” and “unfair”.
"It’s been very unfair, very hard on my family. Me, it’s my whole life, it’s crazy," he said.
Trump has also slammed the impeachment proceedings as "rigged" and a "hoax" and complained that the White House has not received proper due process.
Asked about the latter statement, Pelosi said on Sunday that Trump would be welcome to make his case under oath.
"The President could come right before the committee and talk, speak all the truth that he wants if he wants to... take the oath of office or he could do it in writing," Pelosi said. "He has every opportunity to present his case."
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