Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, is a relevant witness for the Senate's ongoing impeachment trial of President Trump.
"I think so, I really do. I don't have a problem there because this is why we are where we are," Manchin said. "Now, I think that he can clear himself, what I know, what I've heard. But being afraid to put anybody that might have pertinent information is wrong, no matter if you're a Democrat or Republican."
Manchin said senators should not be able to go home and think, "Well I protect one and [was] afraid of the other."
"No, if it's relevant, then it should be there," he added.
Manchin is the first Democrat to definitively say Biden should be called to testify. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) caused outrage after it was reported she would be open to acquitting Trump, despite her disagreements with Trump's behavior.
In a tweet, Feinstein said the Los Angeles Times misunderstood what she had told them
The LA Times misunderstood what I said today. Before the trial I said I'd keep an open mind. Now that both sides made their cases, it’s clear the president’s actions were wrong. He withheld vital foreign assistance for personal political gain. That can’t be allowed to stand.
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) January 28, 2020
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) told reporters last week Biden should be called to testify because of the Democratic House impeachment managers' case they presented to the Senate.
"I will again, though, I was very surprised that they chose to make Hunter Biden so central to this presentation and to insist over and over and over again that they knew for a fact about the details, what was going on with Burisma and Biden, and I will just say, for my part, if we're going to call witnesses, I think it's now clear we absolutely must call Hunter and we probably need to call Joe Biden," he said.