This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2019/nov/12/slug-trump-news-today-live-impeachment-republicans-ukraine-hearings-latest-updates
The article has changed 23 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 21 | Version 22 |
|---|---|
| Schiff ahead of public hearings: Trump tried to scheme with Ukraine – as it happened | Schiff ahead of public hearings: Trump tried to scheme with Ukraine – as it happened |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| The House intelligence chair, Adam Schiff, pushed back against Republicans’ defense of the president in an interview with NPR | The House intelligence chair, Adam Schiff, pushed back against Republicans’ defense of the president in an interview with NPR |
| Live political reporting continues on Wednesday’s blog: | |
| GOP lawmakers circulated an internal memo outlining arguments in defense of Trump. Democrats rebutted, releasing their own memo debunking each argument. | GOP lawmakers circulated an internal memo outlining arguments in defense of Trump. Democrats rebutted, releasing their own memo debunking each argument. |
| Republican senators said they’d all be too busy to tune into the public impeachment hearings coming up this week. | Republican senators said they’d all be too busy to tune into the public impeachment hearings coming up this week. |
| Donald Trump reportedly considered firing the intelligence community watchdog, because the complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry was taken seriously. | Donald Trump reportedly considered firing the intelligence community watchdog, because the complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry was taken seriously. |
| A new poll found that Pete Buttigieg was leading in Iowa, ahead of Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. | A new poll found that Pete Buttigieg was leading in Iowa, ahead of Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. |
| The president teased, “We’re close” on a trade deal with China | The president teased, “We’re close” on a trade deal with China |
| John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, reportedly told Morgan Stanley’s hedge fund clients that he believed the president’s Turkey policy was motivated by personal or financial interests. | John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, reportedly told Morgan Stanley’s hedge fund clients that he believed the president’s Turkey policy was motivated by personal or financial interests. |
| The supreme court deliberated the future of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or Daca today. | The supreme court deliberated the future of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or Daca today. |
| Tune in tomorrow morning for live coverage of the first public impeachment hearings. | Tune in tomorrow morning for live coverage of the first public impeachment hearings. |
| Democrats respond to GOP memo, rebutting Republicans’ defense of Trump | Democrats respond to GOP memo, rebutting Republicans’ defense of Trump |
| In the memo, posted on CNN, Democrats rebut each of the four arguments the Republicans put forth in their internal memo in the impeachment inquiry. | In the memo, posted on CNN, Democrats rebut each of the four arguments the Republicans put forth in their internal memo in the impeachment inquiry. |
| The Republican memo, obtained by Axios, put forth these points: | The Republican memo, obtained by Axios, put forth these points: |
| These arguments are “patently false” the Democrats’ memo says: | These arguments are “patently false” the Democrats’ memo says: |
| 1) The July 25 call does show evidence of conditionality and pressure. | 1) The July 25 call does show evidence of conditionality and pressure. |
| 2) Ukraine did know about the hold on assistance, based on testimonies from Defense Department official Laura Cooper and State Department official Katherine Croft. | 2) Ukraine did know about the hold on assistance, based on testimonies from Defense Department official Laura Cooper and State Department official Katherine Croft. |
| 3) Security assistance only came after Congress intervened, and Ukraine’s president publicly said on September 25th that Trump had not set a date for a White House visit. | 3) Security assistance only came after Congress intervened, and Ukraine’s president publicly said on September 25th that Trump had not set a date for a White House visit. |
| Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he’s got other plans: Tomorrow I’m going to be paying attention to what we’re doing in the Senate,” he told reporters. | Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said he’s got other plans: Tomorrow I’m going to be paying attention to what we’re doing in the Senate,” he told reporters. |
| The same goes for Senator John Cornyn of Texas, “I’ve got other things to do,” he said. | The same goes for Senator John Cornyn of Texas, “I’ve got other things to do,” he said. |
| Senator Roy Blunt said his schedule is too packed. “I don’t see any time in my schedule that I would be likely to watch any of it tomorrow” he said. | Senator Roy Blunt said his schedule is too packed. “I don’t see any time in my schedule that I would be likely to watch any of it tomorrow” he said. |
| We’re all so busy these days... | We’re all so busy these days... |
| Foreign policy officials endorse Joe Biden | Foreign policy officials endorse Joe Biden |
| 133 foreign policy officials and experts are backing Joe Biden, according to his campaign. Many of them are national security officials from the Obama-Biden administration. | 133 foreign policy officials and experts are backing Joe Biden, according to his campaign. Many of them are national security officials from the Obama-Biden administration. |
| The endorsements help cast Biden as a return to more centrist, traditional foreign policy, writes Washington Post’s opinion columnist Josh Rogin: | The endorsements help cast Biden as a return to more centrist, traditional foreign policy, writes Washington Post’s opinion columnist Josh Rogin: |
| Indeed, in a new ad campaign, Biden’s campaign casts him as a “tested and trusted” leader: | Indeed, in a new ad campaign, Biden’s campaign casts him as a “tested and trusted” leader: |
| In an interview with NPR, House intelligence chair Adam Schiff said that it doesn’t matter whether Trump’s Ukraine scheme worked, or resulted in an actual investigation into the Bidens, pushing back on the Republicans’ latest defense of the president. | In an interview with NPR, House intelligence chair Adam Schiff said that it doesn’t matter whether Trump’s Ukraine scheme worked, or resulted in an actual investigation into the Bidens, pushing back on the Republicans’ latest defense of the president. |
| Schiff told NPR’s Steve Inskeep: | Schiff told NPR’s Steve Inskeep: |
| There’s plenty more politics action to come and west coast reporter Maanvi Singh will take over the blog for the next few hours. | There’s plenty more politics action to come and west coast reporter Maanvi Singh will take over the blog for the next few hours. |
| Here’s where the day stands so far: | Here’s where the day stands so far: |
| Donald Trump has been privately discussing the prospect of firing the intelligence community watchdog, reportedly because he’s aggrieved at the whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry was taken seriously. | Donald Trump has been privately discussing the prospect of firing the intelligence community watchdog, reportedly because he’s aggrieved at the whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry was taken seriously. |
| Rick Gates, who served as Trump’s deputy campaign manager in 2016, testified during the trial of Roger Stone that he learned of WikiLeaks’ planned release of emails damaging to Hillary Clinton much earlier than previously acknowledged. | Rick Gates, who served as Trump’s deputy campaign manager in 2016, testified during the trial of Roger Stone that he learned of WikiLeaks’ planned release of emails damaging to Hillary Clinton much earlier than previously acknowledged. |
| A new poll from Iowa found Pete Buttigieg leading the Democratic 2020 field in the first caucus state, pulling just ahead of Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. | A new poll from Iowa found Pete Buttigieg leading the Democratic 2020 field in the first caucus state, pulling just ahead of Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. |
| The president teases once again that there might be a trade deal with China “soon”. He said today: “We’re close.” | The president teases once again that there might be a trade deal with China “soon”. He said today: “We’re close.” |
| During a private speech in Miami last week, John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, reportedly told the audience that he believed the president’s Turkey policy was motivated by personal or financial interests. | During a private speech in Miami last week, John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, reportedly told the audience that he believed the president’s Turkey policy was motivated by personal or financial interests. |
| The president apparently feels so wronged that the original whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry was taken seriously by Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, that the president has been discussing the prospect of ousting this key official. | The president apparently feels so wronged that the original whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment inquiry was taken seriously by Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, that the president has been discussing the prospect of ousting this key official. |
| Trump appointed Atkinson in 2017 and, instead of accepting that it’s a watchdog’s job to weigh such a complaint on its merits and follow a nonpartisan procedure, the president is accusing him of disloyalty, Joanna Walters writes. | Trump appointed Atkinson in 2017 and, instead of accepting that it’s a watchdog’s job to weigh such a complaint on its merits and follow a nonpartisan procedure, the president is accusing him of disloyalty, Joanna Walters writes. |
| The New York Times has just broken this story. | The New York Times has just broken this story. |
| With public hearings set to start tomorrow, a House Democratic aide working on the impeachment inquiry told congressional reporters that the lawmakers leading the investigation would “continue to make news every day.” | With public hearings set to start tomorrow, a House Democratic aide working on the impeachment inquiry told congressional reporters that the lawmakers leading the investigation would “continue to make news every day.” |
| The first public hearing in the investigation is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and former US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch will testify Friday. | The first public hearing in the investigation is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and former US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch will testify Friday. |
| Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House intelligence committee, also said in a memo to members today that additional witnesses would be announced later this week. | Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House intelligence committee, also said in a memo to members today that additional witnesses would be announced later this week. |
| After their press conference on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer called on Mitch McConnell to take up the House bill that would establish a path to permanent resident status for DACA recipients. | After their press conference on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer called on Mitch McConnell to take up the House bill that would establish a path to permanent resident status for DACA recipients. |
| The bill, formally called the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, passed the House in June, but it has not yet been considered in the Republican-controlled Senate. | The bill, formally called the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, passed the House in June, but it has not yet been considered in the Republican-controlled Senate. |
| George Kent, one of the officials scheduled to testify in tomorrow’s public impeachment hearing, intends to deliver a different opening statement than the one he gave during his closed-door interview. | George Kent, one of the officials scheduled to testify in tomorrow’s public impeachment hearing, intends to deliver a different opening statement than the one he gave during his closed-door interview. |
| Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state overseeing European and Eurasian affairs, previously told impeachment investigators that Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, led a “campaign of lies” against former US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch. | Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state overseeing European and Eurasian affairs, previously told impeachment investigators that Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, led a “campaign of lies” against former US ambassador to Ukraine Maria Yovanovitch. |
| Democratic lawmakers are holding a press conference on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy shortly after the Supreme Court heard arguments about Trump’s decision to end the program. | Democratic lawmakers are holding a press conference on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy shortly after the Supreme Court heard arguments about Trump’s decision to end the program. |
| Longtime Democratic senator Dick Durbin slammed Trump for falsely saying in a morning tweet that some DACA recipients are “very tough, hardened criminals.” | Longtime Democratic senator Dick Durbin slammed Trump for falsely saying in a morning tweet that some DACA recipients are “very tough, hardened criminals.” |
| “Take a good look at these criminals, would you?” Durbin sarcastically said, gesturing to the DACA recipients gathered for the press conference. “You’re looking at some of the most determined and courageous people in the United States of America.” | “Take a good look at these criminals, would you?” Durbin sarcastically said, gesturing to the DACA recipients gathered for the press conference. “You’re looking at some of the most determined and courageous people in the United States of America.” |