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‘Historic task’: Democrats aim to prove Trump's actions warrant impeachment ‘Historic task’: Democrats aim to prove Trump's actions warrant impeachment
(32 minutes later)
The House begins public hearings against the president – who has struggled furiously to prevent the investigationThe House begins public hearings against the president – who has struggled furiously to prevent the investigation
With less than a year until Donald Trump faces re-election, the House of Representatives began public hearings on Wednesday into alleged misconduct by the president that Democrats and some Republicans say could warrant his impeachment.With less than a year until Donald Trump faces re-election, the House of Representatives began public hearings on Wednesday into alleged misconduct by the president that Democrats and some Republicans say could warrant his impeachment.
It is a day that Trump has struggled furiously to prevent, blocking witnesses, attacking investigators and throwing up a social media smokescreen.It is a day that Trump has struggled furiously to prevent, blocking witnesses, attacking investigators and throwing up a social media smokescreen.
As Democratic chair Adam Schiff gaveled the House intelligence committee to order, cameras from every major network carried the proceedings to millions of Americans, some of whom will be encountering the allegations against Trump for the first time.As Democratic chair Adam Schiff gaveled the House intelligence committee to order, cameras from every major network carried the proceedings to millions of Americans, some of whom will be encountering the allegations against Trump for the first time.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing. Now, the country will decide.Trump has denied any wrongdoing. Now, the country will decide.
In an opening statement, Schiff said the hearings would explore whether Trump sought to exploit Ukraine’s vulnerability, condition White House acts on Ukraine’s willingness to help his reelection, and “whether such an abuse of his power is compatible with the presidency.”In an opening statement, Schiff said the hearings would explore whether Trump sought to exploit Ukraine’s vulnerability, condition White House acts on Ukraine’s willingness to help his reelection, and “whether such an abuse of his power is compatible with the presidency.”
“The matter is as simple and as terrible as that,” Schiff said. “Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency but the future of the presidency itself.“The matter is as simple and as terrible as that,” Schiff said. “Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency but the future of the presidency itself.
“Is this what Americans should now expect from their president? If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?”“Is this what Americans should now expect from their president? If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?”
In response, senior Republican on the committee Devin Nunes declared the proceedings “a carefully orchestrated media smear campaign” and a “horrifically one-sided process.”In response, senior Republican on the committee Devin Nunes declared the proceedings “a carefully orchestrated media smear campaign” and a “horrifically one-sided process.”
“It’s nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime.”“It’s nothing more than an impeachment process in search of a crime.”
The opening statements reflected the broader messaging battle that has surrounded the impeachment proceedings since they were announced in late September, with Democrats accusing Trump of corruption and Republicans accusing Democrats of running an unfair process.The opening statements reflected the broader messaging battle that has surrounded the impeachment proceedings since they were announced in late September, with Democrats accusing Trump of corruption and Republicans accusing Democrats of running an unfair process.
Three Republicans interrupted the proceedings just as the witnesses were to begin testifying with demands that the anonymous whistleblower whose complaint launched the impeachment inquiry be called to testify. Schiff rebuffed the demands.Three Republicans interrupted the proceedings just as the witnesses were to begin testifying with demands that the anonymous whistleblower whose complaint launched the impeachment inquiry be called to testify. Schiff rebuffed the demands.
Two witnesses came to testify on Wednesday. In a closed-door deposition earlier this month, Bill Taylor, the acting ambassador in Kyiv, told investigators that Trump “was adamant” about the need for a public announcement of investigations by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The state department deputy assistant secretary, George Kent, said Trump “wanted nothing less than President Zelenskiy to go to a microphone and say ‘investigations’, ‘Biden’, and ‘Clinton’”. “I am not here to take one side or the other, or to advocate for any particular outcome of these proceedings” said Bill Taylor, the acting ambassador in Kyiv, who testified Wednesday alongside state department deputy assistant secretary George Kent. “My purpose is to provide the facts as I know them.”
“Clinton” was a reference to a conspiracy theory about 2016 election tampering that Trump credited, witnesses have said. Taylor described his concern to discover, last spring, an informal policy channel in Ukraine led by Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and advanced by US officials close to the White House, including Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union.
“It is a very momentous occasion,” said Richard Briffault, an impeachment expert and professor at Columbia law school. “This will only be the fourth time in more than 225 years that Congress has considered the impeachment of a president.” Sondland told Taylor that “everything” – military aid and a White House meeting for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy – depended on Zelesnkiy’s willingness to announce an investigation of Joe Biden, Trump’s political rival, Taylor testified.
Republicans set up easels in the hearing room before testimony began with placards accusing Democrats of wanting to impeach Trump irrespective of the facts and promoting a conspiracy theory about Schiff and the whistleblower whose complaint launched the inquiry. In a scene that did not appear in his previous closed-door deposition, Taylor said one of his aides overheard Trump on a cell phone call “asking ambassador Sondland about the investigations” during a Sondland visit to Ukraine in July.
Democrats allege Trump abused the power of his office by withholding military aid and dangling a White House visit in an effort to force Ukraine to announce sham investigations of Trump’s political rival, Joe Biden. Republicans say Trump had good reasons for stalling aid and acted within his power to do so. “Following the phone call with president Trump, the member of my staff asked ambassador Sondland what president Trump thought about Ukraine,” Taylor said. “Ambassador Sondland responded that Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for.”
Democrats allege Trump abused the power of his office by withholding military aid and dangling a White House visit in an effort to force Ukraine to announce sham investigations of Biden. Republicans say Trump had good reasons for stalling aid and acted within his power to do so.
“It is a very momentous occasion,” said Richard Briffault, an impeachment expert and professor at Columbia law school, said of the opening of the public impeachment hearings. “This will only be the fourth time in more than 225 years that Congress has considered the impeachment of a president.”
Democrats have a two-part case to make, Briffault said: “One part is about the facts. It doesn’t sound like the president is really contesting a lot of the facts anymore, although we’ll find out as that goes forward.Democrats have a two-part case to make, Briffault said: “One part is about the facts. It doesn’t sound like the president is really contesting a lot of the facts anymore, although we’ll find out as that goes forward.
“But the harder part, I think, is saying that this is serious enough that it justifies removal from office.”“But the harder part, I think, is saying that this is serious enough that it justifies removal from office.”
Corey Brettschneider, the author of The Oath and the Office: A Guide to the Constitution for Future Presidents and a professor of constitutional law at Brown University, said that while the president has broad powers to exercise foreign policy, those powers do not include exercising foreign policy for his own personal benefit.Corey Brettschneider, the author of The Oath and the Office: A Guide to the Constitution for Future Presidents and a professor of constitutional law at Brown University, said that while the president has broad powers to exercise foreign policy, those powers do not include exercising foreign policy for his own personal benefit.
“When it comes to impeachment, the framers dedicated a significant amount of time to thinking about this,” Brettschneider said. “They made a deliberate decision to say ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’, emphasizing that if the president abused power – not just committed a crime – then he or she would be removed.”“When it comes to impeachment, the framers dedicated a significant amount of time to thinking about this,” Brettschneider said. “They made a deliberate decision to say ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’, emphasizing that if the president abused power – not just committed a crime – then he or she would be removed.”
In a nod to the gravity of the moment, Schiff instructed colleagues in a letter on Tuesday to be “mindful of the solemn and historic task before us”.In a nod to the gravity of the moment, Schiff instructed colleagues in a letter on Tuesday to be “mindful of the solemn and historic task before us”.
The Democrats plan to call nine additional witnesses in the space of eight days, including almost everyone they have deposed behind closed doors, with the last public testimony currently scheduled for next Thursday.The Democrats plan to call nine additional witnesses in the space of eight days, including almost everyone they have deposed behind closed doors, with the last public testimony currently scheduled for next Thursday.
Public impeachment hearings are expected to last about two weeks, until the Thanksgiving holiday break. Upon conclusion of its work, the intelligence committee is to submit a report to the judiciary committee, which then could draw up and vote on articles of impeachment.Public impeachment hearings are expected to last about two weeks, until the Thanksgiving holiday break. Upon conclusion of its work, the intelligence committee is to submit a report to the judiciary committee, which then could draw up and vote on articles of impeachment.
The full House could proceed to a vote on the impeachment of Trump by the end of the year.The full House could proceed to a vote on the impeachment of Trump by the end of the year.