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Impeachment hearing: White House Twitter account attacks Vindman's judgment – live | Impeachment hearing: White House Twitter account attacks Vindman's judgment – live |
(32 minutes later) | |
Tweet attempts to cast doubt on Lt Col Alexander Vindman testimony after he criticized Trump’s ‘improper’ call with Ukrainian president | Tweet attempts to cast doubt on Lt Col Alexander Vindman testimony after he criticized Trump’s ‘improper’ call with Ukrainian president |
Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, used his opening statement to reiterate his accusations that Democrats are seeking to oust Trump simply because of political animus. | |
The California Republican claimed Democrats launched the impeachment inquiry “solely because they despise” Trump and because they are “afraid he will win reelection next year.” | |
House intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff began his opening statement by noting that this afternoon’s witnesses, Tim Morrison and Kurt Volker, were requested by the Republican minority. | |
The committee’s Republican members initially complained that they weren’t allowed to call officials to testify in the impeachment inquiry, but Schiff eventually approved three of the minority’s witness requests. | |
However, this did not quash GOP complaints because Republicans expressed dismay that Schiff denied their requests to have Hunter Biden or the whistleblower whose complaint initiated the impeachment inquiry publicly testify. | |
The second public impeachment hearing of the day, featuring testimony from former NSC official Tim Morrison and former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker, has been gaveled in. | |
The House has passed an interim spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 20, averting a shutdown as public impeachment hearings continue in the House. | |
However, the Dec. 20 deadline to pass another funding bill could result in a partisan battle over government spending just as the House is considering whether to impeach Trump. | |
The New York Times reports: | |
Oleksander Danylyuk, the former chairman of the national security and defence council in Ukraine, said the job offer extended to Lt Col Alexander Vindman was “clearly a joke.” | |
“We both smiled and laughed,” Danylyuk told the Daily Beast. Vindman similarly described the offer to become Ukrainian defense minister as “comical” during this morning’s impeachment hearing. | |
The Republican counsel on the House intelligence committee appeared to be trying to paint the job offer as indicative of Vindman’s non-existent dual loyalty. | |
Republicans on the House intelligence committee pushed back against Democratic accusations that questions about Lt Col Alexander Vindman being offered the job of Ukrainian defense minister were meant to resurface baseless allegations of dual loyalty. | Republicans on the House intelligence committee pushed back against Democratic accusations that questions about Lt Col Alexander Vindman being offered the job of Ukrainian defense minister were meant to resurface baseless allegations of dual loyalty. |
When Vindman responded to questions about the defense minister job, the lieutenant colonel emphasized he was an American above all else and never entertained the “comical” offer. | When Vindman responded to questions about the defense minister job, the lieutenant colonel emphasized he was an American above all else and never entertained the “comical” offer. |
The two witnesses in this afternoon’s public impeachment hearing, former NSC official Tim Morrison and former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker, have arrived on Capitol Hill, but it’s unclear when they will begin their testimony. | The two witnesses in this afternoon’s public impeachment hearing, former NSC official Tim Morrison and former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker, have arrived on Capitol Hill, but it’s unclear when they will begin their testimony. |
The second hearing was originally scheduled to begin about 10 minutes ago, but the House intelligence committee appears to be running behind. | The second hearing was originally scheduled to begin about 10 minutes ago, but the House intelligence committee appears to be running behind. |
The White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham has released a statement condemning the impeachment inquiry following this morning’s public hearing. | The White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham has released a statement condemning the impeachment inquiry following this morning’s public hearing. |
“We have learned nothing new in today’s illegitimate ‘impeachment’ proceedings,” the statement reads. “However, buried among the witnesses’ personal opinions and conjecture about a call the White House long ago released to the public, both witnesses testified the July 25 transcript was ‘accurate’ and nothing President Trump has done or said amounts to ‘bribery’ or any other crime.” | “We have learned nothing new in today’s illegitimate ‘impeachment’ proceedings,” the statement reads. “However, buried among the witnesses’ personal opinions and conjecture about a call the White House long ago released to the public, both witnesses testified the July 25 transcript was ‘accurate’ and nothing President Trump has done or said amounts to ‘bribery’ or any other crime.” |
Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams did testify to the accuracy of the White House memo on Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president. However, that memo shows the US president asking Ukraine for a “favor,” and Vindman testified he believed Trump was trying to pressure Ukraine’s president to investigate Joe Biden. | Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams did testify to the accuracy of the White House memo on Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president. However, that memo shows the US president asking Ukraine for a “favor,” and Vindman testified he believed Trump was trying to pressure Ukraine’s president to investigate Joe Biden. |
Committee chairman Adam Schiff argued during the hearing that Vindman and Williams were not asked to make a determination on whether Trump attempted to bribe Ukraine because they were merely meant to serve as “fact witnesses” in the inquiry. | Committee chairman Adam Schiff argued during the hearing that Vindman and Williams were not asked to make a determination on whether Trump attempted to bribe Ukraine because they were merely meant to serve as “fact witnesses” in the inquiry. |
The first public impeachment hearing today has concluded, and the second hearing with former NSC official Tim Morrison and former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker is scheduled to begin in about 40 minutes. | The first public impeachment hearing today has concluded, and the second hearing with former NSC official Tim Morrison and former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker is scheduled to begin in about 40 minutes. |
Here’s what we learned from the first hearing: | Here’s what we learned from the first hearing: |
Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams provided firsthand accounts of Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, which sparked the impeachment inquiry. Vindman said he immediately notified White House lawyers of the “improper” call because he was alarmed by Trump’s apparent efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. Williams added that Trump’s mention of Biden and his son sounded “political” to her, which was not in keeping with a typical call to a foreign leader. | Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams provided firsthand accounts of Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, which sparked the impeachment inquiry. Vindman said he immediately notified White House lawyers of the “improper” call because he was alarmed by Trump’s apparent efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. Williams added that Trump’s mention of Biden and his son sounded “political” to her, which was not in keeping with a typical call to a foreign leader. |
Republicans on the House intelligence committee tried to undermine Vindman’s credibility by alluding to a possible loyalty to Ukraine, which he denied, and by accusing him of going outside the chain of command to report his concerns on the call, which he contradicted. But GOP members did not try to seriously contest the witnesses’ key assertions about Trump’s Ukraine call. | Republicans on the House intelligence committee tried to undermine Vindman’s credibility by alluding to a possible loyalty to Ukraine, which he denied, and by accusing him of going outside the chain of command to report his concerns on the call, which he contradicted. But GOP members did not try to seriously contest the witnesses’ key assertions about Trump’s Ukraine call. |
The White House sent a tweet raising doubts about Vindman’s judgement by quoting the closed-door testimony of Morrison. However, during the hearing, Vindman pushed back against Morrison’s concerns by quoting a glowing performance review by former White House official Fiona Hill. | The White House sent a tweet raising doubts about Vindman’s judgement by quoting the closed-door testimony of Morrison. However, during the hearing, Vindman pushed back against Morrison’s concerns by quoting a glowing performance review by former White House official Fiona Hill. |
Williams and Vindman denied they are “never Trumpers,” despite the president’s accusations. Vindman said he would describe himself as “never partisan.” | Williams and Vindman denied they are “never Trumpers,” despite the president’s accusations. Vindman said he would describe himself as “never partisan.” |
The blog will have much more coming up, so stay tuned. | The blog will have much more coming up, so stay tuned. |
The first of two public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry has concluded after about four and a half hours of testimony from Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams. | The first of two public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry has concluded after about four and a half hours of testimony from Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams. |
In his closing statement, Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, declared, “Act one of today’s circus is over.” | In his closing statement, Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, declared, “Act one of today’s circus is over.” |
But committee chairman Adam Schiff used his opening statement to once again lay out the accusations against Trump and argue the witnesses’ testimony today had contradicted Republicans’ claims that the president mentioned investigations into Joe Biden and the 2016 election because he cared about Ukrainian corruption. | But committee chairman Adam Schiff used his opening statement to once again lay out the accusations against Trump and argue the witnesses’ testimony today had contradicted Republicans’ claims that the president mentioned investigations into Joe Biden and the 2016 election because he cared about Ukrainian corruption. |