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/dec/03/donald-trump-news-today-live-democrats-impeachment-report-nato-summit-latest-updates

The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 9 Version 10
House intelligence committee Democrats release Trump impeachment report – live House intelligence committee Democrats release Trump impeachment report – live
(30 minutes later)
Report outlines the lawmakers’ argument that Trump abused the power of the presidency to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and the 2016 electionReport outlines the lawmakers’ argument that Trump abused the power of the presidency to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and the 2016 election
The impeachment report from Democrats on the House intelligence committee lays out the findings from their hearings but does not offer an explicit recommendation on articles of impeachment, instead leaving that matter up to the House judiciary commitee.
The judiciary committee will hold its first public hearing of the inquiry tomorrow, and it will focus on the constitutional standard for impeaching a president.
The White House slammed the impeachment report from Democrats on the House intelligence committee, saying the document “reads like the ramblings of a basement blogger.”
“At the end of a one-sided sham process, Chairman Schiff and the Democrats utterly failed to produce any evidence of wrongdoing by President Trump,” press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.
“This report reflects nothing more than their frustrations. Chairman Schiff’s report reads like the ramblings of a basement blogger straining to prove something when there is evidence of nothing.”
Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, was repeatedly in contact with Rudy Giulaini as the president’s personal lawyer started spreading baseless corruption allegations against Joe Biden, according to the impeachment report.
CNN reported late last month that Nunes, who has been one of the president’s most ardent defenders against the impeachment inquiry, met with a former Ukrainian prosecutor in an effort to get dirt on Biden.
According to the impeachment report from Democrats on the House intelligence committee, John Solomon, a former opinion writer for the Hill newspaper who wrote misleading op-eds about Ukraine, was in frequent contact with Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani’s who is now facing federal campaign-finance charges.
The impeachment report from Democrats on the House intelligence committee levels two main charges against Trump: that he “Conditioned a White House Meeting and Military Aid to Ukraine on a Public Announcement of Investigations Beneficial to his Reelection Campaign” and that he “Obstructed the Impeachment Inquiry by Instructing Witnesses and Agencies to Ignore Subpoenas for Documents and Testimony.”The impeachment report from Democrats on the House intelligence committee levels two main charges against Trump: that he “Conditioned a White House Meeting and Military Aid to Ukraine on a Public Announcement of Investigations Beneficial to his Reelection Campaign” and that he “Obstructed the Impeachment Inquiry by Instructing Witnesses and Agencies to Ignore Subpoenas for Documents and Testimony.”
“The President demanded that the newly-elected Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, publicly announce investigations into a political rival that he apparently feared the most, former Vice President Joe Biden, and into a discredited theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 presidential election,” the report’s executive summary says.“The President demanded that the newly-elected Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, publicly announce investigations into a political rival that he apparently feared the most, former Vice President Joe Biden, and into a discredited theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the 2016 presidential election,” the report’s executive summary says.
“To compel the Ukrainian President to do his political bidding, President Trump conditioned two official acts on the public announcement of the investigations: a coveted White House visit and critical U.S. military assistance Ukraine needed to fight its Russian adversary.”“To compel the Ukrainian President to do his political bidding, President Trump conditioned two official acts on the public announcement of the investigations: a coveted White House visit and critical U.S. military assistance Ukraine needed to fight its Russian adversary.”
The impeachment report from Democrats on the House intelligence committee runs 300 pages long and outlines the lawmakers’ argument that Trump abused the power of the presidency to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and the 2016 election.The impeachment report from Democrats on the House intelligence committee runs 300 pages long and outlines the lawmakers’ argument that Trump abused the power of the presidency to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and the 2016 election.
“President Trump’s scheme subverted U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine and undermined our national security in favor of two politically motivated investigations that would help his presidential reelection campaign,” the report’s executive summary says.“President Trump’s scheme subverted U.S. foreign policy toward Ukraine and undermined our national security in favor of two politically motivated investigations that would help his presidential reelection campaign,” the report’s executive summary says.
The Democrats on the House intelligence committee have released their report on the impeachment inquiry.The Democrats on the House intelligence committee have released their report on the impeachment inquiry.
“The impeachment inquiry into Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States, uncovered a months-long effort by President Trump to use the powers of his office to solicit foreign interference on his behalf in the 2020 election,” the report says.“The impeachment inquiry into Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States, uncovered a months-long effort by President Trump to use the powers of his office to solicit foreign interference on his behalf in the 2020 election,” the report says.
With the announcement that she is suspending her presidential campaign, Kamala Harris is poised to become a key voice for Senate Democrats during the expected trial on whether to remove Trump from office.With the announcement that she is suspending her presidential campaign, Kamala Harris is poised to become a key voice for Senate Democrats during the expected trial on whether to remove Trump from office.
Harris serves on the Senate judiciary committee and has become well known for the tough questions she poses to Trump administration officials, including former attorney general Jeff Sessions.Harris serves on the Senate judiciary committee and has become well known for the tough questions she poses to Trump administration officials, including former attorney general Jeff Sessions.
Trump’s reelection campaign reacted to the news that Kamala Harris was ending her White House bid by congratulating Tulsi Gabbard, who repeatedly clashed with Harris on the debate stage.Trump’s reelection campaign reacted to the news that Kamala Harris was ending her White House bid by congratulating Tulsi Gabbard, who repeatedly clashed with Harris on the debate stage.
Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who eclipsed Kamala Harris in polling in recent months, celebrated the California senator’s long career and predicted she would continue to play a vital role in the Democratic Party.Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who eclipsed Kamala Harris in polling in recent months, celebrated the California senator’s long career and predicted she would continue to play a vital role in the Democratic Party.
Kamala Harris’ opponents applauded her as a “trailblazer” and a “lifelong fighter for opportunity and justice” following the California senator’s announcement that she would not continue with her presidential campaign.Kamala Harris’ opponents applauded her as a “trailblazer” and a “lifelong fighter for opportunity and justice” following the California senator’s announcement that she would not continue with her presidential campaign.
With Kamala Harris’ withdrawal from the Democratic presidential race, six candidates are now expected to participate in the December debate -- although there are nine days left to qualify.With Kamala Harris’ withdrawal from the Democratic presidential race, six candidates are now expected to participate in the December debate -- although there are nine days left to qualify.
As one commentator pointed out, without Harris on the stage, all the candidates who have already qualified -- Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer -- are white.As one commentator pointed out, without Harris on the stage, all the candidates who have already qualified -- Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer -- are white.
Kamala Harris has just sent a tweet sharing the email to supporters announcing her decision to withdraw from the presidential race.Kamala Harris has just sent a tweet sharing the email to supporters announcing her decision to withdraw from the presidential race.
“I want to be clear: although I am no longer running for President, I will do everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump and fight for the future of our country and the best of who we are,” Harris wrote. “I know you will too. So let’s do that together.”“I want to be clear: although I am no longer running for President, I will do everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump and fight for the future of our country and the best of who we are,” Harris wrote. “I know you will too. So let’s do that together.”
In an email to supporters announcing her decision, Kamala Harris said her campaign lacked the financial resources to continue with the bid. The California senator lagged behind fellow candidates like Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg in third-quarter fundraising.
Harris wrote in her email:
The timing of Kamala Harris’ announcement makes more sense in the context of the California presidential primary, given that the senator only had a few days left to drop out without appearing on the state’s primary ballot.
The Guardian has confirmed Kamala Harris is ending her presidential campaign, but the California senator has not yet posted a video announcing her decision.
Joe Biden, campaigning in Iowa, said he had “mixed emotions” about the news, calling Harris a “first-rate candidate.” Harris’ biggest campaign moment came when she criticized Biden’s past opposition to busing during the first Democratic debates.
Kamala Harris has not yet confirmed she is dropping out of the presidential race, but her husband just shared this photo as reports indicate the California senator has informed her staff of the decision.
Kamala Harris’ niece has just shared this tweet amid reports she is ending her White House campaign. A video announcing the decision is reportedly forthcoming from the California senator.
Kamala Harris canceled a fundraiser with major donors in New York earlier today, citing a “personal matter” and not elaborating on a possible rescheduling date for the event.
CNBC reported:
Senator Kamala Harris has reportedly dropped out of the presidential race amid dwindling polling and fundraising numbers. The California senator was considered a frontrunner in the race early on, but she struggled to catch fire in a crowded field.
Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said the panel’s report on the impeachment inquiry runs hundreds of pages long, but the Connecticut lawmaker would not say whether it recommends specific articles of impeachment against Trump.
The House intelligence committee plans to release its report on the impeachment inquiry, which is backed by the panel’s Democrats, this evening, according to CNN.
CNN reports:
The report’s public release will come one day after Republicans on the House intelligence committee released their own 123-page report, which defended Trump’s communications with Ukraine and claimed the impeachment inquiry was nothing more than a partisan stunt.
Meanwhile, it looks like the sentencing of Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017, has been pushed back until at least mid-January as a federal judge has granted the former official permission to travel to South Korea later this month.