Impeachment Hearings Begin in D.C.
Protestors stand outside the White House. (Flickr)
Diplomats William Taylor Jr. and George Kent appeared before the House Intelligence Committee on November 13, officially beginning the open House impeachment hearings on the Trump-Ukraine Scandal, the Washington Post reports.
Many politicians view the testimony as damning for President Donald Trump, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The impeachment case is focused on a July 26 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainians elected Zelensky, a former comedian who ran on an anti-corruption platform, on April 21, 2019, the Hill reports. Ukraine’s proximity to Russia has made it a key U.S. ally.
A whistleblower filed a complaint on August 12 to the House Intelligence Committee, saying that Trump “solicit[ed] interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.” After the complaint, the White House released a rough transcript of the phone call, in which he offered what many believe to be a quid pro quo to Zelensky.
On September 24, Pelosi launched a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump’s conduct, the New York Times reports. Democrats regard the phone call as a potentially criminal offense, while Republicans and the president argue the actions are not impeachable.
The diplomats’ testimony has revealed more evidence. Both diplomats confirmed the phone call took place. Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell questioned the diplomats on withholding military aid from Ukraine. Taylor said it was inappropriate and “wrong.” When asked if Taylor had ever heard of aid being withheld for political gain, he replied, “No... I have not.”
These hearings add evidence against the president. CBS reports that Pelosi said in a televised address following the testimony, “What the president has admitted to and says ‘it’s perfect’—I said it’s perfectly wrong. It’s bribery.” Pelosi and fellow Democrats want the inquiry to shift public opinion, the Economist reports, opening up the opportunity for a Senate trial. Since Pelosi announced the inquiry, the president’s approval rating has fallen by two points.
Republicans have taken a different approach. On the night of the hearings, hosts from conservative outlet Fox News launched a defense of the president, CNN reports. Donald Trump Jr. called the hearings “insanity,” and White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said, “Today was a joke.”
The hearings may have a considerable effect on the Democratic primaries. Former-Vice President Joe Biden is at the center of the Ukraine scandal which does not bode well for his campaign. Even though he currently leads in the polls, the scrutiny of Biden’s political past, as well as his son’s potential involvement, might derail his performance.
On November 15, as former ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testified before a House panel about the mistreatment she experienced while serving as ambassador, Trump tweeted a disparaging statement about her, claiming that everything “turned bad” in the various places where Yovanovitch was posted as a diplomat, according to the Washington Post. When this tweet was read aloud in the proceedings, Yovanovitch stated that she felt threatened by the message.
“What you saw today—witness intimidation in real-time by the president of the United States,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told reporters when the proceedings, according to Politico. Some politicians are already speculating that this act of potential witness intimidation could be included in articles of impeachment requesting Trump’s removal from office.
Trump defended himself, according to the Washington Post, by saying that this tweet was “free speech.” He defended his “right to speak” at an event in the Oval Office later that afternoon.
The impeachment hearings are currently scheduled to continue, calling several officials from a range of offices with potential knowledge.