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Trump impeachment news: Witness warns of Russian 'fictional narrative' in damning testimony as Republican conspiracy theories challenged

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Donald Trump reenacts conversation with Gordon Sondland after bombshell impeachment testimony

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The fifth day of public impeachment hearings has come and gone, with another pair of key witnesses delivering damning evidence against Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the president spent his time lashing out against the proceedings on Twitter, writing: “Never in my wildest dreams thought my name would in any way be associated with the ugly word, Impeachment!”

Mr Trump has had a more controversial week than usual, as his EU ambassador, Gordon Sondland, implicated the president in a quid pro quo with Ukraine during his own impeachment hearings - along with vice president Mike Pence, secretary of state Mike Pompeo and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. “Was there a ‘quid pro quo’?" Mr Sondland said in his opening statement. "As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes."

The president's critics have said the proceedings are exposing impeachable offences, including ex-White House ethics lawyer Richard W Painter, who said it was effectively “game over” for his administration. Mr Trump has attempted to undermine the inquiry, insisting that he barely knew his ambassador and wanted “NOTHING” from Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev. As all that happened, the Democratic 2020 contenders took to the debate stage in Georgia to attack Mr Trump as "one of the most corrupt presidents" in US history.

During the Thursday testimony, Fiona Hill, a former White House adviser on Ukraine, and David Holmes, a top staffer at the US embassy in Ukraine, testified about the irregular channel of communication in which Mr Trump pushed for a domestic-ally oriented political investigation.

Ms Hill told investigators that she believed Republican arguments claiming that it was OK for Mr Trump to ask for an investigation into Ukraine's 2016 role played into Russian talking points, and that furtherance of that played into their hands.

Mr Homes, meanwhile, told investigators that he was on the phone call that allegedly occurred 26 July, just a day after Mr Trump's call with Mr Zelensky. He said that he could hear the president speaking, even though he was not on spearker phone.

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Fiona Hill further explains what she thought John Bolton meant by calling Rudy Giuliani a "hand grenade" - 

"What he meant by this was pretty clear to me ... That the investigations he was promoting, that the storyline he was promoting, the narrative he was promoting was going to backfire. I think it has backfired."

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 19:23

Fiona Hill rejects any notion that she or anyone in career diplomacy would be considered a "Never Trumper" -

"It's a puzzling term to be applied to career or nonpartisan officials. And I chose to come into the administration. I could easily have said no when I was approached."

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 19:24

Fiona Hill is delivering expert testimony while remaining even-keeled in the face of Republican attacks. It's certainly a sight to be seen. 

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 19:34

Fiona Hill confirms this bit of reporting from today in the New York Times

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 19:40

Fiona Hill's response to Republican Brad Wenstrup was expertly laid out - despite the congressman not actually giving her a moment to speak: 

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 19:42

As Media Matters notes, the harassment campaign against Fiona Hill which she testified about today was largely spurred by Donald Trump's former adviser Roger Stone - 

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 19:44

David Holmes said Donald Trump's meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin while claiming Ukraine meddled in the election:

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 19:50

Interesting to note how folks on the right are continuing to attack Fiona Hill despite her repeated defence for several of their own:

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 19:58

Democrat Eric Swalwell slams ranking Republican member Devin Nunes, saying, "He may be the fact witness if he is working with indicted individuals around our investigation."

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 20:05

“The American people have heard about a series of events that have undermined our national security,” Republican Will Hurd says, adding that he “disagrees with this sort of bungling foreign policy.”

Chris Riotta21 November 2019 20:07

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