Trump impeachment news: Witness warns of Russian 'fictional narrative' in damning testimony as Republican conspiracy theories challenged
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Your support makes all the difference.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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Dr Fiona Hill's powerful testimony and subsequent handling of questions has gained the advisor huge attention across social media, with some of her most impactful quotes being shared:
From Holmes describing overhearing Trump on the Ukraine call to accusations of a Russian "fictional narrative", it's been a busy day in Washington. Here are some of the key moments from today's hearing:
Putting the impeachment hearing aside for a moment, one of Donald trump's golf clubs has been given one more chance to respond to the potential revocation of its liquor license over a drunken driving death.
The state of New Kersey has been threatening to take away the license of in connection with a fatal crash in 2015. The Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck now has until 4 December to enter a plea to the allegations.
The Trump administration has begun to respond to today's hearing. Press secretary Stephanie Grisham targeted Dr Hill and Mr Holmes in her statement, saying: "These two witnesses, just like the rest, have no personal or direct knowledge regarding why US aid was temporarily withheld."
After the hearing Tim Murtaugh, Trump 2020 communications director, attacked both Democrats and the witnesses: "Two more witnesses and two more whiffs by Democrats in their sham impeachment circus," he said. "Let's remember that Nancy Pelosi promised she would not proceed with impeachment unless it was a bipartisan endeavor, which it clearly is not."
That's all for our live coverage of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. We'll be back tomorrow bringing you all the latest from Washington DC.
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