Trump news: President asked about Ukraine 'investigations', impeachment hearings told as Democrats reject effort to force whistleblower testimony
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Your support makes all the difference.The House impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump is beginning its first public hearings with Bill Taylor, acting US ambassador to Ukraine, and State Department official George Kent. Both witnesses delivered joint-testimony to Congress as the president derides the process as a “partisan sham”.
Mr Trump has meanwhile reportedly been threatening to fire his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney over his recent blunders. He also previously considered axing Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the US intelligence community, over his handling of the whistle-blower complaint about his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, as senior Republicans insist they will not be watching the hearings and Mr Trump hosts his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Wednesday, progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling for the resignation of senior Trump aide Stephen Miller over racist emails he sent to the right-wing news site Breitbart, in which he advocated white nationalist ideologies.
Following a meeting between the two leaders, Mr Trump repeated to reporters at a press conference that the day's public impeachment hearings are a "witch hunt" and a "joke".
"I haven't watched, I haven't watched for one minute because I've been with the president which is much more important as far as I'm concerned," Mr Trump said.
But the leaders were at odds following their controversial summit, to which five Senators were invited, discussing Turkey's cease-fire against Kurdish forces in Syria, as well as a two-day $100b trade deal and Turkey's acquisition of Russian anti-aircraft weapons.
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Donald Trump has released a series of all caps tweets with less than two hours ahead of the first public impeachment hearings:
How does the Constitution define impeachment?
Alex Woodward has this timely reminder of what the US Constitution has to say on the subject of impeachment.
Good morning! Welcome to the first day of public impeachment hearings.
My name is Chris Riotta, and I'm a US news reporter for The Independent based in New York City. I'll be bringing you the latest news and analysis on the hearings, with help from Andrew Feinberg, who is on Capitol Hill and will be sitting in the room where it happens.
Here's a photo he just sent from the line into the room where the hearings are being held by three House committees spearheading the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. Luckily, Andrew has got a reserved seat:
Some fun facts to kick off the day with:
The impeachment hearings begin at 10:00am, and we’ll be hearing joint-testimony from William Taylor, the president’s top diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs.
Both are seen as key impeachment witnesses and top officials — who are still working in government despite cooperating with House investigators (unlike some of Donald Trump’s closest allies).
This will be the first time the public sees public impeachment hearings in more than 20 years.
The Independent's Andrew Feinberg is inside the room, where the GOP has set up visuals to help them defend Donald Trump.
He's also spoken to Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, who told him the public is "going to hear the facts" and "the truth" about the president's dealings surrounding Ukraine.
Here are some of those visuals Republicans brought along with them to the hearings:
ICYMI: Here's my latest on how Republicans on the House committees investigating Donald Trump plan to defend the president from impeachment. Be sure to listen for any of these talking points throughout the hearings this week:
Both of the key witnesses have arrived in the room for today's hearings in the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump.
William Taylor and George Kent will be seated next to each other throughout the day as they field questions from House investigators from both sides of the political aisle.
The Independent's Andrew Feinberg is in the room tweeting out some more visuals:
The members of the House committees spearheading the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump are beginning to take their seats as the first public hearings begin.
Visual props are displayed behind several prominent Republican members. William Taylor and George Kent, the two officials testifying before House investigators today, have not yet taken their seats.
There is loud chatter as the members file in, greet each other and get situated. The hearings should begin momentarily.
The two witnesses have taken their seats. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff is beginning by stating the rules and his opening remarks.
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