Trump news: Republicans attempt to stonewall impeachment hearing as witnesses outline damning evidence to remove president
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has claimed victory after Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz released his report claiming that the FBI did not pursue a politically motivated investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign — but that agents did tend to favour damaging evidence over exculpatory evidence as the investigation continued.
The report was released as House Judiciary Committee presented and reviewed the evidence accumulated so far in the impeachment inquiry, with charges against the president expected to be drawn up by the end of the week ahead of a potential pre-Christmas vote in the House of Representatives.
During the hearing, Democrats sought to impress upon the American people that the evidence against Mr Trump was nearly undeniable.
Republicans, meanwhile, did their best to throw the hearing off the traicks and raise as many distractions as possible.
The president is meanwhile under fire for hosting pardoned war criminals - army first lieutenant Clint Lorance and major Mathew Golsteyn - at a Florida Republican Party fundraising dinner over the weekend.
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Jerrold Nadler is saying Donald Trump "put himself before country" in his dealings with Ukraine, and notes that the Founding Fathers "new that the greatest threat to the country" could "come from within".
Jerrold Nadler is using his opening statement to directly link Donald Trump to the apparent quid pro quo surrounding US-Ukraine relations:
"Multiple officials testified that the President intended to withhold the aid ... And yes, multiple officials testified that they understood this arrangement to be a quid pro quo for the President’s personal, political benefit. President Trump put himself before country."
House Judiciary Chairman points to the evidence in the public impeachment hearings as clear and convincing in his opening remarks:
"Let me be clear: every fact alleged by the whistleblower has been substantiated by multiple witnesses, again and again, each of whom has been questioned extensively by Democrats and Republicans alike."
Here's some analysis from The Independent's Andrew Feinberg as he watches the impeachment hearings from inside the room:
Nadler is delivering a succinct summary of what we should hear from Barry Berke and Daniel Goldman today, that Donald Trump’s “pattern of conduct represents a continuing risk to the country”. He is also noting that today is the hearing at which the White House would’ve had the opportunity to respond and present evidence, but White House Counsel Pat Cipollone declined to participate on the president’s behalf.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler urges Republicans to join him in supporting the president's impeachment:
"The evidence shows that Donald J. Trump, the President of the U.S., has put himself before his country. He has violated his most basic responsibilities to the people. He has broken his oath. I will honor mine. If you would honor yours, then I urge you to your duty."
Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican and the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, is delivering his opening remarks:
More from The Independent's Andrew Feinberg as he watches the hearings inside the room:
"Collins is going back to the Republican oft-repeated refrain that Democrats never accepted President Trump’s win in the 2016 election, but there was also an election in November 2018, in which Democrats won control of the House of Representatives."
Doug Collins is slamming Democrats and demanding the unusual step of having House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff testify befour the committee:
"I guess maybe I might need to just stop commenting on Chairman Schiff and his guidance, because I may end up on the next phone records subpoena."
A point from The Independent's Andrew Feinberg from inside the proceedings:
Doug Collins is complaining that Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff isn’t presenting his committee’s report personally, but the witness who will present the committee’s findings — former federal prosecutor Daniel Goldman — is the Intelligence Committee’s Director of Investigations.
The Republicans appear focused on attempting to obstruct today's hearing as often as possible. Multiple Republicans continue demanding parliamentary inquiries, and now Florida Republican Matt Gaetz is beginning to yell.
"You will not attempt to disrupt the proceedings", Mr Nadler said.
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