Political coverage continues in Wednesday’s live blog:
Thanks for following along!
We’ll be back early tomorrow, when House investigators will hear from more witnesses including Gordon Sondland, the EU ambassador; Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian affairs; and David Hale, the under secretary of state for political affairs.
You can catch up on the day’s excitement with reporting from my Washington colleagues Tom McCarthy and Lauren Gambino.
The afternoon hearing has finally concluded, after hours of fascinating testimony.
Republican Devin Nunes used his closing remarks to broadly attack the impeachment investigation, which he described as the “culmination of three years of Democratic efforts” to find an excuse to impeach the president.
“Today we are witnesses the Ukraine hoax … the plot is hard to follow and the evidence shifts from day to day,” he said.
Democrat Adam Schiff used his closing remarks to focus on Volker’s testimony
. Addressing viewers directly, he said: “Why should Americans care about Ukraine?”
“They will need to ask themselves – are we prepared to accept that a president of the United States can leverage official acts, military assistance, White House meetings, to get an investigation of a political rival?” he said.
“I don’t think we want to go there.”
Updated
The hearings are still going, but energy from the crowd has evidently waned after hours and hours of testimony.
A reporter from the Huffington Post tweeted a photo showing a row of empty chair.
Plenty of room in the crowd for hour 12 of today’s impeachment hearing if you care to join. pic.twitter.com/xKfRmbDjRr
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) November 20, 2019
Time Magazine is reporting that Mike Pompeo has told three prominent Republicans that he plans to resign as secretary of state to run for senate in Kansas in the 2020 election.
The Republicans told Time that Pompeo initially planned to stay on as secretary of state until next year, but is now rethinking his decision amid the impeachment inquiry.
More from Time:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told three prominent Republicans in recent weeks that he plans to resign from the Trump Administration to run for the U.S. Senate from Kansas in next year’s elections. The problem: how to get out in one piece.
Pompeo’s plan had been to remain at the State Department until early spring next year, the three Republicans tell TIME, but recent developments, including the House impeachment inquiry, are hurting him politically and straining his relationship with Trump.
So Pompeo is rethinking his calendar, say the top Republicans, one who served in the Trump Administration, another who remains in government, and a third who served in several high-ranking posts and is active in GOP politics. The timing of Pompeo’s resignation now will be decided by his ability to navigate the smoothest possible exit from the administration, the three Republicans say.
As the afternoon’s testimony approaches its conclusion, here are some striking images from inside the hearing room.
Members of the House intelligence committee are now taking short turns questioning the witness.
Donald Trump, it appears, has been following along too.
Trump fiercely attacked impeachment witness Maria Yovanovitch during her testimony on Friday. Democrats described his tweets as “witness intimidation”.
This afternoon Trump has spent his time retweeting favorable clips from Fox News and from fellow Republicans.
He shared an exchange between Republican counsel Steve Castor and Kurt Volker in which Castor asked Volker to confirm that he had “in no way shape or form” received indication of anything that resembled a quid-pro-quo. Volker replied that was correct.
Very bad day for @RepAdamSchiff, @SpeakerPelosi and Democrats. #ImpeachmentSham is crumbling.
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) November 19, 2019
Another witness just told American people there was no bribery & no quid pro quo.
"I was never involved in anything that I considered bribery at all... or extortion." pic.twitter.com/OdTYlYVB24
Updated
In non-impeachment news, California governor Gavin Newsom halted approval for hundred of fracking permits until independent scientists can approve them.
Newsom also temporarily banned new wells using a high-pressure steam to extract oil – a process that regulators believe is linked to the spill at a Chevron oil field in the Central Valley.
More from the AP:
California has 263 pending fracking permits but has not approved any of them since July. That’s when Newsom fired California’s top oil and gas regulator after learning the state had increased fracking permits by 35% since he took office in January, angering environmental groups.Newsom, a Democrat, called the crackdown necessary to strengthen the state’s oversight of oil and gas extraction “as we phase out our dependence on fossil fuels and focus on clean energy sources.”“This transition cannot happen overnight; it must advance in a deliberate way to protect people, our environment and our economy,” Newsom said.The oil industry called Newsom’s changes “disappointing,” with the Western States Petroleum Association saying California’s environmental regulations already lead the world.“Every barrel delayed or not produced in this state will only increase imports from more costly foreign sources that do not share our environmental safety standards,” group president Catherine Reheis-Boyd.
Adam Schiff, the House intelligence committee chair, questioned Volker about a 10 July meeting with Ukrainian officials, in which he was present alongside Gordon Sondland, the EU ambassador, and John Bolton, the former national security adviser.
Schiff asked Volker why he did not mention in his deposition that Sondland made a “generic comment” about “investigations” at the meeting.
Volker said the testimony of others reminded him that it came up. He added that “I think all of us thought it was inappropriate” to bring it up and described it as an “eye roll” moment.
Schiff presses Volker on why he didn’t disclose in deposition that Sondland was calling for probes at July WH meeting. Volker said today it was “inappropriate” that Sondland made the ask. “Why didn’t you tell us about this?” Schiff said. Volker says memory has been refreshed
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 19, 2019
Updated
In news relating to the earlier testimony of Jennifer Williams this morning, the White House has released a statement from Keith Kellogg, the national security advisor to vice-president Mike Pence.
Williams was Kellogg’s direct report at the vice-president’s office, and she testified she found the 25 July phone call “unusual” since it “involved discussion of what appeared to be a domestic political matter”.
“I heard nothing wrong or improper on the call. I had and have no concerns,” Kellogg wrote in his statement today. “Ms Williams was also on the call, and as she testified, she never reported any personal or professional concerns to me, her direct supervisor, regarding the call.”
White House releases statement from Pence national security adviser Keith Kellogg on July 25 call:
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) November 19, 2019
"I heard nothing wrong or improper on the call. I had and have no concerns.” pic.twitter.com/V2aFj1McIZ
Updated
My colleague Tom McCarthy rounded up the key top things to know from this morning’s hearings.
- For the first time, witnesses who listened to a 25 July phone call in which Donald Trump asked for a “favor” from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy testified publicly, confirming the facts of the call and the widespread concern it prompted.* Vindman, a combat veteran who received a Purple Heart after being wounded in Iraq, appeared in his US army dress uniform – but found himself under attack from Republicans who questioned his loyalty to the United States.
- One witness requested by Republicans, Kurt Volker, a former special envoy to Ukraine, said that Trump’s request of an investigation of Joe Biden made him realize that he failed to equate discussions of the gas company Burisma with Biden.
- Testimony on Tuesday provided evidence of Trump’s direct role in the plot. Volker and a fellow witness, the National Security Council official Tim Morrison, both testified that Sondland was in regular communication with Trump. Three witnesses confirmed that they had heard the president personally request, in his July call with Zelenskiy, an investigation of Joe Biden and coordination with Giuliani.
- Witness after witness has described Sondland as a key figure pressing the Ukrainians at various moments for specific “investigations”. When he was originally deposed last month, Sondland said he took Trump at his word that “there was no quid pro quo” involving US military aid. Sondland is scheduled to testify on Wednesday morning.
Updated
And we’re back!
The House intelligence committee has called for a short break in the impeachment hearing, which will likely become more like a 20-minute recess.
Morrison, the National Security Council director for Russia, has criticized an earlier impeachment inquiry witness, Lt Col Alexander Vindman, who testified just this morning.
Morrison answered “yes” when asked whether he was concerned that Vindman had taken his concerns about the 25 July call between Trump and Zelenskiy directly to National Security Council lawyers and had not notified him first.
“If he had concerns about the content of the call I would expect to have been notified,” he said, adding that he is Vindman’s superior in the chain of command.
"Yes," National Security Council official Tim Morrison says when asked if he wishes Lt. Col Alexander Vindman had come to him first with concerns about the Trump-Zelenskiy call, instead of going first to NSC lawyers. https://t.co/xAXyojJvAX pic.twitter.com/u5KDnWT6LN
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 19, 2019
Updated
Republican counsel Steve Castor asked the witnesses about the US decision to delay a military aid package to Ukraine.
Morrison said that during a meeting in which he was present with Ukrainian officials, in which Zelenskiy raised the issue of the aid, the US vice-president, Mike Pence, told Zelenskiy that the US was examining what more Europe could do for Ukrainian security and taking a look at how Ukraine was reforming a history of corruption. He said there was no mention of Burisma, Biden and the 2016 election.
Volker testified that he did not know about the hold on aid until he was made aware of it by a Politico article. He says when he became aware of it, he “immediately” raised objections.
He said he thought it was “a bad decision” to hold up aid to Ukraine as it weakened the US’s position with Russia. Asked if he believed the aid was held up in connection with the investigations Trump had requested, he said: “No, I did not.”
Updated
Trump’s views on Ukraine are “chronically negative”, Volker testifies.
He says he saw it as his job to convince Trump that Ukrainian president Zelenskiy was on his level. He says that after Zelenskiy was elected, Trump said Ukraine was filled with “terrible people”.
After Zelensky elected, Trump said Ukraine filled with "terrible people" and believed Ukraine "tried to take me down" in 2016, Volker says. He tried to persuade Trump Z was different. "That's not what I hear about Ukraine. I hear nothing has changed. Talk to Rudy."
— Shane Harris (@shaneharris) November 19, 2019
Updated
Summary
Kurt Volker testified that he found the allegations against Joe Biden “self-serving and not credible”.
Democratic committee chairman Adam Schiff asked: “Why was it that you found the allegations against Joe Biden related to his son and Burisma not to believed?”
Volker responded: “Simply because I’ve known former vice-president Biden for a long time and I know how he respect the duties of his higher office.”
Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, says allegations against Biden are 'self-serving and not credible' pic.twitter.com/y6UyLACyBa
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 19, 2019
Updated
Hello readers, Mario Koran here taking over the blog.
Opening statements have been made and Volker and Morrison are now taking questions from Democrats and Republicans.
According to his prepared opening statement, Kurt Volker only later came to appreciate that an investigation of Burisma was connected to an investigation of Joe Biden and his son.
“At no time was I aware of or knowingly took part in an effort to urge Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Biden,” Volker’s statement reads. “ I was not made aware of any reference to Vice President Biden or his son by President Trump, until the transcript of that call was released on September 25, 2019.
“Throughout this time, I understood that there was an important distinction between ‘Burisma’ and ‘Biden’, and urged the Ukrainians to maintain such a distinction. I did not know that President Trump or others had raised Vice President Biden with the Ukrainians, or had conflated the investigation of possible Ukrainian corruption, with investigation of the former Vice President. In retrospect, for the Ukrainians, it clearly would have been confusing.
“In hindsight, I now understand that others saw the idea of investigating possible corruption involving the Ukrainian company, ‘Burisma,’ as equivalent to investigating former Vice President Biden.”
Kurt Volker appeared to be using his opening statement to impeachment investigators to amend his closed-door testimony in which he denied knowledge of any quid pro quo in connection to the freeze on Ukraine’s military assistance.
The former Ukraine envoy claimed US officials were offering a very positive view of Ukraine as Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, painted a very different picture for Trump.
“The problem was that despite the unanimous, positive assessment and recommendations of those of us who were part of the U.S. Presidential Delegation that attended the inauguration of President Zelenskyy, President Trump was receiving a different, negative narrative about Ukraine and President Zelenskyy,” Volker said.
“That negative narrative was fueled by accusations from Ukraine’s then-Prosecutor General and conveyed to the President by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.”
In his opening statement, Tim Morrison emphasized he would not use his testimony to raise doubts about the judgement of any of his former national security council colleagues.
“I have great respect for my former colleagues from the NSC and the rest of the interagency,” Morrison said. “I am not here today to question their character or integrity.”
However, Morrison did express doubts about Lt Col Alexander Vindman’s judgement in his closed-door testimony, which the White House cited in a tweet attacking Vindman.
The lieutenant colonel responded to Morrison’s doubts this morning by reading from former White House official Fiona Hill’s glowing performance review of him.
Former NSC official Tim Morrison used his opening statement to lay out some parameters he intends to follow during his testimony today.
“I do not know who the whistleblower is, nor do I intend to speculate as to who the individual may be,” Morrison told impeachment investigators. Adam Schiff has accused some of the House intelligence committee’s Republican members of trying to use their witness questioning to identify the whistleblower.
WATCH: "I feared at the time of the call on July 25 how its disclosure would play in Washington's political climate," Tim Morrison, a former White House official who served on the National Security Council, says. "My fears have been realized." #ImpeachmentPBS pic.twitter.com/NZQ2tcESZa
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) November 19, 2019
Morrison, who listened in on Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, said he feared reports of the conversation could heighten polarization. “As I stated during my deposition, I feared at the time of the call on July 25th how its disclosure would play in Washington’s political climate,” Morrison said. “My fears have been realized.”
Updated
Morrison and Volker sworn in
Tim Morrison and Kurt Volker have been sworn in for this afternoon’s public impeachment hearing and will now deliver their opening statements.
Morrison and Volker are sworn in. pic.twitter.com/gdTqFMBVs9
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 19, 2019
Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, used his opening statement to reiterate his accusations that Democrats are seeking to oust Trump simply because of political animus.
The California Republican claimed Democrats launched the impeachment inquiry “solely because they despise” Trump and because they are “afraid he will win reelection next year.”
House intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff began his opening statement by noting that this afternoon’s witnesses, Tim Morrison and Kurt Volker, were requested by the Republican minority.
The committee’s Republican members initially complained that they weren’t allowed to call officials to testify in the impeachment inquiry, but Schiff eventually approved three of the minority’s witness requests.
However, this did not quash GOP complaints because Republicans expressed dismay that Schiff denied their requests to have Hunter Biden or the whistleblower whose complaint initiated the impeachment inquiry publicly testify.
Second impeachment hearing today begins
The second public impeachment hearing of the day, featuring testimony from former NSC official Tim Morrison and former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker, has been gaveled in.
House passes interim spending bill
The House has passed an interim spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 20, averting a shutdown as public impeachment hearings continue in the House.
However, the Dec. 20 deadline to pass another funding bill could result in a partisan battle over government spending just as the House is considering whether to impeach Trump.
The New York Times reports:
The specter of last year’s 35-day shutdown drove a slim bipartisan margin on Tuesday, as most lawmakers agreed that a temporary spending bill maintaining current levels of funding for another four weeks was preferable to an encore of the breach last year, which lasted into January. ...
Left unresolved, however, are the dozen must-pass bills that would maintain funding for the remainder of the fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1. Lawmakers on the traditionally bipartisan Appropriations Committees have failed to reach an agreement over funding Mr. Trump’s signature campaign promise to build a wall between the United States and Mexico — the same fraught debate that led to the nation’s longest government shutdown nearly a year ago.
Oleksander Danylyuk, the former chairman of the national security and defence council in Ukraine, said the job offer extended to Lt Col Alexander Vindman was “clearly a joke.”
“We both smiled and laughed,” Danylyuk told the Daily Beast. Vindman similarly described the offer to become Ukrainian defense minister as “comical” during this morning’s impeachment hearing.
The Republican counsel on the House intelligence committee appeared to be trying to paint the job offer as indicative of Vindman’s non-existent dual loyalty.
Republicans on the House intelligence committee pushed back against Democratic accusations that questions about Lt Col Alexander Vindman being offered the job of Ukrainian defense minister were meant to resurface baseless allegations of dual loyalty.
GOP lawmakers defending the questions to Alex Vindman that Democrats believed were seeking to raise dual loyalty allegations.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 19, 2019
“The question you guys are asking about doesn’t seem to bother Lt. Col. Vindman. He seemed to be fine answering it,” Jim Jordan said.
When Vindman responded to questions about the defense minister job, the lieutenant colonel emphasized he was an American above all else and never entertained the “comical” offer.
The two witnesses in this afternoon’s public impeachment hearing, former NSC official Tim Morrison and former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker, have arrived on Capitol Hill, but it’s unclear when they will begin their testimony.
Witnesses Morrison/Volker are now in the holding room. But unclear when second panel will start
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 19, 2019
The second hearing was originally scheduled to begin about 10 minutes ago, but the House intelligence committee appears to be running behind.
The White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham has released a statement condemning the impeachment inquiry following this morning’s public hearing.
“We have learned nothing new in today’s illegitimate ‘impeachment’ proceedings,” the statement reads. “However, buried among the witnesses’ personal opinions and conjecture about a call the White House long ago released to the public, both witnesses testified the July 25 transcript was ‘accurate’ and nothing President Trump has done or said amounts to ‘bribery’ or any other crime.”
Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams did testify to the accuracy of the White House memo on Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president. However, that memo shows the US president asking Ukraine for a “favor,” and Vindman testified he believed Trump was trying to pressure Ukraine’s president to investigate Joe Biden.
Committee chairman Adam Schiff argued during the hearing that Vindman and Williams were not asked to make a determination on whether Trump attempted to bribe Ukraine because they were merely meant to serve as “fact witnesses” in the inquiry.
First hearing summary
The first public impeachment hearing today has concluded, and the second hearing with former NSC official Tim Morrison and former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker is scheduled to begin in about 40 minutes.
Here’s what we learned from the first hearing:
- Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams provided firsthand accounts of Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, which sparked the impeachment inquiry. Vindman said he immediately notified White House lawyers of the “improper” call because he was alarmed by Trump’s apparent efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. Williams added that Trump’s mention of Biden and his son sounded “political” to her, which was not in keeping with a typical call to a foreign leader.
- Republicans on the House intelligence committee tried to undermine Vindman’s credibility by alluding to a possible loyalty to Ukraine, which he denied, and by accusing him of going outside the chain of command to report his concerns on the call, which he contradicted. But GOP members did not try to seriously contest the witnesses’ key assertions about Trump’s Ukraine call.
- The White House sent a tweet raising doubts about Vindman’s judgement by quoting the closed-door testimony of Morrison. However, during the hearing, Vindman pushed back against Morrison’s concerns by quoting a glowing performance review by former White House official Fiona Hill.
- Williams and Vindman denied they are “never Trumpers,” despite the president’s accusations. Vindman said he would describe himself as “never partisan.”
The blog will have much more coming up, so stay tuned.
Impeachment hearing concludes
The first of two public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry has concluded after about four and a half hours of testimony from Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams.
In his closing statement, Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, declared, “Act one of today’s circus is over.”
But committee chairman Adam Schiff used his opening statement to once again lay out the accusations against Trump and argue the witnesses’ testimony today had contradicted Republicans’ claims that the president mentioned investigations into Joe Biden and the 2016 election because he cared about Ukrainian corruption.
Democratic representative Raja Krishamoorthi expressed his concerns that Lt Col Alexnader Vindman was being attacked partly because he is an immigrant.
Krishamoorthi, a fellow immigrant, added that he hoped Vindman was as proud to be an American as he was, becoming emotional as he spoke.
Raja choked up when he asked whether Vindman is as proud to be an America as he is. https://t.co/nWDFjlcWYT
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) November 19, 2019
Vindman: Allegations of Ukrainian election interference are a 'Russian narrative'
Moments ago, Lt Col Alexander Vindman dismissed a conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 presidential election as a “Russian narrative that President Putin has promoted.”
Lt. Col. Vindman: The theory that the Ukranian government interfered in the 2016 election is "a Russian narrative that President Putin has promoted" pic.twitter.com/RvfeIKmxs1
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) November 19, 2019
The US intelligence community has thoroughly confirmed that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, but Republicans on the House intelligence committee have attempted to resurface the baseless allegations against Ukraine during the public impeachment hearings.
Some of those watching today’s impeachment testimony from the public seating section of the hearing room applauded after Lt Col Alexander Vindman explained why he felt comfortable publicly sharing his concerns about the president.
“This is America,” Vindman said in response to a question from Democratic representative Sean Maloney about whether his father was concerned about him testifying. “Here, right matters.”
Each time Vindman reminds his dad — who is seated behind him — that he need not worry, his dad beams behind him https://t.co/TprQj51271
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) November 19, 2019
For a lighter moment in the impeachment hearing, presidential candidate Julián Castro responded to a claim from his brother, representative Joaquin Castro, that he made him grow a beard to make it easier to tell the identical twins apart.
Let’s be clear—if I knew it’d look like that I wouldn’t have suggested it. https://t.co/CLeRBskQfJ
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) November 19, 2019
Representative Jim Jordan, one of Trump’s closest congressional allies, used his final five minutes of questioning to accuse Democrats of trying to undo the results of the 2016 presidential election through the impeachment inquiry.
The Ohio Republican did not ask a single question to today’s witnesses, Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams.
Jordan uses his final five minutes to give a five-minute speech railing on the investigation. Doesn’t ask a question to the witnesses
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 19, 2019
The White House tweet raising doubts about the judgement of Lt Col Alexander Vindman is particularly shocking considering the Iraq war veteran still serves on the national security council.
Meanwhile, over on Trump’s Twitter account, the president is resharing messages from Republican accounts downplaying the testimony from Vindman and Jennifer Williams.
Pelosi now claims this charade is all about "bribery."⁰
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) November 19, 2019
The problem with that focus-group-tested narrative? No witness has used the word "bribery" to describe @realDonaldTrump's conduct.
In fact, "bribery" has only ever been mentioned in the context of Biden's alleged conduct. pic.twitter.com/6RZKgFPV48
White House Twitter account attacks Vindman's judgement
The White House Twitter account has just sent a message raising doubts about the judgement of Lt Col Alexander Vindman as the NSC official testifies in the impeachment inquiry.
Tim Morrison, Alexander Vindman's former boss, testified in his deposition that he had concerns about Vindman's judgment. pic.twitter.com/xwHOt4bsHS
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 19, 2019
The White House tweet quoted the closed-door testimony from Tim Morrison, who was Vindman’s superior on the national security council.
However, asked about Morrison’s testimony earlier, Vindman cited his glowing performance review from former White House official Fiona Hill, who praised the Iraq war veteran’s “brilliant” and “unflappable” demeanor.
Representative Joaquin Castro got a laugh during the impeachment hearing by making a joke about being an identical twin, as Lt Col Alexander Vindman is.
Castro said it was “great to talk to a fellow identical twin” and added he hoped Vindman’s brother was “nicer to you” and doesn’t “make you grow a beard.”
The Texas congressman’s brother, Julián Castro, is currently running for president, and Joaquin grew a beard in part to help tell the two apart.
Under questioning from Republican representative Elise Stefanik, Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams both acknowledged there was the potential for the appearance of a conflict of interest in Hunter Biden’s work for the Ukrainian company Burisma.
“Certainly the potential, yes,” Vindman says to Stefanik when asked if Hunter Biden on Burisma board had the potential of an “appearance” of a conflict of interest. Williams agrees
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 19, 2019
George Kent, the state department official who raised concerns about the appearance of a conflict of interest in Biden’s work for Burisma in 2015, testified last week that he never saw any effort by US officials to shield the company from scrutiny.
Republican congressman criticizes Vindman for correcting Nunes
Republican representative Chris Stewart pressed Lt Col Alexander Vindman on why he corrected Devin Nunes after the GOP ranking member incorrectly called the Iraq war veteran “Mr Vindman.”
“You always insist on civilians calling you by your rank?” Stewart asked. Vindman, a Purple Heart recipient, replied that he considered the correction appropriate given that he is in his military uniform and because he has been the subject of attacks meant to “marginalize” his service.
Trump also touched on Vindman’s correction of Nunes when speaking to reporters during his cabinet meeting this afternoon.
“I don’t know him,” Trump said of Vindman. “I don’t know, as he says, ‘Lt Colonel.’ I understand somebody had him the misfortune of calling him ‘Mr’ and he corrected them. I never saw the man. I understand now he wears his uniform when he goes in. No, I don’t know Vindman at all.”
It’s worth noting that active duty service members are required to wear their military uniforms when appearing before Congress.
Okay guys can we please stop making this a thing? Active duty service members are literally required to wear their dress uniforms when appearing on Capitol Hill in an official capacity. https://t.co/DWXD9LchoU
— Katie Bo Williams (@KatieBoWill) November 19, 2019
Lt Col Alexander Vindman testified that after he reported his concerns on Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, he was excluded from several meetings he usually would have attended in his capacity as the top Ukraine expert on the NSC.
Vindman says that after he reported on the July 25 call he was excluded from several meetings & “it was out of the course of normal affairs” to not have him participate.
— Kylie Atwood (@kylieatwood) November 19, 2019
Vindman said he could not make a determination on whether that exclusion constituted retaliation after he raised concerns, but he felt it was unusual.
Republican representative Brad Wenstrup, an Army reserve officer, accused Lt Col Alexander Vindman of going outside the chain of command by reporting his concerns on Trump’s Ukraine call to the White House counsel’s office rather than Tim Morrison, his direct superior.
Vindman testified that Morrison did not make himself available, but Wenstrup pushed back against that. This line of questioning will almost certainly be picked up again this afternoon, when Morrison testifies.
Wenstrup tries to say Vindman went outside the chain command by not informing Tim Morrison - his supervisor - by going to the NSC lawyer rather than Morrison. Morrison “didn’t avail himself,” Vindman says. Wenstrup says he did
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 19, 2019
Committee chairman Adam Schiff pushed back against Republican representative John Ratcliffe’s line of questioning, which was meant to argue that none of the impeachment witnesses had testified to a bribery scheme in Trump’s communications with Ukraine.
Schiff said that those testifying during the impeachment hearings are fact witnesses and cannot reach a determination on bribery, pointing out that House members will be required to use their own judgment on the matter.
Anddddd Chairman Schiff is laying out exactly what bribery is. "The reason we don't ask witnesses who are fact witnesses about whether a crime or bribery has been committed...is you're fact witnesses. It will be our job to decide if the impeachable act of bribery has occurred"
— Alana Abramson (@aabramson) November 19, 2019
Asked about Rudy Giuliani’s unofficial efforts to influence US-Ukrainian policy, Lt Col Alexander Vindman said that the maneuvers by the president’s personal lawyer were unhelpful to the country’s national security.
"It certainly wasn't helpful and it didn't help advance national security interests," Vindman says of Giuliani's involvement in Ukraine
— Alana Abramson (@aabramson) November 19, 2019
The next Republican questioner at today’s public impeachment hearing was representative John Ratcliffe, who largely avoided asking the witnesses questions in his five minutes.
Instead, he pointed to the ten closed-door depositions he had printed out and argued none of the witness testimony in the inquiry mentioned “bribery” when describing Trump’s communications with Ukraine.
However, a number of witnesses discussed a potential “quid pro quo” in connection to Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and the 2016 election.
Ratcliffe says he printed out all of the deposition transcripts that have been released so far pic.twitter.com/RxzDnhWnyD
— Rebecca Shabad (@RebeccaShabad) November 19, 2019
Williams and Vindman deny they're 'never Trumpers'
After another flare-up over protecting the identity of the whistleblower whose complaint initiated the impeachment inquiry, Democratic representative Jim Himes asked Jennifer Williams and Lt Col Alexander Vindman whether they are “never Trumpers.”
Rep. Himes: "Would you call yourself a Never Trumper?"
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 19, 2019
Lt. Col. Vindman: "I'd call myself never partisan." pic.twitter.com/LsAdRgT425
The president has previously claimed the witnesses in the impeachment inquiry are only testifying because they are politically opposed to him.
But Williams said she did not identify as a “never Trumper,” and Vindman told Himes, “I’d call myself never partisan.”
Updated
Vindman contradicts Morrison's testimony about his reputation
Republican representative Jim Jordan began his questioning of Lt Col Alexander Vindman by quoting former NSC official Tim Morrison’s closed-door testimony raising doubts about the Iraq war veteran’s reputation.
Vindman responded by quoting his performance review from former White House official Fiona Hill just before she left the adminsitration, which applauds Vindman’s “brilliant” and “unflappable” demeanor.
On the question of whether he ever leaked to the press, Vindman called the query “preposterous” and reiterated he would never share sensitive information with the media.
Describing Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, Lt Col Alexander Vindman said there was no ambiguity in his mind that the commander-in-chief was asking Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden and his son.
“In my mind, there was none,” Vindman said when asked by Schiff if there was any ambiguity that Trump made a “demand” to Zelensky to probe the Bidens
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 19, 2019
The public impeachment hearing has resumed, and Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams will now take series of five-minute questions from members of the House intelligence committee.
However, it appears that Trump’s congressional allies have so far been unconvinced by the two officials’ damning testimony about the president’s Ukraine call.
GOP Rep. Mike Conaway unmoved by Vindman’s national security concerns about Trump-Zelensky call.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 19, 2019
“It’s his interpretation. He doesn’t lay out where the improperness came from - it’s his opinion,” he told me.
Rep. Andy Biggs, who is in public hearing room, says to a reporter: "You say you know what hearsay is, you don't."
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 19, 2019
Wasn't listening to whole convo, but this was said loudly.
Williams declines to answer questions about Pence-Zelenskiy call
As the hearing takes a short break, it’s a good time to return to one answer that Jennifer Williams, an aide to the vice president, provided at the beginning of the House intelligence committee’s questioning.
When chairman Adam Schiff asked Williams about Mike Pence’s Sept. 18 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the longtime foreign service officer said she could not take questions about it because the White House had determined the conversation to be classified.
The White House blocked Jennifer Williams, a State Department official on loan to the Vice President’s office as a special adviser for Russia and Europe, from speaking publicly about an additional call between Trump and Zelensky on Sept. 18, identifying the call as classified pic.twitter.com/iaxqa089f6
— POLITICO (@politico) November 19, 2019
Williams said she would be willing to discuss the call in a classified setting or through a written statement to House members.
Williams previously testified about the call in her closed-door deposition and said the two leaders had a “very positive” conversation that did not include discussion of investigations into Joe Biden or the 2016 election.
The House intelligence committee has called a five- to ten-minute break in this morning’s public impeachment hearing, which will likely become more like a 20-minute recess.
GOP counsel Steve Castor’s questioning to Lt Col Alexander Vindman about whether he considered an offer to become Ukraine’s defense minister seemed to be getting at some Republicans’ baseless claims of the Iraq war veteran’s dual loyalty.
Vindman says repeatedly that he did not seriously entertain the offer and that he is first and foremost an American.
— Noah Bierman (@Noahbierman) November 19, 2019
The Republican counsel questioned Lt Col Alexander Vindman about whether he entertained an offer to become the defense minister of Ukraine.
Vindman emphasized that he was an American and did not consider the offer, calling it “comical” given his current role, which he said was “not that senior.”
Castor asks Vindman about being offered the position of defense minister for Ukraine, and he says he was in fact offered it three times.
— Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) November 19, 2019
"I'm an American...and I immediately dismissed these offers. I did not entertain them," Vindman said. "The whole notion is rather comical."
While the press section of the stately hearing room is packed, the public section is scattered with several open seats. The front row is reserved for members of Congress, who have filtered in and out of the hearing.
For a brief period in the morning, congressman Eliot Engel, chair of the House Foreign Affairs committee, one of the three panels leading the impeachment inquiry, sat next to congressman Lee Zeldin, a Republican and a leading defender of the president. Several lawmakers sat hunched over their phones, tapping out messages and tweets.
But when chair Adam Schiff interrupted ranking member Devin Nunes to admonish the Republican for what he said were questions designed to unmask the whistleblower, Republicans in the room grumbled loudly.
Several seats to the left of the lawmakers, a man wore a Make America Great Again hat that jarred with the ornate setting. There were few other displays of partisanship among the audience.
Schiff, presiding over the hearing, sat ramrod straight, staring ahead intently at the witnesses.
Echoing last week’s hearings, the Republican counsel on the House intelligence committee asked today’s witnesses about Hunter Biden’s qualifications to join the board of the Ukrainian company Burisma.
“I don’t know much about Mr. Hunter Biden,” Lt Col Alexander Vindman said in response to questions from GOP counsel Steve Castor.
GOP counsel Castor asks Lt. Col. Vindman several questions about Hunter Biden's qualifications and experience with Ukraine. This echoes similar questions he posed to first three public witnesses to underscore GOP point that Hunter Biden was likely making money off of last name.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) November 19, 2019
Schiff and Nunes squabble over protecting the whistleblower
While Devin Nunes was questioning Jennifer Williams and Lt Col Alexander Vindman, Adam Schiff warned his Republican colleague that he was not to use the proceedings to attempt to out the whistleblower whose complaint initiated the impeachment inquiry.
Nunes was pressing Williams and Vindman on which officials they spoke to after Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president.
Schiff reminded Nunes that committee members were required to protect the identity of the whistleblower, prompting some jeering from Republicans in the hearing room.
Schiff, however, interjected at this point, saying that they “need to protect the whistleblower.”
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 19, 2019
Several Republican lawmakers seated in the public viewing gallery immediately reacted with an “Ah ha,” to Schiff’s interjection.
Vindman responded that he did not know the whistleblower’s identity but had been instructed not to discuss his intelligence community contacts. Nunes told him he was free to plead the Fifth, but Vindman’s attorney pushed back that such protection was not necessary.
In another rather tense moment, Vindman corrected Nunes after the congressman referred to the Iraq War veteran as “Mr Vindman.” “Ranking member, it’s Lt Col Vindman, please,” he said.
🔥 from VINDMAN, correcting @DevinNunes for referring to him as “Mr. Vindman,” instead of “Lt. Col. Vindman.” pic.twitter.com/rlpBrpsHUa
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) November 19, 2019
Updated
Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, is now using his time to question Jennifer Williams and Lt Col Alexander Vindman about whether they ever leaked to the press about Trump’s Ukraine call.
Williams and Vindman repeatedly said they only spoke to White House staffers and officials with the proper clearances about the call.
Republican questioning of Williams and Vindman begins
Adam Schiff and the Democratic counsel have concluded their 45 minutes of questions to Jennifer Williams and Lt Col Alexander Vindman, and Republican Devin Nunes has now begun his questioning.
The ranking member of the House intelligence committee opened his questioning by asking the witnesses about Hunter Biden’s connections to the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, even though Williams and Vindman quickly acknowledged they had very little familiarity with the matter.
Nunes now asking Vindman about Burisma/Ukraine and "role of the Bidens."
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 19, 2019
Q: Did you know about Kent's concerns about potential conflicts of Biden's son sitting on board of Burisma?
A: Only from his deposition.
Vindman believed Zelenskiy would have to deliver investigations to get White House meeting
Lt Col Alexander Vindman said his impression from Trump’s communications with the Ukrainian president was that Volodymyr Zelenskiy “would have to deliver these investigations” into Joe Biden and the 2016 election in order to secure a White House meeting.
Citing "the power disparity" between Pres. Trump and Ukraine Pres. Zelesnkiy, Lt. Col. Vindman says, "My impression is that in order to get the White House meeting, Pres. Zelenskiy would have to deliver these investigations." https://t.co/wJIckfThSv #ImpeachmentHearings pic.twitter.com/Y8kKLYYk19
— ABC News (@ABC) November 19, 2019
Answering the Democratic counsel’s question about the placement of the Ukraine call transcript on a highly secure server, Lt Col Alexander Vindman said such decisions were “not unprecedented.”
However, the NSC official noted the decision to move the transcript of Trump’s call to a more secure server was made “on the fly.”
Vindman's assessment of why the Ukraine call was placed into a secure server - in part to avoid leaks - is an argument some in the GOP has not been emphasized enough
— Alana Abramson (@aabramson) November 19, 2019
Lt Col Alexander Vindman said he believed the Ukrainian president may have been briefed on Burisma and its connection to the Bidens, given Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s awareness of the company during his July call with Trump.
If Zelenskiy were briefed, it could indicate the Ukrainian president was already aware of Trump allies pushing for the investigations before the July call.
VINDMAN on ZELENSKY mentioning Burisma in call:
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) November 19, 2019
"It seemed unlikely that he would be familiar with a single company in the context of a call…on the broader bilateral relationship & it seemed…he was either tracking this issue b/c it was in the press or he was otherwise prepped" pic.twitter.com/MgXF73FDc3
Jennifer Williams added that she believed Trump’s reference to the Bidens during the July call sounded “political.”
Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams, who listened to Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, testified they both recalled hearing a reference to Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company with ties to Hunter Biden.
Burisma was not mentioned in the White House memo on the July call, even though Vindman said he notified officials that he heard Trump say the company’s name. However, the lieutenant colonel said he did not consider the omission of Burisma to be “significant.”
Both Williams and Vindman say they recall a specific reference to "Burisma" on the July 25th call, though that wasn't in the WH memo of it.
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) November 19, 2019
Vindman says he doesn't see it as a "significant omission."
"The folks that produce these transcripts do the best they can," he says.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, has weighed in on the impeachment inquiry -- falsely claiming that the constitution requires the president to root out corruption in countries that receive US aid.
Congress and the Constitution stipulate it is the duty of the POTUS to investigate crimes and/or corruption in countries we give money to.@realDonaldTrump was fulfilling his legal obligation.
— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) November 19, 2019
Schiff and Pelosi are making a mockery out of our system of justice!
In his opening statement, Lt Col Alexander Vindman shared his concerns that Giuliani’s unofficial efforts to shape US-Ukrainian policy could jeopardize national security.
“In the Spring of 2019, I became aware of two disruptive actors–-primarily Ukraine’s then-Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko and former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney— promoting false information that undermined the United States’ Ukraine policy,” Vindman said.
“The NSC and its inter-agency partners, including the State Department, grew increasingly concerned about the impact that such information was having on our country’s ability to achieve our national security objectives.”
Vindman said Trump's Ukraine call could 'undermine our national security'
Responding to questions from committee chairman Adam Schiff, Lt Col Alexander Vindman said he immediately reported Trump’s Ukraine call because he feared it could have implications on US national security.
“Without hesitation, I knew I had to report this to the White House counsel,” Vindman said of the July call, saying he believed he had a “duty” to share his concerns.
“It was improper for the president to request, to demand an investigation into a political opponent,” Vindman said, warning that Trump’s wishes could “undermine our national security.”
Lt Col Alexander Vindman outlined his family’s history of fleeing from the Soviet Union and applauded the courage of his colleagues who have testified in the impeachment inquiry.
"I have dedicated my entire professional life to the United States of America."
— ABC News (@ABC) November 19, 2019
National Security Council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who was attacked by Pres. Trump, delivers opening statement at the third impeachment hearing: https://t.co/wJIckfThSv pic.twitter.com/xl2HzqSXn8
“I want to state that the vile character attacks on these distinguished and honorable public servants is reprehensible,” Vindman said. “It is natural to disagree and engage in spirited debate, this has been our custom since the time of our Founding Fathers, but we are better than callow and cowardly attacks.”
The Iraq war veteran went on to directly address his father, who made the decision to flee to the United States. “Dad, my sitting here today, in the US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family,” Vindman said. “Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.”
Vindman criticizes Trump for seeking investigations into Biden
In his opening statement at this morning’s impeachment hearing, Lt Col Alexander Vindman said he immediately reported Trump’s Ukraine call to White House lawyers “out of a sense of duty” because the conversation was “improper.”
“I was concerned by the call, what I heard was improper, and I reported my concerns to Mr. Eisenberg,” Vindman said, referring to a senior White House lawyer. “It is improper for the President of the United States to demand a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen and political opponent.”
Vindman stressed that the call could jeopardize US-Ukrainian relations. “It was also clear that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the 2016 election, the Bidens, and Burisma, it would be interpreted as a partisan play,” Vindman said. “This would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing bipartisan support, undermine U.S. national security, and advance Russia’s strategic objectives in the region.”
Williams recounts Trump's Ukraine call
In her opening statement, Jennifer Williams recounted her memory of Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, which kicked off the impeachment inquiry.
Williams says she found President Trump's call with Ukraine's president "unusual" because it "involved discussion of what appeared to be a domestic political matter" https://t.co/OZ2lHu07Z6 pic.twitter.com/h4wBl0odqI
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 19, 2019
“On July 25th, along with several of my colleagues, I listened to a call between President Trump and President Zelensky—the content of which has since been publicly reported,” Williams, an aide to the vice president, said. “During my closed-door deposition, Members of the Committee asked about my personal views and whether I had any concerns about the July 25th call. As I testified then, I found the July 25th phone call unusual because, in contrast to other presidential calls I had observed, it involved discussion of what appeared to be a domestic political matter.”
Williams also noted that she was told acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney maintained the freeze on Ukraine’s military assistance. The longtime foreign service officer said that she learned of the hold in early July, and that hold was discussed at subsequent Policy Coordination Committee meetings.
“During those meetings, representatives of the State and Defense Departments advocated that the hold should be lifted, and OMB representatives reported that the White House Chief of Staff had directed that the hold should remain in place,” Williams said.
Vindman and Williams sworn in
Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams have now been sworn in to testify in today’s public impeachment hearing. Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, is currently delivering her opening statement.
Vindman and Williams are sworn in. pic.twitter.com/TmZGBfb09D
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 19, 2019
Nunes denounces the media in his opening statement
Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, used his opening statement to denounce the media for allegedly spreading false reports about Trump and his aides -- even though a number of the articles Nunes cited were far from false.
NUNES statement focued almost entirely on media, recites a series of headlines re: Russia investigation that he says turned out to be false. (Some were decidedly not false and others were things that were investigated and later found to be false).
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) November 19, 2019
Nunes applauded pieces from the Hill’s former columnist John Solomon, whose writings about Ukraine are now being reviewed and corrected when necessary.
As a New York Times reporter pointed out, the strategy of attacking the media may be far easier for Republicans than attacking today’s witnesses.
Much easier for Nunes to blast the media and the whistleblower than it will be to challenge a witness in dress uniform.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 19, 2019
Adam Schiff emphasized in his opening statement that Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams are not political figures and are not testifying today to argue for or against impeachment.
“Ms. Williams, we all saw the President’s tweet about you on Sunday afternoon and the insults he hurled at Ambassador Yovanovich last Friday,” Schiff said, referring to the president’s tweet calling Williams a “Never Trumper.” “You are here today, and the American people are grateful.”
Schiff continued, “Col. Vindman, we have seen far more scurrilous attacks on your character, and watched as certain personalities on Fox have questioned your loyalty. I note that you have shed blood for America, and we owe you an immense debt of gratitude.
“Today’s witnesses, like those who testified last week, are here because they were subpoenaed to appear, not because they are for or against impeachment.
“That question is for Congress, not the fact witnesses.”
Schiff defends reputations of Vindman and Williams
Committee chairman Adam Schiff used his opening statement at this morning’s impeachment hearing to defend the reputations of Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams.
“Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, whose family fled oppression in the Soviet Union when he was a toddler, is a career Army officer, an Iraq War veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart, and an expert in Russia and Ukraine who has worked at the highest levels of the Pentagon,” Schiff said.
“Jennifer Williams is a career Foreign Service Officer who is currently detailed to the Office of the Vice-President and responsible for Europe and Eurasia issues.”
Republicans on the House intelligence committee reportedly intend to try to undermine Vindman’s testimony by questioning his motives and his loyalty to Trump.
Impeachment hearing begins
Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, has gaveled in this morning’s public impeachment hearing.
Lt. Col. Vindman has arrived in uniform to testify about what he observed re. Trump’s contacts with Ukraine.
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 19, 2019
He is accompanied by his twin brother, who also serves on the NSC with him pic.twitter.com/FyvUO5hw27
The hearing’s witnesses, Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams, have taken their seats. Williams will deliver her opening statement first, followed by Vindman.
Lt Col Alexander Vindman’s twin brother -- Lt Col Yevgeny Vindman, who serves as a lawyer handling ethics issues on the national security council -- will also be in attendance at today’s hearing and will similarly be wearing his military uniform.
Reporters were just informed that Lt Col Vindman has a twin brother who will be here at the hearing... also in uniform. Have not yet laid eyes on either twin.
— Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) November 19, 2019
Hello from the velvet-draped hearing room where we will soon hear testimony from Lt Col Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the national security council, and Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence.
Republicans are up with new signage, hoisted high enough to be seen each time a GOP lawmaker speaks. Today’s posters attempt to wield Democrats’ words against them.
New Republican signage for today’s hearing where we’ll hear shortly from Lt. Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams pic.twitter.com/MoKDmzGJP2
— Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) November 19, 2019
One sign features a tweet from Intelligence chairman Adam Schiff in September, which states that his team had been in touch with the whistleblower about testifying before the committee. Republicans have demanded the whistleblower, whose complaint touched off the impeachment inquiry, testify. But Democrats have resisted, insisting that it’s unnecessary to risk exposing the whistleblower’s identity because many of the central claims in the complaint have been corroborated by testimony from other witnesses.
“We’re in touch with counsel and look forward to the whistleblower’s testimony as soon as next week,” Schiff wrote in the tweet.
Another signs says “99 days since Adam Schiff learned the identity of the whistleblower.” Schiff has repeatedly denied that he knows the identity of the whistleblower, a claim that drew snickers from Republicans in the audience on the first day of impeachment hearings last week.
The last sign is a quote from Congressman Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat from New Jersey and one of the only members of his party to vote against a resolution formalizing the procedures of the impeachment inquiry.
“We’ve spent millions of dollars in my opinion, tons of money, tons of time, tons of hurt, fracturing the nation apart,” Van Drew said, referring to the inquiry. In big bold, highlighted letters, the rest of his quote states: “I haven’t seen this to be a good thing.”
According to a new poll out this morning, Americans remain split on impeachment as the second week of hearings begins.
The PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll found that 45% of US adults believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office, compared to 44 percent who say he should not be.
However, there is much more of a consensus when it comes to whether it’s acceptable for a president to ask a foreign country to investigate one of his political rivals, the central allegation in the impeachment inquiry. The poll found that 70% of Americans would consider this unacceptable, compared to 22% who called it acceptable.
Williams arrives for impeachment hearing
Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, has also arrived to testify in this morning’s impeachment hearing.
Like Vindman, Williams listened in on Trump’s Ukraine call, and the veteran foreign service officer later told impeachment investigators that she was alarmed by the president’s requests of an investigation into Joe Biden and his son. Williams said the nature of the July conversation with the Ukrainian president struck her as “unusual and inappropriate.”
Republicans reportedly intend to try to undermine Lt Col Alexander Vindman’s testimony by questioning the Purple Heart recipient’s motives and loyalty to the president.
The Washington Post reports:
Since he emerged as a witness last month, Trump and his allies have denounced Vindman. The president called him a ‘Never Trumper witness,’ and on Fox News, Laura Ingraham described Vindman as ‘a U.S. national security official . . . working inside the White House, apparently against the president’s interests.’
The attacks picked up again on the eve of his testimony. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) suggested in a letter released Monday that Vindman fits the profile of ‘a significant number of bureaucrats and staff members within the executive branch [who] have never accepted President Trump as legitimate and . . . react by leaking to the press and participating in the ongoing effort to sabotage his policies and, if possible, remove him from office.’
Vindman’s lawyer, Michael Volkov, called Johnson’s assertion ‘such a baseless accusation, so ridiculous on its face, that it doesn’t even warrant a response.”’
It will be interesting to see how the public responds if Republicans choose to challenge the credibility of an Iraq war veteran as he testifies in his military uniform. It will be ... quite the visual.
Vindman arrives for impeachment hearing
Lt Col Alexander Vindman has arrived on Capitol Hill to testify in this morning’s impeachment hearing -- wearing his military uniform, as he did for his closed-door testimony.
Some of Trump’s allies tried to smear Vindman’s reputation after the Purple Heart recipient testified that the president’s Ukraine call alarmed him, forcing a number of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to defend the longtime public servant and Iraq war veteran.
Two impeachment hearings to be held today
There will actually be two impeachment hearings held on Capitol Hill today. Vindman and Williams will testify starting at 9 a.m. ET, and Kurt Volker and Tim Morrison will testify at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Volker, Trump’s former envoy to Ukraine, previously denied knowledge of efforts to pressure Kyiv to investigate Joe Biden. However, since his closed-door testimony, at least eleven other officials have contradicted details of his account. Although Volker may offer more favorable testimony for Trump, Democrats on the House intelligence committee will almost certainly grill him on why his memory differed so drastically from some of his colleagues’.
Morrison, the former top Russia expert on the national security council, previously testified that Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, was the one trying to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden, but he told impeachment investigators that Sondland said “the president was giving him instruction.” Morrison also listened in on Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president and told lawmakers he believed that nothing illegal or improper occurred.
Impeachment hearing expected to include firsthand accounts of Ukraine call
Good morning, live blog readers!
The second round of impeachment hearings kicks off in about an hour, when Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams are scheduled to testify publicly before the House intelligence committee.
Vindman is the top Ukraine expert on the national security council and previously told impeachment investigators behind closed doors that Donald Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president so alarmed him that he immediately informed White House lawyers.
Williams is an aide to Vice President Mike Pence and also listened in on the Ukraine call, telling the House committees leading the impeachment inquiry that it “shed some light on possible other motivations behind a security assistance hold.” The president attacked Williams in a tweet on Sunday -- calling her a “Never Trumper,” as he has labeled other witnesses who have testified in the inquiry.
Vindman and Williams’ firsthand accounts of the Ukraine call will severely test Republicans’ defense strategy of portraying witness testimony as hearsay, which is how they described the accounts of the diplomats who testified last week. That tension might push Trump’s allies to other, more personal attack strategies, so it’s likely today’s hearing will get ugly fast.
The live blog will be providing updates and analysis as the hearing gets underway, so stay tuned.
