Roll the cameras, turn on the tape recorders. Impeachment hearings against the president of the United States are now open to the public, a new phase in the probe by lawmakers to determine whether Donald Trump violated his country's constitution and should be removed from office. We weigh the evidence and Trump's strategy for countering allegations that he tried to leverage aid to Ukraine in exchange for political dirt on his main rival for re-election in 2020.
More than four decades after the Watergate hearings and a quarter-century after the bid to oust Bill Clinton, this drama is sure to play out very differently. Back then, 24-hour news channels didn't rule and there was no social media.
Even though the evidence might seem solid to many, it's clear that the Democrats are taking a gamble. At the end of the day, will enough citizens be swayed by their arguments? If Trump can convince enough voters that it's all a political witch hunt, then surely he can beat the rap and even secure re-election.
Produced by Yi Song, Juliette Laurain and Jimena Morales-Velasco.
