As ex-Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch has testified before the House impeachment inquiry, just after the White House has released its transcript of the first call between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, seemingly an attempt to distract from the veteran diplomat's potentially explosive deposition.
Speaking in Louisiana last night, the president complained the inquiry has been “very hard” on his family as he took to the stage to muster support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone, the plea for sympathy a marked change of tactic.
As security experts warn Mr Trump’s 26 July phone call with Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the EU, could have been picked up by Russian spies, the president is planning to take the battle to withhold his tax returns from investigators to the Supreme Court.
The Friday testimony proved to be an exciting one, with Mr Trump live tweeting the exchange until being called out directly by Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
In doing so, Mr Schiff was able to check in with Ms Yovanovitch in real time, and hear from her that she believed his comments to be aimed at intimidation.
Many have now said that Mr Trump's attack may amount to witness tampering — which could add to the articles of impeachment facing the president.
Ms Yovanovitch also described publicly a conspiracy led by Rudy Giuliani to get her removed from her post as ambassador — which she said she did not understand the purpose of, since the president could have simply fired her if he wanted.
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Trump complains impeachment inquiry has been 'very hard' on his family at Louisiana rally, attacks 'Never Trumper' witnesses
Donald Trump has complained that the House impeachment inquiry has been “very hard” on his family during a rally in Louisiana intended to muster support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone.
The president also angrily attacked the inquiry's first witnesses - acting Ukraine ambassador Bill Taylor and State Department official George Kent - as "Never Trumpers" out to get him.
Trump was on bullying form throughout, mocking House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff - spearheading the investigation into the Zelensky call - by saying he "would not make the LSU [Louisiana State University] football team" and deriding his "pencil neck", a familiar Trumpian insult.
Here's Andrew Buncombe's report.
Ousted Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch to testify
The public stage of the inquiry is set to resume on Friday with Congress hearing from ousted Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who, it has been said, was the victim of a smear campaign to remove her from Kiev orchestrated by the president’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
Here's Clark Mindock on what we can expect to see today.
Yovanovitch 'going to eat these people for lunch'
For Indy Voices, Andrew Feinberg says the ousted Ukraine ambassador has scores to settle and will relish her oportunity in the glare of the media spotlight.
Security experts warn Putin could have heard Sondland call
The call acting ambassador Taylor raised at Wednesday's hearing - which a member of his staff reported overhearing and in which Trump was heard to ask his ambassador to the UN Gordon Sondland about "the investigations" while the latter was in a Kiev restaurant - could well have been picked up by Russian spies and handed on to Vladimir Putin, US security experts have warned.
Stanford professor Michael McFaul warned as much on MSNBC...
... as did Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA officer who oversaw operations in Europe and Russia, on CNN.
"If true, the cell phone call between Ambassador Sondland and President Trump is an egregious violation of traditional counterintelligence practices that all national security officials - to include political appointee ambassadors such as Sondland - are repeatedly made aware of," Polymeropoulos said.
"I cannot remember in my career any time where an ambassador in a high counterintelligence environment like Kiev would have such an unsecure conversation with a sitting president. This just should not happen."
Nancy Pelosi: Trump's actions 'make what Nixon did look almost small'
House speaker Nancy Pelosi had some strong words for Trump yesterday, saying the impeachment investigation has found evidence of “bribery” - an impeachable act - that was corroborated by the public testimonies of Taylor and Kent this week.
Trump's actions make "what Nixon did look almost small", she said.
Clark Mindock reports.
Kellyanne Conway blows up at Wolf Blitzer over marriage question
White House counsel Kellyanne Conway reacted angrily to CNN's Wolf Blitzer when he asked her about her marriage to outspoken Trump critic George Conway, who made a rare guest appearance on MSNBC on Wednesday to comment on the public hearings.
Andrew Buncombe has the full report on the showdown.
Louisiana senator derides 'goat milk latte-drinking, avocado toast-eating DC insiders'
Trump introduced professionally-folksy Louisiana senator John Kennedy to the stage last night in Bossier City with the declaration: "He went to Oxford. You know what that means? That means good. That means you're very good."
Senator Kennedy proceeded to play up to his brand in grand style.
Here's Jon Sharman's report.
President asks Supreme Court to protect his tax returns - setting up constitutional showdown
Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to shield his tax returns from prosecutors, setting up what is likely to be a showdown between different elements of the government.
A week after a federal appeals court ruled against the president and said he must hand the financial information to prosecutors in New York, his legal team made an approach to the nation’s highest bench.
In the filing, his lawyers argued that as president, he was immune from criminal investigation while he remained in office.
“For the first time in our nation’s history, a state or local prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation of the president of the United States and subjected him to coercive criminal process,” the filing said.
“Every time a president has asked the court to review an unprecedented use of legal process against the occupant of the office, it has done so.”
Here's Andrew Buncombe.
Career admin official to break ranks and talk to impeachment inquiry on Saturday
Mark Sandy, a career admin aide with the Office of Management and Budget whose signature was on the letter withholding Ukrainian military assistance, is expected to defy the White House and testify to the impeachment inquiry on Saturday.
"I'm quite sure Mr Sandy... didn't make this decision on his own," ex-federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner told MSNBC's Ari Melber last night.
Maybe the impeachment inquiry is not dead after all, despite Trump's insistence otherwise late last night.
Giuliani says he has 'very, very good insurance' if Trump tries to throw him under the bus
Rudy Giuliani was interviewed by The Guardian yesterday and "joked" that he was not worried about being thrown under the bus by Trump the Ukraine affair: “I’m not, but I do have very, very good insurance, so if he does, all my hospital bills will be paid.”
Here's Andrew Buncombe's report.
‘My whole life is crazy. What a life I lead. You think this is fun, don’t you?’
Jon Sharman has more on Trump's plea for sympathy last night.
Matt Bevin finally concedes Kentucky governor's race
The deeply unpopular Republican candidate in the Kentucky governor's race, Matt Bevin, has finally conceded defeat a week after Democrat Andy Beshear claimed victory.
Bevin - widely loathed for his comments about striking teachers - was the incumbent but loses his seat in spite of Trump attempting to intervene on his behalf with an election eve rally appearance in which even he admitted his man was "a pain in the a**" but implored red state voters not to inflict "the greatest defeat in history" on him.
President shows off transcript of first Zelensky call to Republican huddle
Trump spent Thursday presenting the transcript of his first call with Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky to a huddle of Republican senators over lunch, Politico reports today.
The president had promised to release the transcript of the 21 April call - not to be confused with the 25 July "quid pro quo" exchange at the heart of the impeachment inquiry - in the belief that it will somehow exonerate him but rowed back on the decision on Tuesday for reasons that at this moment remain unclear.
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Ted Cruz of Texas, Steve Daines of Montana, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Jerry Moran of Kansas saw the document, the publication says.
North Korea labels Joe Biden 'rabid dog'
Pyongyang state media has accused Democratic 2020 front-runner Joe Biden of slandering its leader and called the Democratic presidential candidate “a rabid dog” that needs to be put down.
All righty then.
Sexist comments return to haunt Michael Bloomberg
Ex-New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the world's richest men and a late entrant to the Democratic 2020 race, is already under fire following the re-emergence of sexist "jokes" he made in the past.
“If women wanted to be appreciated for their brains, they’d go to the library instead of to Bloomingdale’s,” goes one. At least one other is genuinely jaw-dropping.
The resurfacing of the remarks in 2001 ultimately failed to derail his run for city hall at the time but he can expect them to be taken far more seriously in the #MeToo era.
'Smart Republicans are changing their minds about Trump's impeachment'
For Indy Voices, Max Burns observes a shift in attitude among the GOP as the public hearings begin.
I'm not convinced simply putting on a pair of glasses is enough to earn Jim Jordan inclusion in any group of "smart Republicans" but there you are.
A premature obituary for the career of Mitch McConnell
Also for Voices, Lauren Duca calls time on the self-style "Grim Reaper" of the Senate.
Good morning and welcome to the second day of public impeachment hearings into Donald Trump's alleged abuse of power involving Ukraine.
The president has a mostly silent schedule today in Washington as the House Intelligence Committee spearheads an investigation into his 25 July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and allegations he withheld crucial military aid to the country while demanding political investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden.
We'll be providing live updates and real-time analysis from our New York headquarters, with help from The Independent's Andrew Feinberg, who is sitting in on the impeachment hearings.
Today's key impeachment witness is Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, who was the subject of an apparent "smear campaign" orchestrated by the president's personal attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. She's set to arrive on Capitol Hill momentarily.
Stay tuned for more.
Justice Department investigating Florida Republican over campaign finance violations
Bill Barr's Justice Department has launched a probe into Florida GOP congressman Ross Spano over campaign finance violation allegations, according to the House Ethics Committee.
The Washington Post meanwhile reported this morning that the same department stated last night it would not accept written answers from witnesses in its investigation into the origins of the Robert Mueller's Russia inqury before backing down.
