Skip to main content

These are the impeachment inquiry days of our lives

Lindsay Deutsch ,  Steve Coogan   | Paste BN

Happy Monday! Does it feel a little like Groundhog Day? Because it's week nine of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, and Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, and Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman are among the key witnesses scheduled for hearings. Only this time, we're public. 

Before we dig into this week's docket, some more politics headlines from over the weekend:

Here's the impeachment inquiry interview schedule for this week: 

Tuesday:

  • Alexander Vindman, who listened to Trump’s July 25 call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and reported his concerns about Trump demanding investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
  • Jennifer Williams, a National Security Council aide to Vice President Mike Pence, and who listened to the July 25 call.
  • On Tuesday afternoon, the panel will hear from Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, and Tim Morrison, a National Security Council senior director for Europe and Russia.

Wednesday:

  • Gordon Sondland told inquiry committees on Oct. 17 that Trump assured him repeatedly that there was no quid pro quo for Ukraine to begin investigations in exchange for military aid. But he amended his sworn testimony on Nov. 4 to say that he met with Ukrainians in Warsaw Sept. 1 and told them that the resumption of aid depended upon an anti-corruption announcement.
  • Laura Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian affairs, and David Hale, the undersecretary of State for political affairs.

Thursday:

  • Fiona Hill, the former National Security Council senior director for Europe and Russia, who described former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s opposition to demanding investigations from Ukraine.
  • According to multiple reports Monday, David Holmes, the counselor for political affairs at the US Embassy in Ukraine, will appear alongside Hill and testify publicly as well. Holmes testified behind closed doors Friday that he overheard a phone conversation where Sondland had told Trump that Ukraine was going to move forward with the investigation Trump had asked Zelensky for.

Want more? Head here. 

McConnell maintains his stance on impeachment, despite the polling

An ABC News-Ipsos poll released Monday revealed seven in 10 Americans think Trump's actions regarding Ukraine, which have been outlined in the House impeachment inquiry, were "wrong," and a slim majority thinks he should be removed from office. Going further, 51% said his acts were wrong and deserved impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate. 

Among young people, there's even more support to see Trump removed from office. A new national poll released Monday by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, which isolated voters ages 18 to 29, found 52 percent of all eligible youth voters and 58 percent of likely youth voters in the 2020 presidential election believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office.

However, it appears Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is intent on holding the line when it comes to impeachment, saying Monday he "can't imagine a scenario" in which the U.S. Senate would remove Trump from office. Those comments aren't new, they just reaffirm what he said two weeks ago.  

Rep. Elise Stefanik in the spotlight

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has emerged as a prominent Republican voice opposing the impeachment probe and many are taking notice. On Friday, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., blocked Stefanik from questioning former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch during time allotted for either the ranking Republican committee member, Devin Nunes, Calif., or designated counsel, citing House rules. Schiff's action led to widespread criticism from the GOP and Stefanik, the only Republican woman on the committee, has seen public support from folks on her side of the aisle. 

Most notably, Trump, called her a "new Republican Star" in a tweet. Also, after prominent conservative attorney George Conway called Stefanik out in a series of tweets, labeling her "lying trash" at one point, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley came to Stefanik's defense and got into a heated Twitter exchange with Conway.

It's getting intense in Washington, friends. We'll end it here. 

– Until tomorrow, OP readers

Facebook Twitter Email