How do you watch the Impeachment Hearings, or even just the coverage, without crying? Make it a game night!
Here’s one easy option. Play BINGO with your friends by making a 5×5 grid and filling it in with your choice of the following terms. Don’t know what they mean? Follow the link or read the quick definition to catch up on what you’re missing. This could be going on for a while, so make sure to take care of yourself.Quid pro Quo: This for that, or any exchange of one good or service for another. While not illegal or unethical in general (i.e. agreeing to sanction relief in order to open negotiations with North Korea is legal), it is unethical to leverage the US government’s resources and power in order to benefit yourself as an individual. Debatably, Trump doesn’t need to have engaged in a quid pro quo in order to be impeached.
July 25th: The phone call that is in question took place on July 25th.
Three Amigos: Volker, Perry, and Sondland, though Volker denies being in the clique.
Articles of Impeachment: You should think of the articles of impeachment like indictments, they are the list of things that a President is being accused of. The House holds hearings and then votes to agree on whether or not to accuse the President of each charge listed in each article. If the House votes to impeach, that’s like voting to accuse, and the issue will then be sent to the Senate, which will hold a trial and vote on whether or not to remove the President.
Whistleblower: The person who came forward alleging that the President is “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.” Read the complaint here. As of now, we don’t know the identity of the whistleblower and they are not set to testify.
Transcript: Frustratingly, the document that everyone is callling a transcript is not a transcript. It is not word for word, as the document states. It is a memo of the notes from the people on the call. In this case, it is the July 25th call with the President of Ukraine. Trump de-classified the memo in September.
Giuliani: I have no idea where to begin. He’s the President’s personal lawyer and even before the Impeachment hearings, he was a controversial figure. He may be launching a podcast. He’s at the center of the Ukraine controversy.
Kiev: The capital of Ukraine, which is not pronounced how you think it is.
Burisma: Apparently, Trump wanted Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden for trying to get a prosecutor fired in order to allegedly protect his son, Hunter, from being investigated for his association with the Ukrainian company Burisma. Many argue that Biden fired the prosecutor because he was not prosecuting corruption and firing said prosecutor would have made it more likely for Burisma to be investigated. The assorted conspiracies are explained here.
Hunter Biden: Joe Biden’s son, who’s life is getting far more scrutiny than he could have possibly anticipated.
Inquiry: The stage of impeachment that we are currently in, involving private depositions and public hearings.
Trial: Just like the House Democrats could determine the parameters for the Inquiry, the Senate Republicans (who are in the majority), including how long the trial could last.
High Crimes and Misdimeanors: The constitutional standard for impeachment.
Vindman: A Lt. Colonel testifying as to what he heard on the July 25th call.
Williams: Mike Pence’s aid who testified this week.
Hill: A former National Security Council official who is an expert on Russia.
Holmes: a top aid in the US Embassy in Kiev.
Volker: Former US Special Envoy to Ukraine who’s testimony changed dramatically in between his private deposition and public hearing.
Cooper: A top Pentagon Official
Hale: A top State Department Official
Taylor: The acting Ambassador to Ukraine
Zelensky: The Current President of Ukraine who presumably wishes that you didn’t need to know his name.
Deposition: Closed door questioning of witnesses by Democratic and Republican commitee members. These are the reason that we have a sense of what witnesses will testify before their public appearances.
Yovanovitch: Top diplomat who Trump attacked while she testified.