The Latest on the Impeachment Inquiry into President Trump

The official impeachment inquiry against President Donald J. Trump was launched on Tuesday, Sept. 24. From then on, this impeachment inquiry has been moving at a fast pace. The inquiry originally stemmed from the president’s dealings with Ukraine. To date, the impeachment inquiry has consisted of numerous hearings, depositions and subpoenas of present and former top administration figures⁠—and we can’t forget about the president’s numerous tweets on the matter. Here are some of the latest updates about the impeachment inquiry:

The Hill and Vindman testimony was released

• Hill, President Trump’s former advisor on Russia, “considered what was happening to be a clear counterintelligence risk,” said a person in the room during Hill’s deposition.
• Vindman, The National Security Council’s top Ukraine expert, said that a meeting between President Trump and the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was “contingent” on Ukraine’s investigation of Trump’s rivals.

Ivanka Trump says whistleblower’s ID is ‘not particularly relevant’

• The first daughter made a statement that the whistleblower “did not have firsthand information” on the president’s dealings with Ukraine. She added that the whistleblower’s motives were more important.

Mulvaney skips appearance

• President Trump’s chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, skipped out on a closed-door testimony on Capitol Hill, saying that he was “legally immune” after being told not to appear. He is now asking the court to join a lawsuit challenging the House’s ability to subpoena him.
• Mulvaney was said to be a key player in trying to get Ukraine to open investigations that would benefit Trump. 

​Democrats are launching the public phase of their impeachment inquiry next week, with open, televised hearings set for Wednesday, Nov. 13 and Friday, Nov. 15. These hearings are scheduled to take place in the House of Representatives. Democrats are holding these hearings to build a strong public case that Trump did abuse his presidential powers by getting Ukraine to open investigations involving Hunter Biden, the son of former vice president Joe Biden. Joe Biden hopes to be the democratic nominee set to run against Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Democrats want public hearings to gain the largest public support they can get should they formally impeach Trump, which could happen by December. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff stated that the televised hearings will be “an opportunity for the American people to evaluate the witness for themselves.”

In response to the impeachment inquiry against him, President Trump tweeted, “it was just explained to me that for next week’s Fake Hearing [trial] in the House, as they interview Never Trumpers and others, I get NO LAWYER & NO DUE PROCESS. It is a Pelosi and Schiff, Scam against the Republican Party and me. The Witch Hunt should not be allowed to proceed!”

While Trump is correct in that there will be no White House lawyer in next week’s hearings, the rules passed by the House allows for more participation if and when the process moves into the Judiciary Committee. A trial to acquit the president or convict and remove him from office will only take place in the Senate if the full House passes articles of impeachment.

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