Week 2 Of The Impeachment Inquiry Public Hearings Begins

We discuss what to expect from the next officials set to testify in the House impeachment inquiry.

Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief. Author of the coming book "Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Arc of Power." (@SusanPage)

New York Times: "Republicans Shift Defense of Trump, While He Attacks Another Witness" — "House Republicans, bracing for another week of impeachment hearings, asserted on Sunday that President Trump had done nothing wrong because his plans for Ukraine to investigate his political rivals never came to fruition — even as the president complicated their efforts by attacking another witness.

"On a day of back-and-forth on Twitter and the morning television talk shows that are a staple of Sundays in Washington, Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited Mr. Trump to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, while the president’s allies shifted their emphasis away from the defense they offered last week, when they stressed that witnesses had only secondhand information against him.

"That argument may not work much longer, because lawmakers are about to hear from crucial witnesses who had direct contact with the president, including Gordon D. Sondland, a donor to and an ally of Mr. Trump who served as his liaison to Ukrainian officials while the president withheld — but later released — $391 million in military aid to Ukraine."

Associated Press: "Democrats invite Trump to testify in impeachment inquiry" — "Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited President Donald Trump to testify in front of investigators in the House impeachment inquiry ahead of a week that will see several key witnesses appear publicly.

"Pushing back against accusations from the president that the process has been stacked against him, Pelosi said Trump is welcome to appear or answer questions in writing, if he chooses."

Axios: "Trump attacks Yovanovitch as she testifies at impeachment hearing" — "President Trump attacked former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch in a pair of tweets as she testified Friday in the House's impeachment inquiry.

"Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors.

"They call it 'serving at the pleasure of the President.' The U.S. now has a very strong and powerful foreign policy, much different than proceeding administrations. It is called, quite simply, America First! With all of that, however, I have done FAR more for Ukraine than O."

Washington Post: "Democrats announce eight witnesses, including Vindman, Sondland and Volker, for next week’s public impeachment hearings" — "Eight witnesses are expected to testify next week in the House impeachment inquiry, the panel leading the probe announced Tuesday, as President Trump accused Democrats of relying on '2nd and 3rd hand' testimony on the eve of the first public hearing.

"Among those expected to testify before the House Intelligence Committee are Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the former National Security Council director for European affairs; Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union; and Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine.

"Two State Department officials — Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent and acting ambassador to Ukraine William B. Taylor Jr. — on Wednesday will be the first witnesses to testify publicly.

"A memo circulated by Republican staff earlier Tuesday previewed how the president’s party plans to defend him."