Trump's impeachment trial whether to remove the US President from office officially got underway in the Senate on Thursday.

Led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, the prosecutors presented and read out the articles of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-trial-opens-as-watchdog-faults-white-house-on-ukraine-274763">impeachment to the senate.</a> The formal opening of the inquiry was marked by the swearing-in of Chief Justice John Roberts who issued the oath to all 100 senators to take part as jurors in the trial.

US constitution lays out that the chief justice will preside over the entire trial.

Even as the impeachment proceedings got underway at Capitol Hill, a handful of protesters staged demonstrations outside. Several groups like 'women's march' and 'rise and resist' took part in the protests.

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The major flashpoint between the democrats and the republicans in this trial is about the introduction of new witnesses. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that they have asked for 4 fact-based witnesses to testify.

There are already indications that the republicans are not going to concede ground. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell called the president's impeachment a purely partisan performance by the democrats. He accused them of handing out souvenirs once the articles of impeachment were adopted in the house.

President Trump reacted to the trial by claiming innocence.

He said he was being impeached for a perfect phone call with the Ukranian president. Trump expects the proceedings in the Senate to move ahead rather quickly.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani,&nbsp;during an MSNBC interview spoke about Trump's attempts last July to persuade Ukraine to announce an investigation into Hunter Biden, who is the son of Democratic US presidential contender Joe Biden, and held a seat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.

Trump said on Thursday he did not know Lev Parnas.

Trump told reporters he does not know Parnas and called the news of his statements "a big hoax."

Trump's impeachment trial whether to remove the US President from office officially got underway in the Senate on Thursday. Led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, the prosecutors presented and read out the articles of impeachment to the senate.

Trump's impeachment trial whether to remove the US President from office officially got underway in the Senate on Thursday. Led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, the prosecutors presented and read out the articles of impeachment to the senate. The formal opening of the inquiry was marked by the swearing-in of Chief Justice John Roberts who issued the oath to all 100 senators to take part as jurors in the trial. US constitution lays out that the chief justice will preside over the entire trial. Even as the impeachment proceedings got underway at Capitol Hill, a handful of protesters staged demonstrations outside. Several groups like 'women's march' and 'rise and resist' took part in the protests. × The major flashpoint between the democrats and the republicans in this trial is about the introduction of new witnesses. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that they have asked for 4 fact-based witnesses to testify. There are already indications that the republicans are not going to concede ground. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell called the president's impeachment a purely partisan performance by the democrats. He accused them of handing out souvenirs once the articles of impeachment were adopted in the house. President Trump reacted to the trial by claiming innocence. He said he was being impeached for a perfect phone call with the Ukranian president. Trump expects the proceedings in the Senate to move ahead rather quickly. Meanwhile, Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, during an MSNBC interview spoke about Trump's attempts last July to persuade Ukraine to announce an investigation into Hunter Biden, who is the son of Democratic US presidential contender Joe Biden, and held a seat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Trump said on Thursday he did not know Lev Parnas. Trump told reporters he does not know Parnas and called the news of his statements "a big hoax."

US President Trump's impeachment trial officialy gets underway in Senate

Elizabeth Warren made another stunning revelation against fellow Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders that he had told her earlier that a woman could not win the 2020 US election.&nbsp;

Warren's comments came amid escalating tensions between her and Sanders, who are friends and have similar ideological leanings.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/im-disappointed-bernie-sanders-sent-volunteers-to-trash-me-elizabeth-warren-273907">'I'm disappointed Bernie Sanders sent volunteers to trash me': Elizabeth Warren</a>

Earlier, as per a CNN report, Sanders told Warren in a 2018 meeting that he does not believe that a woman could beat US President Donald Trump. The media outlet also mentioned the names of four people who have knowledge about the meeting.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;

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Sanders denied the report and in an interview to CNN said that it was "ludicrous" that he would tell Warren a woman could not win.&nbsp;

"I thought a woman could win; he disagreed," Warren said in a statement released on Monday.&nbsp;

Warren&nbsp;later said that she has no interest in discussing this private meeting anymore "because Bernie and I have far more in common than our differences in punditry".

The tensions between both the senators earlier rose when Politico reported on Sunday that Sanders' campaign volunteers are describing Warren as a candidate for the elite.&nbsp;

Warren responded she was disappointed to know that Sanders&nbsp;was sending volunteers to "trash" her.&nbsp;

Sanders later said that he didn't approve of talking negative points about other rival candidates.&nbsp;

"Elizabeth Warren is a very good friend of mine... No one is gonna trash Elizabeth Warren," Sanders had said.&nbsp;

Warren and Sanders will face off in the seventh Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Elizabeth Warren made another stunning revelation against fellow Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders that he had told her earlier that a woman could not win the 2020 US election.

Elizabeth Warren made another stunning revelation against fellow Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders that he had told her earlier that a woman could not win the 2020 US election. Warren's comments came amid escalating tensions between her and Sanders, who are friends and have similar ideological leanings. Also read: 'I'm disappointed Bernie Sanders sent volunteers to trash me': Elizabeth Warren Earlier, as per a CNN report, Sanders told Warren in a 2018 meeting that he does not believe that a woman could beat US President Donald Trump. The media outlet also mentioned the names of four people who have knowledge about the meeting. Watch: Sanders denied the report and in an interview to CNN said that it was "ludicrous" that he would tell Warren a woman could not win. "I thought a woman could win; he disagreed," Warren said in a statement released on Monday. Warren later said that she has no interest in discussing this private meeting anymore "because Bernie and I have far more in common than our differences in punditry". The tensions between both the senators earlier rose when Politico reported on Sunday that Sanders' campaign volunteers are describing Warren as a candidate for the elite. Warren responded she was disappointed to know that Sanders was sending volunteers to "trash" her. Sanders later said that he didn't approve of talking negative points about other rival candidates. "Elizabeth Warren is a very good friend of mine... No one is gonna trash Elizabeth Warren," Sanders had said. Warren and Sanders will face off in the seventh Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday.

Bernie Sanders said no woman could beat Donald Trump in 2020: Elizabeth Warren

The Democratic-led US House of Representatives will vote on Wednesday to send formal impeachment charges against President Donald Trump to the Senate, lawmakers said on Tuesday, likely setting the start of Trump's trial for later this week.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a party meeting that she would also name the Democrats' team of "managers" who will lead the prosecution of Trump at the trial, Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar said.

Trump became only the third US president to be impeached when the House last month approved charges that he abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation into his Democratic rival Joe Biden and obstructed Congress.

But Pelosi has delayed sending the charges to the Senate in an unsuccessful effort to get that chamber's Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to agree to include new witness testimony that could be damaging to the Republican president.

The Senate is expected to acquit Trump, as none of its 53 Republicans has voiced support for ousting him, a step that would require a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate.

A Wednesday vote would allow the Senate to start the trial on Thursday afternoon, although the first few days will be consumed with housekeeping duties such as swearing-in members and formally reading the two impeachment charges. Lawmakers likely would not hear opening arguments until next week at the earliest.

"We’ll have I think about a 10-minute debate and we’ll vote on it and then send everything over. And the Senate trial, I assume, will start next week,” Cuellar said.

In a US presidential impeachment trial, the senators act as a jury in proceedings overseen by the head of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts. Republicans and Democrats are likely to clash over the issue of whether to call new witnesses.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed his impeachment as a partisan bid to undo his 2016 election win as he tries to win re-election in November.

The White House said on Tuesday the trial was "purely political."

"It's out of a desire to gain more power. It has nothing to do with the rule of law by any stretch because the articles they came up with don't actually cite any crime. It's just to try and smear this president because they know they can't beat him at the ballot box," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told Fox News.

Prosecution case

The case against Trump is focused on a July 25 telephone call in which he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into former Vice President Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election.

Democrats say Trump abused his power by asking a foreign government to interfere in an American election for his own political benefit at the expense of US national security.

Joe Biden, whose son served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, is a leading Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination to face Trump in the Nov. 3 election.

The two articles of impeachment -- or formal charges -- against Trump include an accusation that he obstructed Congress' efforts to investigate him by instructing officials to ignore House committee subpoenas to testify or to produce documents at an earlier stage of the Ukraine investigation.

Democrats want to hear at the trial from current and former White House officials such as former national security adviser John Bolton for insight into Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine that could be damaging for the president's defence.

But the Republican majority in the Senate will set the trial's rules and McConnell has not committed to allowing any witnesses or new documents. He instead could steer the process toward a quick acquittal.

McConnell has left open the possibility of deciding on witness testimony until later in the trial. Allowing new witness testimony could be a double-edged sword for Democrats, as some Republicans have said they want to call their own witnesses.

Pelosi could name up to 10 lawmakers as managers to argue the case against Trump, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who spearheaded the impeachment probe, and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler.

The 1999 impeachment trial of then-President Bill Clinton lasted five weeks. If the Senate conducts its trial along those lines, as Republican McConnell has suggested, that would mean lawmakers would still be considering charges against the president while the first nominating contests of the 2020 presidential election were underway in Iowa and New Hampshire.

That could make life difficult for the four senators who are running for the Democratic nomination: Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bennet, Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders.

Republicans presume Biden would have been damaged politically by a Ukrainian probe into him and his son, but Trump and his allies have offered no evidence that they were involved in corruption in Ukraine.

A US cybersecurity firm said on Monday that Russian military hackers tried to steal emails from the Ukrainian energy firm Bursima where Hunter Biden was on the board.

No US president has been removed as a direct result of impeachment. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before he could be removed, while Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the House, respectively in 1868 and 1998, but not convicted by the Senate. 
&nbsp;

The Democratic-led US House of Representatives will vote on Wednesday to send formal impeachment charges against President Donald Trump to the Senate, lawmakers said on Tuesday, likely setting the start of Trump's trial for later this week.

The Democratic-led US House of Representatives will vote on Wednesday to send formal impeachment charges against President Donald Trump to the Senate, lawmakers said on Tuesday, likely setting the start of Trump's trial for later this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a party meeting that she would also name the Democrats' team of "managers" who will lead the prosecution of Trump at the trial, Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar said. Trump became only the third US president to be impeached when the House last month approved charges that he abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation into his Democratic rival Joe Biden and obstructed Congress. But Pelosi has delayed sending the charges to the Senate in an unsuccessful effort to get that chamber's Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to agree to include new witness testimony that could be damaging to the Republican president. The Senate is expected to acquit Trump, as none of its 53 Republicans has voiced support for ousting him, a step that would require a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate. A Wednesday vote would allow the Senate to start the trial on Thursday afternoon, although the first few days will be consumed with housekeeping duties such as swearing-in members and formally reading the two impeachment charges. Lawmakers likely would not hear opening arguments until next week at the earliest. "We’ll have I think about a 10-minute debate and we’ll vote on it and then send everything over. And the Senate trial, I assume, will start next week,” Cuellar said. In a US presidential impeachment trial, the senators act as a jury in proceedings overseen by the head of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts. Republicans and Democrats are likely to clash over the issue of whether to call new witnesses. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed his impeachment as a partisan bid to undo his 2016 election win as he tries to win re-election in November. The White House said on Tuesday the trial was "purely political." "It's out of a desire to gain more power. It has nothing to do with the rule of law by any stretch because the articles they came up with don't actually cite any crime. It's just to try and smear this president because they know they can't beat him at the ballot box," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told Fox News. Prosecution case The case against Trump is focused on a July 25 telephone call in which he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into former Vice President Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election. Democrats say Trump abused his power by asking a foreign government to interfere in an American election for his own political benefit at the expense of US national security. Joe Biden, whose son served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, is a leading Democratic candidate for the presidential nomination to face Trump in the Nov. 3 election. The two articles of impeachment -- or formal charges -- against Trump include an accusation that he obstructed Congress' efforts to investigate him by instructing officials to ignore House committee subpoenas to testify or to produce documents at an earlier stage of the Ukraine investigation. Democrats want to hear at the trial from current and former White House officials such as former national security adviser John Bolton for insight into Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine that could be damaging for the president's defence. But the Republican majority in the Senate will set the trial's rules and McConnell has not committed to allowing any witnesses or new documents. He instead could steer the process toward a quick acquittal. McConnell has left open the possibility of deciding on witness testimony until later in the trial. Allowing new witness testimony could be a double-edged sword for Democrats, as some Republicans have said they want to call their own witnesses. Pelosi could name up to 10 lawmakers as managers to argue the case against Trump, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who spearheaded the impeachment probe, and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler. The 1999 impeachment trial of then-President Bill Clinton lasted five weeks. If the Senate conducts its trial along those lines, as Republican McConnell has suggested, that would mean lawmakers would still be considering charges against the president while the first nominating contests of the 2020 presidential election were underway in Iowa and New Hampshire. That could make life difficult for the four senators who are running for the Democratic nomination: Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bennet, Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders. Republicans presume Biden would have been damaged politically by a Ukrainian probe into him and his son, but Trump and his allies have offered no evidence that they were involved in corruption in Ukraine. A US cybersecurity firm said on Monday that Russian military hackers tried to steal emails from the Ukrainian energy firm Bursima where Hunter Biden was on the board. No US president has been removed as a direct result of impeachment. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before he could be removed, while Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the House, respectively in 1868 and 1998, but not convicted by the Senate.

Democrats to vote on sending impeachment charges as Trump trial edges closer

Presidential contender Elizabeth Warren slammed his friend and another Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders on Sunday for describing her a candidate for the elite.

Warren said that she was disappointed to know that Bernie was sending volunteers to "trash" her.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elizabeth-warren-and-bernie-sanders-defend-progressive-policies-in-us-democratic-debate-239616">Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders defend progressive policies in US Democratic debate</a>

"Bernie knows me and has known me for a long time. He knows who I am, where I come from, what I have worked on and fought for, and the coalition and grassroots movement we are trying to build. Democrats want to win in 2020. We all saw the impact of the factionalism in 2016 and we can't have a repeat of that," Warren said.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democratic-candidate-warren-discloses-details-of-past-legal-work-showing-2-million-in-compensation-267187">Democratic candidate Warren discloses details of past legal work, showing $2 million in compensation</a>

Warren and Sanders are friends and have similar ideological leanings and before this development, both of these candidates avoided a confrontation against each other.&nbsp;

"I hope Bernie reconsiders and turns his campaign in a different direction."

Earlier, a report by Politico claimed that volunteers of Sanders' campaign argue to voters that Warren was supported by "highly-educated, more affluent people who are going to show up and vote Democratic no matter what". &nbsp;The report added that Warren's campaign is not motivating people who do not cast their vote.&nbsp;

After the report, Sanders said that he did not approve of talking negative points about other candidates.&nbsp;

"We have over 500 people on our campaign. People do certain things. I'm sure that in Elizabeth's campaign people do certain things as well. But you have heard me for months. I have never said a negative word about Elizabeth Warren who is a friend of mine. We have differences on issues, that's what campaigning is about. But no one is going to be attacking Elizabeth."

He also called Warren "a good friend of mine" and said that nobody would trash her.&nbsp;

"Elizabeth Warren is a very good friend of mine. We have worked together in the Senate for years. Elizabeth Warren and I will continue to work together. We will debate the issues. No one is gonna trash Elizabeth Warren."

(with Reuters inputs)

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Presidential contender Elizabeth Warren slammed his friend and another Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders on Sunday for describing her a candidate for the elite.

Presidential contender Elizabeth Warren slammed his friend and another Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders on Sunday for describing her a candidate for the elite. Warren said that she was disappointed to know that Bernie was sending volunteers to "trash" her. Also read: Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders defend progressive policies in US Democratic debate "Bernie knows me and has known me for a long time. He knows who I am, where I come from, what I have worked on and fought for, and the coalition and grassroots movement we are trying to build. Democrats want to win in 2020. We all saw the impact of the factionalism in 2016 and we can't have a repeat of that," Warren said. Also read: Democratic candidate Warren discloses details of past legal work, showing $2 million in compensation Warren and Sanders are friends and have similar ideological leanings and before this development, both of these candidates avoided a confrontation against each other. "I hope Bernie reconsiders and turns his campaign in a different direction." Earlier, a report by Politico claimed that volunteers of Sanders' campaign argue to voters that Warren was supported by "highly-educated, more affluent people who are going to show up and vote Democratic no matter what". The report added that Warren's campaign is not motivating people who do not cast their vote. After the report, Sanders said that he did not approve of talking negative points about other candidates. "We have over 500 people on our campaign. People do certain things. I'm sure that in Elizabeth's campaign people do certain things as well. But you have heard me for months. I have never said a negative word about Elizabeth Warren who is a friend of mine. We have differences on issues, that's what campaigning is about. But no one is going to be attacking Elizabeth." He also called Warren "a good friend of mine" and said that nobody would trash her. "Elizabeth Warren is a very good friend of mine. We have worked together in the Senate for years. Elizabeth Warren and I will continue to work together. We will debate the issues. No one is gonna trash Elizabeth Warren." (with Reuters inputs)

'I'm disappointed Bernie Sanders sent volunteers to trash me': Elizabeth Warren

US&nbsp;Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday outlined the kinds of documents he would like to have introduced as evidence in the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-does-not-want-prolonged-impeachment-trial-senior-official-269602">impeachment trial</a> of President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/so-unfair-donald-trump-slams-impeachment-delay-in-senate-269522">Donald Trump</a>, including emails and other communications held by the White House and State Department.

In a letter to his 99 fellow senators, Schumer wrote that denying the Senate these documents "would be to turn a willfully blind eye to the facts" in the abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges against Trump that were approved by the House of Representatives last week.

On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that he and Schumer were at an impasse over the Democrat's demand for four administration witnesses to testify and for documents to be entered into the trial record.

The Republican president was charged with abuse of power and obstructing Congress' investigation. He has said he did nothing wrong.

His trial in the Senate is likely to start in January but no exact date has been set as Democrats and Republicans are at loggerheads over the rules for a trial.

Also watch:&nbsp;Donald Trump becomes third US President to be impeached

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Examples Schumer listed of potentially important documents were records between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy related to the "scheduling, preparation for, and follow-up from" their April 21 and July 25 telephone calls.

Schumer also listed email communications related to "several occasions" in which National Security Council officials "reported their concerns to the NSC legal advisor about the decision to delay" almost $400 million in US&nbsp;security assistance to Ukraine.

Detailed notes, emails and text messages that State Department witnesses told House investigators have been withheld by the administration also were included in Schumer's letter.

McConnell said on Monday that Republicans had not ruled out hearing witnesses in the impeachment trial, as sought by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-democrats-seek-high-profile-trial-for-trump-in-senate-269263">Democrats</a>, but wanted to leave the decision until after the trial begins.

Trump was impeached on two charges over his pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden, a potential Democratic candidate to run against Republican Trump in the November 2020 election.

There is little chance Trump will be convicted and removed from office through a trial in the Republican-led Senate, but the impeachment proceedings could resonate at the ballot box in November.

US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday outlined the kinds of documents he would like to have introduced as evidence in the upcoming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, including emails and other communications held by the White House and State Department.

US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday outlined the kinds of documents he would like to have introduced as evidence in the upcoming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, including emails and other communications held by the White House and State Department. In a letter to his 99 fellow senators, Schumer wrote that denying the Senate these documents "would be to turn a willfully blind eye to the facts" in the abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges against Trump that were approved by the House of Representatives last week. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that he and Schumer were at an impasse over the Democrat's demand for four administration witnesses to testify and for documents to be entered into the trial record. The Republican president was charged with abuse of power and obstructing Congress' investigation. He has said he did nothing wrong. His trial in the Senate is likely to start in January but no exact date has been set as Democrats and Republicans are at loggerheads over the rules for a trial. Also watch: Donald Trump becomes third US President to be impeached × Examples Schumer listed of potentially important documents were records between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy related to the "scheduling, preparation for, and follow-up from" their April 21 and July 25 telephone calls. Schumer also listed email communications related to "several occasions" in which National Security Council officials "reported their concerns to the NSC legal advisor about the decision to delay" almost $400 million in US security assistance to Ukraine. Detailed notes, emails and text messages that State Department witnesses told House investigators have been withheld by the administration also were included in Schumer's letter. McConnell said on Monday that Republicans had not ruled out hearing witnesses in the impeachment trial, as sought by the Democrats, but wanted to leave the decision until after the trial begins. Trump was impeached on two charges over his pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden, a potential Democratic candidate to run against Republican Trump in the November 2020 election. There is little chance Trump will be convicted and removed from office through a trial in the Republican-led Senate, but the impeachment proceedings could resonate at the ballot box in November.

US Senator Schumer outlines documents he wants for impeachment trial

US&nbsp;Democrats on Thursday pressed the Republican-controlled Senate to call <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeached-us-president-trump-says-democrats-consumed-with-hatred-269042">Donald Trump</a>'s top lieutenants to testify in its trial of the impeached president, as they sought to focus attention on the trial ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

A day after the Democratic-led US&nbsp;House of Representatives <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-votes-to-impeach-trump-for-obstruction-of-congress-269040/amp">impeached Trump</a>, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not formally hand off impeachment to the Senate until she got a sense of how Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell would manage the trial.

"We're ready when we see what they have," she told a news conference.

Pelosi was not expected to move until lawmakers return from their year-end recess in early January, according to aides.

That did not seem to bother McConnell, who said the two sides were at an impasse.

"I'm not sure what leverage there is in refraining from sending us something we do not want," he said on the Senate floor.

The impeachment effort has deepened the partisan divide in Washington, and polls show that public opinion has hardened along ideological lines as well.

One surprise came when Christianity Today, a prominent evangelical publication, called Trump's conduct "profoundly immoral" and said he should be removed from office.

Polls have found that white evangelical Christians are among Trump's most loyal supporters.

Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the impeachment enquiry launched by Pelosi in September a "witch hunt."

His political future now rests with 77-year-old McConnell, a self-proclaimed "Grim Reaper" who is widely known as a shrewd negotiator who plays hardball politics at a level unusual even by Washington standards.

Democrats want McConnell to allow top Trump aides like Mick Mulvaney, the White House acting chief of staff, and John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, to testify, according to a senior Democratic aide.

"Is the president's case so weak that none of the president's men can defend him under oath?" asked Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who later urged McConnell in a meeting to use the two-week recess to consider allowing witnesses.

In an interview on MSNBC, Schumer said he doubted McConnell would agree to allow witness testimony. But Schumer said he believed enough Republican senators would join all the Democrats in forcing the adoption of rules for the trial that would include having witnesses testify.

In a historic vote on Wednesday evening, House <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeached-us-president-trump-says-democrats-consumed-with-hatred-269042">Democrats impeached Trump</a> for alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic political foe, Joe Biden. He is only the third US&nbsp;president to be impeached.

Also Watch:&nbsp;Donald Trump impeached. What happens next?

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The Senate trial is expected in early January. Trump himself has expressed an interest in a long trial with witnesses, but senior Republican senators want to put the affair behind them. They point out that there were no live witnesses at the 1999 impeachment trial of Democratic then-President Bill Clinton.

McConnell and Schumer met on Thursday afternoon. Asked how he felt about Pelosi potentially withholding the articles of impeachment, the Republican said: "If the speaker wants to hold on to them, it’s fine with us."

Earlier, McConnell accused Democrats of succumbing to "transient passions and factionalism" and made it clear that he did not think the Senate should find Trump guilty.

"The vote did not reflect what had been proven. It only reflects how they feel about the president. The Senate must put this right," McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Trump, 73, is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden, a former US&nbsp;vice president, as well as a discredited theory that Democrats conspired with Ukraine to meddle in the 2016 election.

Democrats say that as part of his pressure campaign, Trump held back $391 million in security aid for Ukraine and a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as leverage to coerce Kyiv into interfering in the 2020 election by smearing Biden.

Trump is also accused of obstruction of Congress for directing administration officials and agencies not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry.

A Senate trial would kick off a politically charged year heading into the presidential election, which will pit Trump against one of a field of Democratic contenders, including Biden, who has repeatedly criticized the president's conduct in office.

Fewer than half of Americans want Trump removed from office, according to polls&nbsp;released on Thursday.

The Senate is highly unlikely to find Trump guilty and remove him from office. At least 20 Republican senators would have to vote to convict Trump and none has indicated a willingness to do so.

McConnell has said he is working in tandem with the White House on trial preparations, drawing accusations from Democrats that he is ignoring his duty to consider the evidence in an impartial manner.

Asked about his strategy, Trump told reporters at the White House: "We have great senators - Republican senators. ... I'm going to let them decide what to do. That's going to be up to them."

Pelosi she would wait to name the Democratic House "managers," who will prosecute the case, until she knew more about the Senate trial procedures. The chamber's No. 3 Democrat, James Clyburn, told CNN the House could wait indefinitely.

Pelosi's tactic gives Democrats time to convince some Senate Republicans that they should hear from witnesses, said Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.

"When you have a trial you get to call witnesses," he told Reuters.

US Democrats on Thursday pressed the Republican-controlled Senate to call Donald Trump's top lieutenants to testify in its trial of the impeached president, as they sought to focus attention on the trial ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

US Democrats on Thursday pressed the Republican-controlled Senate to call Donald Trump's top lieutenants to testify in its trial of the impeached president, as they sought to focus attention on the trial ahead of the 2020 presidential election. A day after the Democratic-led US House of Representatives impeached Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not formally hand off impeachment to the Senate until she got a sense of how Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell would manage the trial. "We're ready when we see what they have," she told a news conference. Pelosi was not expected to move until lawmakers return from their year-end recess in early January, according to aides. That did not seem to bother McConnell, who said the two sides were at an impasse. "I'm not sure what leverage there is in refraining from sending us something we do not want," he said on the Senate floor. The impeachment effort has deepened the partisan divide in Washington, and polls show that public opinion has hardened along ideological lines as well. One surprise came when Christianity Today, a prominent evangelical publication, called Trump's conduct "profoundly immoral" and said he should be removed from office. Polls have found that white evangelical Christians are among Trump's most loyal supporters. Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the impeachment enquiry launched by Pelosi in September a "witch hunt." His political future now rests with 77-year-old McConnell, a self-proclaimed "Grim Reaper" who is widely known as a shrewd negotiator who plays hardball politics at a level unusual even by Washington standards. Democrats want McConnell to allow top Trump aides like Mick Mulvaney, the White House acting chief of staff, and John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, to testify, according to a senior Democratic aide. "Is the president's case so weak that none of the president's men can defend him under oath?" asked Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who later urged McConnell in a meeting to use the two-week recess to consider allowing witnesses. In an interview on MSNBC, Schumer said he doubted McConnell would agree to allow witness testimony. But Schumer said he believed enough Republican senators would join all the Democrats in forcing the adoption of rules for the trial that would include having witnesses testify. In a historic vote on Wednesday evening, House Democrats impeached Trump for alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic political foe, Joe Biden. He is only the third US president to be impeached. Also Watch: Donald Trump impeached. What happens next? × The Senate trial is expected in early January. Trump himself has expressed an interest in a long trial with witnesses, but senior Republican senators want to put the affair behind them. They point out that there were no live witnesses at the 1999 impeachment trial of Democratic then-President Bill Clinton. McConnell and Schumer met on Thursday afternoon. Asked how he felt about Pelosi potentially withholding the articles of impeachment, the Republican said: "If the speaker wants to hold on to them, it’s fine with us." Earlier, McConnell accused Democrats of succumbing to "transient passions and factionalism" and made it clear that he did not think the Senate should find Trump guilty. "The vote did not reflect what had been proven. It only reflects how they feel about the president. The Senate must put this right," McConnell said on the Senate floor. Trump, 73, is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden, a former US vice president, as well as a discredited theory that Democrats conspired with Ukraine to meddle in the 2016 election. Democrats say that as part of his pressure campaign, Trump held back $391 million in security aid for Ukraine and a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as leverage to coerce Kyiv into interfering in the 2020 election by smearing Biden. Trump is also accused of obstruction of Congress for directing administration officials and agencies not to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry. A Senate trial would kick off a politically charged year heading into the presidential election, which will pit Trump against one of a field of Democratic contenders, including Biden, who has repeatedly criticized the president's conduct in office. Fewer than half of Americans want Trump removed from office, according to polls released on Thursday. The Senate is highly unlikely to find Trump guilty and remove him from office. At least 20 Republican senators would have to vote to convict Trump and none has indicated a willingness to do so. McConnell has said he is working in tandem with the White House on trial preparations, drawing accusations from Democrats that he is ignoring his duty to consider the evidence in an impartial manner. Asked about his strategy, Trump told reporters at the White House: "We have great senators - Republican senators. ... I'm going to let them decide what to do. That's going to be up to them." Pelosi she would wait to name the Democratic House "managers," who will prosecute the case, until she knew more about the Senate trial procedures. The chamber's No. 3 Democrat, James Clyburn, told CNN the House could wait indefinitely. Pelosi's tactic gives Democrats time to convince some Senate Republicans that they should hear from witnesses, said Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. "When you have a trial you get to call witnesses," he told Reuters.

US Democrats seek high-profile trial for Trump in Senate

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-did-nothing-wrong-says-trump-ahead-of-impeachment-vote-in-us-house-269000">Donald&nbsp;Trump</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday became the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-on-track-to-become-third-us-president-to-be-impeached-268809">third&nbsp;US&nbsp;president to be impeached</a> as the&nbsp;House&nbsp;of Representatives formally charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in a&nbsp;historic&nbsp;step that will inflame partisan tensions across a deeply&nbsp;divided&nbsp;America.

Also Watch:&nbsp;Donald Trump impeached on two counts by US House

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The Democratic-led&nbsp;House's passage of two articles of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-does-the-impeachment-of-a-us-president-work-265766">impeachment</a> on a mostly party-line&nbsp;vote&nbsp;sets the stage for a trial next month in the Republican-controlled Senate, friendlier terrain for&nbsp;Trump, on whether to convict and remove him from office.

No president in the 243-year history of the United States has been removed from office by impeachment. That would require a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate, meaning at least 20 Republicans would have to join Democrats in voting against&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and none have indicated they will.

The Senate's top Republican, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-impeachment-trial-first-priority-in-january-us-senate-leader-267756">Mitch McConnell</a>, has predicted there is "no chance" his chamber will remove&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;when it holds its trial.&nbsp;House&nbsp;Speaker <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-pens-a-blistering-letter-to-nancy-pelosi-accuses-democrats-of-attempted-coup-268812">Nancy Pelosi </a>said after the&nbsp;vote&nbsp;she would wait to name the&nbsp;House&nbsp;managers, or prosecutors, until she knew more about the procedures for the Senate trial. She did not specify when she would send the articles to the Senate.

"So far, we haven't seen anything that looks fair to us," Pelosi told reporters.

Trump, 73, is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden, a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, as well as a discredited theory that Democrats conspired with Ukraine to meddle in the 2016 election.

Democrats said&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;held back $391 million in security aid intended to combat Russia-backed separatists and a coveted White&nbsp;House&nbsp;meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as leverage to coerce Kiev into interfering in the 2020 election by smearing Biden.

The second article accused&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;of obstruction of Congress by directing administration officials and agencies not to comply with lawful&nbsp;House&nbsp;subpoenas for testimony and documents related to impeachment.

Trump, who is seeking another four-year term in the November 2020 presidential election, has denied wrongdoing and called the impeachment inquiry launched by Pelosi in September a "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-two-impeachment-deadlines-as-inquiry-shifts-focus-265580">witch hunt</a>."

At a raucous rally for his re-election in Battle Creek, Michigan, as the&nbsp;House&nbsp;voted,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said the impeachment would be a "mark of shame" for Democrats and Pelosi, and cost them in the 2020 election.

"This lawless, partisan impeachment is a political suicide march for the Democrat Party,"&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said. "They're the ones who should be impeached, every one of them."

Here to defend democracy

During a daylong debate before the&nbsp;vote, Pelosi read the&nbsp;US&nbsp;Pledge of Allegiance and said: "We are here to defend democracy for the people."

"If we do not act now, we would be derelict in our duty. It is tragic that the president's reckless actions make impeachment necessary," Pelosi said.

Also Watch:&nbsp;Nancy Pelosi and Trump impeachment

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As the debate unfolded, Republicans accused Democrats of seeking to use an unfair, rigged process to nullify the 2016 election and influence the 2020&nbsp;vote.

"The matter before the&nbsp;House&nbsp;today is based solely on a fundamental hatred of our president. It's a sham, a witch hunt and it's tantamount to a coup against the duly elected president of the United States," Republican Representative Mike Rogers said.

Republican Representative <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-us-factories-falter-white-house-insists-economy-like-a-rock-254008">Mike Kelly</a> compared the impeachment to the Japanese attack on Hawaii's Pearl Harbor in 1941, calling the&nbsp;House&nbsp;proceedings another "date that will live in infamy", similar to the words Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt used to describe the raid that killed about 2,400 people and led to America's entry into World War Two.

The abuse of power article was passed on a 230-197&nbsp;vote&nbsp;and the obstruction article was passed 229-198. All of the&nbsp;House&nbsp;Republicans opposed the articles, and two Democrats, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-effort-passes-first-test-in-divided-us-congress-259134">Collin Peterson and Jeff Van Drew</a>,&nbsp;voted no on both. Democrat Jared Golden&nbsp;voted against the obstruction charge but for abuse of power.

"The only part of the&nbsp;vote&nbsp;that was bipartisan was in opposition. The President is just getting stronger while support for the Democrats’ political theater has faded,"&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement.

US&nbsp;Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democratic presidential candidate,&nbsp;voted present on both articles, declaring in a statement: "I could not in good conscience&nbsp;vote&nbsp;either yes or no."

Polarized Country

Trump's election has polarized the United States, dividing families and friends and making it more difficult for politicians in Washington to find middle ground as they try to confront pressing challenges like the rise of China and climate change.

The impeachment&nbsp;vote&nbsp;comes ahead of&nbsp;Trump's re-election campaign, which will pit him against the winner among a field of Democratic contenders, including Biden, who have repeatedly criticized&nbsp;Trump's conduct in office and promised to make it a key issue.

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President Trump abused his power, violated his oath of office, and betrayed our nation. This is a solemn moment for our country. But in the United States of America, no one is above the law — not even the President.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1207479041256755201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"President&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;abused his power, violated his oath of office, and betrayed our nation," Biden said on Twitter after the&nbsp;vote, adding: "In the United States of America, no one is above the law,&nbsp;not even the president."

Polls show that while most Democrats want to see him impeached, most Republicans do not. Televised hearings last month that were meant to build public support for impeachment appear to have pushed the two sides further apart.

The&nbsp;House&nbsp;vote&nbsp;on Wednesday was just the latest, but also unquestionably the biggest, in a string of controversies that have buffeted the turbulent presidency of the New York real estate mogul and former reality TV personality.

Central to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/house-panel-approves-trump-charges-sets-up-impeachment-vote-268182">impeachment inquiry </a>was a July 25 telephone call in which&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;asked Zelenskiy to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who had joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was&nbsp;US&nbsp;vice president.

Trump&nbsp;has accused the Bidens of corruption without offering evidence. They have denied wrongdoing.

A rough transcript of the call released by the White&nbsp;House&nbsp;showed&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;asking Zelenskiy, elected only three months earlier and eager for American support, to "do us a favor" and conduct the investigations in coordination with his personal lawyer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrats-make-case-for-republicans-to-endorse-trump-impeachment-268418">Rudy Giuliani</a>.

Giuliani in the prior months had engaged in a concerted effort to persuade Ukraine to carry out the investigations. Testimony before&nbsp;House&nbsp;committees showed that Giuliani helped engineer&nbsp;Trump's removal last May of the&nbsp;US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine, who was perceived as a roadblock to those investigations.

Impeachment is a remedy devised by the United States' founders, wary of a monarch on American soil after breaking away from Britain and King George III in the 18th century, to enable Congress to remove a president who has committed "high crimes and misdemeanors."

Only two previous presidents have been impeached. The&nbsp;House&nbsp;in 1998 impeached President Bill Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice arising from a sexual relationship he had with a White&nbsp;House&nbsp;intern, but the Senate acquitted him. The&nbsp;House&nbsp;impeached President Andrew Johnson in 1868, focused on his removal of the secretary of war, but he was acquitted by one&nbsp;vote&nbsp;in the Senate.

In 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned after the&nbsp;House&nbsp;Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment in the Watergate corruption scandal but before the full&nbsp;House&nbsp;could pass them.

Donald Trump on Wednesday became the third US president to be impeached as the House of Representatives formally charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in a historic step that will inflame partisan tensions across a deeply divided America.

Donald Trump on Wednesday became the third US president to be impeached as the House of Representatives formally charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in a historic step that will inflame partisan tensions across a deeply divided America. Also Watch: Donald Trump impeached on two counts by US House × The Democratic-led House's passage of two articles of impeachment on a mostly party-line vote sets the stage for a trial next month in the Republican-controlled Senate, friendlier terrain for Trump, on whether to convict and remove him from office. No president in the 243-year history of the United States has been removed from office by impeachment. That would require a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate, meaning at least 20 Republicans would have to join Democrats in voting against Trump and none have indicated they will. The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, has predicted there is "no chance" his chamber will remove Trump when it holds its trial. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said after the vote she would wait to name the House managers, or prosecutors, until she knew more about the procedures for the Senate trial. She did not specify when she would send the articles to the Senate. "So far, we haven't seen anything that looks fair to us," Pelosi told reporters. Trump, 73, is accused of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden, a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, as well as a discredited theory that Democrats conspired with Ukraine to meddle in the 2016 election. Democrats said Trump held back $391 million in security aid intended to combat Russia-backed separatists and a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as leverage to coerce Kiev into interfering in the 2020 election by smearing Biden. The second article accused Trump of obstruction of Congress by directing administration officials and agencies not to comply with lawful House subpoenas for testimony and documents related to impeachment. Trump, who is seeking another four-year term in the November 2020 presidential election, has denied wrongdoing and called the impeachment inquiry launched by Pelosi in September a "witch hunt." At a raucous rally for his re-election in Battle Creek, Michigan, as the House voted, Trump said the impeachment would be a "mark of shame" for Democrats and Pelosi, and cost them in the 2020 election. "This lawless, partisan impeachment is a political suicide march for the Democrat Party," Trump said. "They're the ones who should be impeached, every one of them." Here to defend democracy During a daylong debate before the vote, Pelosi read the US Pledge of Allegiance and said: "We are here to defend democracy for the people." "If we do not act now, we would be derelict in our duty. It is tragic that the president's reckless actions make impeachment necessary," Pelosi said. Also Watch: Nancy Pelosi and Trump impeachment × As the debate unfolded, Republicans accused Democrats of seeking to use an unfair, rigged process to nullify the 2016 election and influence the 2020 vote. "The matter before the House today is based solely on a fundamental hatred of our president. It's a sham, a witch hunt and it's tantamount to a coup against the duly elected president of the United States," Republican Representative Mike Rogers said. Republican Representative Mike Kelly compared the impeachment to the Japanese attack on Hawaii's Pearl Harbor in 1941, calling the House proceedings another "date that will live in infamy", similar to the words Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt used to describe the raid that killed about 2,400 people and led to America's entry into World War Two. The abuse of power article was passed on a 230-197 vote and the obstruction article was passed 229-198. All of the House Republicans opposed the articles, and two Democrats, Collin Peterson and Jeff Van Drew, voted no on both. Democrat Jared Golden voted against the obstruction charge but for abuse of power. "The only part of the vote that was bipartisan was in opposition. The President is just getting stronger while support for the Democrats’ political theater has faded," Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement. US Representative Tulsi Gabbard, a Democratic presidential candidate, voted present on both articles, declaring in a statement: "I could not in good conscience vote either yes or no." Polarized Country Trump's election has polarized the United States, dividing families and friends and making it more difficult for politicians in Washington to find middle ground as they try to confront pressing challenges like the rise of China and climate change. The impeachment vote comes ahead of Trump's re-election campaign, which will pit him against the winner among a field of Democratic contenders, including Biden, who have repeatedly criticized Trump's conduct in office and promised to make it a key issue. President Trump abused his power, violated his oath of office, and betrayed our nation. This is a solemn moment for our country. But in the United States of America, no one is above the law — not even the President. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 19, 2019 × "President Trump abused his power, violated his oath of office, and betrayed our nation," Biden said on Twitter after the vote, adding: "In the United States of America, no one is above the law, not even the president." Polls show that while most Democrats want to see him impeached, most Republicans do not. Televised hearings last month that were meant to build public support for impeachment appear to have pushed the two sides further apart. The House vote on Wednesday was just the latest, but also unquestionably the biggest, in a string of controversies that have buffeted the turbulent presidency of the New York real estate mogul and former reality TV personality. Central to the impeachment inquiry was a July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who had joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was US vice president. Trump has accused the Bidens of corruption without offering evidence. They have denied wrongdoing. A rough transcript of the call released by the White House showed Trump asking Zelenskiy, elected only three months earlier and eager for American support, to "do us a favor" and conduct the investigations in coordination with his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani in the prior months had engaged in a concerted effort to persuade Ukraine to carry out the investigations. Testimony before House committees showed that Giuliani helped engineer Trump's removal last May of the US ambassador to Ukraine, who was perceived as a roadblock to those investigations. Impeachment is a remedy devised by the United States' founders, wary of a monarch on American soil after breaking away from Britain and King George III in the 18th century, to enable Congress to remove a president who has committed "high crimes and misdemeanors." Only two previous presidents have been impeached. The House in 1998 impeached President Bill Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice arising from a sexual relationship he had with a White House intern, but the Senate acquitted him. The House impeached President Andrew Johnson in 1868, focused on his removal of the secretary of war, but he was acquitted by one vote in the Senate. In 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned after the House Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment in the Watergate corruption scandal but before the full House could pass them.

Divided US House impeaches President Donald Trump in historic vote

Trump impeachment saga: What you need to know ahead of the vote

US&nbsp;lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-announces-a-pause-in-peace-talks-with-taliban-after-airbase-attack-267989">President Donald Trump</a>, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours.

The committee had been expected to approve two articles of impeachment late on Thursday, setting up a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judiciary-committee-debate-over-impeachment-articles-against-trump-267946">vote by the Democratic</a>-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US&nbsp;history to be impeached.

Instead, as the clock ticked toward midnight, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler sent lawmakers home for the night and said members would return to vote Friday at 10 a.m. ET.

Asked why the votes did not occur late Thursday, House Judiciary Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon said "the American people deserve to see the vote."

The scheduling appeared to have nothing to do with the substance of the impeachment fight, but it incensed Republican leaders who said afterward many were planning travel home on Friday and would now have to reset their schedules.

Doug Collins, the top Republican on the panel, appeared shocked by the announcement and immediately reacted with anger at his Democratic counterpart for not consulting with him before rescheduling.

"This was the most bush league thing I have seen, forever," Collins told reporters. "This committee is more concerned about getting on TV in the morning than it was finishing its job tonight and letting the members go home. Words cannot describe how inappropriate this was."

Democrats had expected to wrap up the hearing early in the evening, but Republicans, led by Collins, proposed a series of amendments that had no hope of passage.

Republicans offered hours of remarks on their amendments, frequently repeating the same prepared commentary and often veering into other topics that ranged from natural gas drilling to the state of the economy.

The committee's debate began Wednesday evening.

If the House <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-impeachment-debate-opens-with-fiery-partisan-battle-267790">impeaches Trump</a>, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, he would then go on trial in the Senate. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to find the president guilty and remove him from office.

The House Judiciary Committee proceedings ground on through the afternoon and into the evening as Republicans, determined to stretch out the meeting, offered a series of amendments that would emasculate the articles of impeachment but had no hope of adoption.

US lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican President Donald Trump, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours.

US lawmakers will vote Friday on whether to move forward with impeaching Republican President Donald Trump, as the Democratic head of the Judiciary Committee shocked Republicans by declining to hold a late-night vote after a hearing that lasted more than 14 hours. The committee had been expected to approve two articles of impeachment late on Thursday, setting up a vote by the Democratic-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US history to be impeached. Instead, as the clock ticked toward midnight, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler sent lawmakers home for the night and said members would return to vote Friday at 10 a.m. ET. Asked why the votes did not occur late Thursday, House Judiciary Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon said "the American people deserve to see the vote." The scheduling appeared to have nothing to do with the substance of the impeachment fight, but it incensed Republican leaders who said afterward many were planning travel home on Friday and would now have to reset their schedules. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the panel, appeared shocked by the announcement and immediately reacted with anger at his Democratic counterpart for not consulting with him before rescheduling. "This was the most bush league thing I have seen, forever," Collins told reporters. "This committee is more concerned about getting on TV in the morning than it was finishing its job tonight and letting the members go home. Words cannot describe how inappropriate this was." Democrats had expected to wrap up the hearing early in the evening, but Republicans, led by Collins, proposed a series of amendments that had no hope of passage. Republicans offered hours of remarks on their amendments, frequently repeating the same prepared commentary and often veering into other topics that ranged from natural gas drilling to the state of the economy. The committee's debate began Wednesday evening. If the House impeaches Trump, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, he would then go on trial in the Senate. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to find the president guilty and remove him from office. The House Judiciary Committee proceedings ground on through the afternoon and into the evening as Republicans, determined to stretch out the meeting, offered a series of amendments that would emasculate the articles of impeachment but had no hope of adoption.

US House committee postpones votes on articles of impeachment

The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday opened two-day marathon hearing to approve the Articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

The Committee is expected to approve two articles of impeachment later in the day, which will allow a vote by the Democratic-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US history to be impeached.

If the House impeaches Trump, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, the matter would then go to the Senate for a trial. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to remove Trump from office.

Donald Trump is accused of abusing&nbsp;his power by trying to force Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, the former vice-president and leading contender for the Democratic nomination to run against Trump next year.

Trump is also accused of obstructing Congress when lawmakers tried to investigate the matter.

However, the US president denies any wrongdoing and condemned the impeachment enquiry as a hoax.

At the start of the hearing, Republicans on the Judiciary panel repeatedly complained about the procedures followed by Democrats in the impeachment inquiry.

Republicans requested another hearing and said their rights had been trampled in the inquiry but were voted down by the panel's Democratic majority.

"Rules have just been thrown out the window in this process," said Republican US Representative Debbie Lesko. "It continues to amaze me how corrupt, how unfair this process has been from the start."

Democrats noted that Republicans were not addressing the substance of the charges against Trump.

"Let us dispense with these process arguments and get to the substance of why we are here today," Democratic Representative Joe Neguse said.

Public support for impeachment has largely fallen along party lines, with the vast majority of Democrats supporting it and most Republicans opposing it. Trump's approval rating, according to opinion polls, has largely remained consistent throughout the inquiry.

(With inputs from agencies)

The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday opened two-day marathon hearing to approve the Articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. The Committee is expected to approve two articles of impeachment later in the day, which will allow a vote by the Democratic-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US history to be impeached.

The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday opened two-day marathon hearing to approve the Articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. The Committee is expected to approve two articles of impeachment later in the day, which will allow a vote by the Democratic-controlled House next week that is expected to make Trump the third president in US history to be impeached. If the House impeaches Trump, who is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, the matter would then go to the Senate for a trial. The Republican-led chamber is unlikely to vote to remove Trump from office. Donald Trump is accused of abusing his power by trying to force Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, the former vice-president and leading contender for the Democratic nomination to run against Trump next year. Trump is also accused of obstructing Congress when lawmakers tried to investigate the matter. However, the US president denies any wrongdoing and condemned the impeachment enquiry as a hoax. At the start of the hearing, Republicans on the Judiciary panel repeatedly complained about the procedures followed by Democrats in the impeachment inquiry. Republicans requested another hearing and said their rights had been trampled in the inquiry but were voted down by the panel's Democratic majority. "Rules have just been thrown out the window in this process," said Republican US Representative Debbie Lesko. "It continues to amaze me how corrupt, how unfair this process has been from the start." Democrats noted that Republicans were not addressing the substance of the charges against Trump. "Let us dispense with these process arguments and get to the substance of why we are here today," Democratic Representative Joe Neguse said. Public support for impeachment has largely fallen along party lines, with the vast majority of Democrats supporting it and most Republicans opposing it. Trump's approval rating, according to opinion polls, has largely remained consistent throughout the inquiry. (With inputs from agencies)

US judiciary committee debate over impeachment articles against Trump

Donald Trump's Impeachment Saga continues and the Democratic-controlled US House Judiciary Committee has unveiled charges against President Donald Trump, a key move in impeaching him. Watch video to know more:

Trump's Impeachment Saga: Democrats unveil formal charges

Democrats in the United States House of Representatives today introduced <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-democrats-expected-to-unveil-two-articles-of-impeachment-against-trump-267354">two articles of impeachment</a> against President Donald Trump. Trump has been charged with abusing power and obstructing Congress.

Jerrold Nadler, Judiciary Committee Chairman said that '''(Trump) sees himself as above the law... We must be clear, no one, not even the president, is above the law.''

The committee is expected to take up the articles later this week in the next step of impeaching Trump.

Nadler was flanked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow chairs of the committees.

Trump is accused of pressuring Ukraine to initiate a probe of a Democratic political rival and then of obstructing Congress' efforts to investigate his actions.

Watch: Second impeachment hearing convenes against US president

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Nadler closed the nine-hour hearing on Monday with a condemnation of Trump's actions soliciting help from Ukraine against Democratic 2020 US presidential rival Joe Biden.

Democrats described Trump's actions as a "clear and present danger" to national security and the upcoming US election.

"The facts are clear. The danger to our democracy is clear and our duty is clear," Nadler said in his closing statement.

The Judiciary panel could vote this week on whether to send <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-row-democrat-says-president-violated-oath-republicans-attack-probe-267302">formal charges</a>, known as articles of impeachment, to the full Democratic-led House.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Democrats in the United States House of Representatives today introduced two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Trump has been charged with abusing power and obstructing Congress.

Democrats in the United States House of Representatives today introduced two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Trump has been charged with abusing power and obstructing Congress. Jerrold Nadler, Judiciary Committee Chairman said that '''(Trump) sees himself as above the law... We must be clear, no one, not even the president, is above the law.'' The committee is expected to take up the articles later this week in the next step of impeaching Trump. Nadler was flanked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow chairs of the committees. Trump is accused of pressuring Ukraine to initiate a probe of a Democratic political rival and then of obstructing Congress' efforts to investigate his actions. Watch: Second impeachment hearing convenes against US president Nadler closed the nine-hour hearing on Monday with a condemnation of Trump's actions soliciting help from Ukraine against Democratic 2020 US presidential rival Joe Biden. Democrats described Trump's actions as a "clear and present danger" to national security and the upcoming US election. "The facts are clear. The danger to our democracy is clear and our duty is clear," Nadler said in his closing statement. The Judiciary panel could vote this week on whether to send formal charges, known as articles of impeachment, to the full Democratic-led House. (With inputs from Reuters)

US Democrats introduce two articles of impeachment against President Trump

In the impeachment, democrats and republicans present their arguments.

US: 2nd impeachment hearing convenes against the US President

The head of a US&nbsp;congressional panel leading the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-zoom-in-on-trump-impeachment-charges-this-week-267046">impeachment inquiry</a> against Donald Trump on Monday accused the Republican president of putting himself before his country and violating his oath of office.

In a statement kicking off a hearing in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives to weigh the evidence against Trump, Judiciary Committee Democratic Chairman Jerrold Nadler said there was extensive proof of wrongdoing.

"The evidence shows that Donald J. Trump, the president of the United States, has put himself before his country. He has violated his most basic responsibilities to the people. He has broken his oath," Nadler said. "I will honour mine."

The hearing on Monday is a key step before determining charges, known as articles of impeachment, that the full Democratic-controlled House is likely to vote on before Christmas.

The heart of the issue is whether Trump abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival seeking the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the 2020 election.

Trump denies having done anything wrong and has called the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-win-impeachment-fight-us-president-donald-trump-266504">impeachment probe</a> a hoax.

The House Judiciary panel is expected to vote by the end of the week on whether to send formal charges to the full House, setting up an inevitable clash with the White House and its Republican allies. No current House Republican has come out in favour of impeaching Trump.

Ahead of the hearing, Republicans placed black-and-white signs in the committee room to underscore their argument that Democrats were on a partisan mission to unseat a president who did nothing to merit impeachment.

One sign quoted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying, "We cannot accept a second term for Donald Trump."

"They’re desperate to have an impeachment vote on this president," Representative Doug Collins, the ranking Republican on the panel, said during the hearing.

A vote in the House in favour of impeachment would trigger a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate where a two-thirds vote of those present would be needed to remove the president from office. A conviction is considered unlikely.

White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said the White House was not participating in the Judiciary panel's proceedings because cooperating would be "colluding with an illegitimate process."

"We're not going to do their dirty work," Conway told reporters at the White House shortly before the hearing began. "Maybe in the Senate if it's a fair trial," the White House may participate, she added.

It has been 20 years since Americans last witnessed impeachment proceedings, when Republicans brought charges against Democratic President Bill Clinton arising from a sexual relationship he had with a White House intern. He was acquitted in the Senate.

Watch: What's next for Donald Trump?

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'Clear and present danger'

After weeks of investigation into Trump's request that Ukraine investigate Biden and his businessman son, Hunter Biden, the committee is focused on two articles charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Democrats have also accused Trump of abusing his power by withholding $391 million in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vote-possible-on-trump-articles-of-impeachment-this-week-chairman-nadler-267015">security aid to Ukraine</a> - a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally facing Russian aggression - and holding back a coveted White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as leverage to pressure Kiev into investigating the Bidens.

But they appeared to back away from basing one of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-to-spend-weekend-drafting-impeachment-charges-against-donald-trump-266845">articles of impeachment</a> on former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian election interference in 2016.

Instead, Democrats suggested they could use Mueller's findings to demonstrate what they describe as a pattern of behaviour by which Trump has sought repeatedly to encourage foreign involvement in US&nbsp;elections and then move to stymie investigators.

Nadler said a visit by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine last week added to a "pattern of conduct" that represented a continuing risk to the United States. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, is central to the impeachment probe. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Democrats intend to decide which articles to bring forward after Monday's hearing, which will feature testimony from Democratic and Republican lawyers from the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees.

The proceedings will showcase a 300-page report by Intelligence Committee Democrats that levels allegations of sweeping abuse of power against Trump.

"What we're hoping is today we will be able to quickly lay out the facts, bring out the most compelling part of the story and ... make clear the clear and present danger to the country," US&nbsp;Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat on the Judiciary panel, told CNN on Monday.

In a letter to the White House released late on Sunday, Nadler said he was formally providing the report and other materials related to the proceedings except for "a limited number" of items containing sensitive information that would be available for White House review at a secure location in the House.

Republicans have their own, 110-page report, which argues that the inquiry has relied on "unelected bureaucrats" who "fundamentally disagreed with President Trump's style, world view and decisions" but presented no evidence amounting to an impeachable offence.

The head of a US congressional panel leading the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump on Monday accused the Republican president of putting himself before his country and violating his oath of office.

The head of a US congressional panel leading the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump on Monday accused the Republican president of putting himself before his country and violating his oath of office. In a statement kicking off a hearing in the US House of Representatives to weigh the evidence against Trump, Judiciary Committee Democratic Chairman Jerrold Nadler said there was extensive proof of wrongdoing. "The evidence shows that Donald J. Trump, the president of the United States, has put himself before his country. He has violated his most basic responsibilities to the people. He has broken his oath," Nadler said. "I will honour mine." The hearing on Monday is a key step before determining charges, known as articles of impeachment, that the full Democratic-controlled House is likely to vote on before Christmas. The heart of the issue is whether Trump abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival seeking the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the 2020 election. Trump denies having done anything wrong and has called the impeachment probe a hoax. The House Judiciary panel is expected to vote by the end of the week on whether to send formal charges to the full House, setting up an inevitable clash with the White House and its Republican allies. No current House Republican has come out in favour of impeaching Trump. Ahead of the hearing, Republicans placed black-and-white signs in the committee room to underscore their argument that Democrats were on a partisan mission to unseat a president who did nothing to merit impeachment. One sign quoted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying, "We cannot accept a second term for Donald Trump." "They’re desperate to have an impeachment vote on this president," Representative Doug Collins, the ranking Republican on the panel, said during the hearing. A vote in the House in favour of impeachment would trigger a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate where a two-thirds vote of those present would be needed to remove the president from office. A conviction is considered unlikely. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said the White House was not participating in the Judiciary panel's proceedings because cooperating would be "colluding with an illegitimate process." "We're not going to do their dirty work," Conway told reporters at the White House shortly before the hearing began. "Maybe in the Senate if it's a fair trial," the White House may participate, she added. It has been 20 years since Americans last witnessed impeachment proceedings, when Republicans brought charges against Democratic President Bill Clinton arising from a sexual relationship he had with a White House intern. He was acquitted in the Senate. Watch: What's next for Donald Trump? 'Clear and present danger' After weeks of investigation into Trump's request that Ukraine investigate Biden and his businessman son, Hunter Biden, the committee is focused on two articles charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Democrats have also accused Trump of abusing his power by withholding $391 million in security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US ally facing Russian aggression - and holding back a coveted White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as leverage to pressure Kiev into investigating the Bidens. But they appeared to back away from basing one of the articles of impeachment on former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian election interference in 2016. Instead, Democrats suggested they could use Mueller's findings to demonstrate what they describe as a pattern of behaviour by which Trump has sought repeatedly to encourage foreign involvement in US elections and then move to stymie investigators. Nadler said a visit by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine last week added to a "pattern of conduct" that represented a continuing risk to the United States. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, is central to the impeachment probe. He has denied any wrongdoing. Democrats intend to decide which articles to bring forward after Monday's hearing, which will feature testimony from Democratic and Republican lawyers from the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees. The proceedings will showcase a 300-page report by Intelligence Committee Democrats that levels allegations of sweeping abuse of power against Trump. "What we're hoping is today we will be able to quickly lay out the facts, bring out the most compelling part of the story and ... make clear the clear and present danger to the country," US Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat on the Judiciary panel, told CNN on Monday. In a letter to the White House released late on Sunday, Nadler said he was formally providing the report and other materials related to the proceedings except for "a limited number" of items containing sensitive information that would be available for White House review at a secure location in the House. Republicans have their own, 110-page report, which argues that the inquiry has relied on "unelected bureaucrats" who "fundamentally disagreed with President Trump's style, world view and decisions" but presented no evidence amounting to an impeachable offence.

Trump impeachment row: Democrat says president violated oath, Republicans attack probe

Democratic&nbsp;presidential&nbsp;candidate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-poll-numbers-slide-elizabeth-warren-wrestles-with-medicare-for-all-dilemma-266968">Elizabeth&nbsp;Warren</a>&nbsp;released information on Sunday about her&nbsp;past&nbsp;legal&nbsp;work,&nbsp;showing&nbsp;nearly $2&nbsp;million&nbsp;in&nbsp;compensation&nbsp;from dozens of clients, as a dispute intensified with her rival Pete Buttigieg over transparency.

Warren, a leading&nbsp;candidate&nbsp;among the 15 Democrats vying for the party’s nomination to take on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-zoom-in-on-trump-impeachment-charges-this-week-267046">President Donald Trump</a> in the November 2020 election, had already put out 11 years of tax returns in April and called on other&nbsp;candidates to follow suit.

Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has said in recent days that&nbsp;Warren, a US&nbsp;senator from Massachusetts, should release older tax documents detailing her corporate&nbsp;legal&nbsp;work.

In return,&nbsp;Warren&nbsp;has called on Buttigieg to allow media coverage of his private donor events and to disclose information about his&nbsp;past&nbsp;work&nbsp;at the consultancy company McKinsey.&nbsp;Warren&nbsp;does not hold big-ticket fundraisers and has focused her campaign on combating Washington corruption and corporate greed.

Buttigieg's campaign said on Saturday it was&nbsp;working on making the&nbsp;details&nbsp;of his employment at McKinsey "fully transparent" and called on&nbsp;Warren&nbsp;to match that by releasing her tax returns covering her corporate&nbsp;legal&nbsp;work.

On Sunday, in a 15-page document,&nbsp;Warren's campaign provided examples of her&nbsp;legal&nbsp;work, some of which dated back to 1985, in capacities including as a counsel, consultant and expert witness, giving information about the cases and how much she was compensated.

The document included dozens of cases, some of which&nbsp;Warren&nbsp;took on a pro-bono basis and was not compensated for. In some cases, she&nbsp;worked with a group of consultants. The document showed a total of nearly $2&nbsp;million&nbsp;in&nbsp;compensation.

A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll on Thursday showed that support for&nbsp;Warren&nbsp;dropped nationally to its lowest level in four months, as she came under attack over her proposal to extend government-paid healthcare to all Americans, deemed too costly by her rivals for the nomination.

Warren, 70, is still among the leaders in opinion polls in Iowa, which kicks off the&nbsp;Democratic&nbsp;nominating contests on February&nbsp;3, and in other early voting states. Buttigieg, 37, who had campaign stops this weekend in Iowa, has surged into the lead in recent opinion polls there.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren released information on Sunday about her past legal work, showing nearly $2 million in compensation from dozens of clients, as a dispute intensified with her rival Pete Buttigieg over transparency.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren released information on Sunday about her past legal work, showing nearly $2 million in compensation from dozens of clients, as a dispute intensified with her rival Pete Buttigieg over transparency. Warren, a leading candidate among the 15 Democrats vying for the party’s nomination to take on President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election, had already put out 11 years of tax returns in April and called on other candidates to follow suit. Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has said in recent days that Warren, a US senator from Massachusetts, should release older tax documents detailing her corporate legal work. In return, Warren has called on Buttigieg to allow media coverage of his private donor events and to disclose information about his past work at the consultancy company McKinsey. Warren does not hold big-ticket fundraisers and has focused her campaign on combating Washington corruption and corporate greed. Buttigieg's campaign said on Saturday it was working on making the details of his employment at McKinsey "fully transparent" and called on Warren to match that by releasing her tax returns covering her corporate legal work. On Sunday, in a 15-page document, Warren's campaign provided examples of her legal work, some of which dated back to 1985, in capacities including as a counsel, consultant and expert witness, giving information about the cases and how much she was compensated. The document included dozens of cases, some of which Warren took on a pro-bono basis and was not compensated for. In some cases, she worked with a group of consultants. The document showed a total of nearly $2 million in compensation. A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll on Thursday showed that support for Warren dropped nationally to its lowest level in four months, as she came under attack over her proposal to extend government-paid healthcare to all Americans, deemed too costly by her rivals for the nomination. Warren, 70, is still among the leaders in opinion polls in Iowa, which kicks off the Democratic nominating contests on February 3, and in other early voting states. Buttigieg, 37, who had campaign stops this weekend in Iowa, has surged into the lead in recent opinion polls there.

Democratic candidate Warren discloses details of past legal work, showing $2 million in compensation

Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said on Sunday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-to-spend-weekend-drafting-impeachment-charges-against-donald-trump-266845">articles of impeachment</a> were being drafted and it was possible his panel could vote this week on charges against President Donald Trump.

Nadler told CNN's "State of the Union" that the panel had "a lot to consider" in determining which charges to file against the Republican president.

"There are possible drafts that various people are writing," he said. "But the fact is we're not going to make any decision as to how broad the articles should be, as to what they contain what the wording is - until after the hearing tomorrow."

Watch: What's next for Donald Trump?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-saga-whats-next-for-donald-trump-266895/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The committee will hold a public hearing on Monday to consider evidence gathered in the inquiry that focuses on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-win-impeachment-fight-us-president-donald-trump-266504">Trump's request</a> that Ukraine investigate&nbsp;former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face the president in the 2020 US&nbsp;election.

Democratic lawmakers worked through the weekend digesting the information they received from the House Intelligence Committee and constitutional law scholars who testified before Congress on Wednesday.

Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said on Sunday that articles of impeachment were being drafted and it was possible his panel could vote this week on charges against President Donald Trump.

Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said on Sunday that articles of impeachment were being drafted and it was possible his panel could vote this week on charges against President Donald Trump. Nadler told CNN's "State of the Union" that the panel had "a lot to consider" in determining which charges to file against the Republican president. "There are possible drafts that various people are writing," he said. "But the fact is we're not going to make any decision as to how broad the articles should be, as to what they contain what the wording is - until after the hearing tomorrow." Watch: What's next for Donald Trump? The committee will hold a public hearing on Monday to consider evidence gathered in the inquiry that focuses on Trump's request that Ukraine investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face the president in the 2020 US election. Democratic lawmakers worked through the weekend digesting the information they received from the House Intelligence Committee and constitutional law scholars who testified before Congress on Wednesday.

Vote 'possible' on Trump articles of impeachment this week: Chairman Nadler

A 300-page report containing 100-hours of testimony is released by Democrats on Donald Trump, Report to go next to the house judiciary committee

US: Democrats release impeachment report on  Donald Trump

A US&nbsp;House Intelligence Committee report laying out the Democratic case for President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-row-according-to-call-records-nunes-had-frequent-contact-with-giuliani-266054">Donald Trump's impeachment</a> will be publicly released on Tuesday, the panel's chairman said in a television interview.

"We’re putting the finishing touches on the report, which will be released tomorrow,” Democrat Adam Schiff said on MSNBC on Monday night.

The Democratic-controlled panel is expected to vote on the report's approval on Tuesday night.

A copy of the report was made available privately to House Intelligence members on Monday night for a 24-hour review period.

Republican Representative Jim Jordan, an ardent defender of Trump, told reporters he had read portions of the report in a secure room at the Capitol but was instructed not to discuss the contents until Tuesday night.

House Republicans issued their own rebuttal report on Monday, saying <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrat-report-makes-forceful-impeachment-case-against-trump-266049">Democrats</a> had not established an impeachable offense by Trump.

Democrats have been looking into the Republican president's efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden, the former US&nbsp;vice president who is seeking the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the 2020 election, and his son Hunter Biden, who was a board member of a Ukrainian energy company.

Congressional Democrats on Monday named the four witnesses who will testify this week at a public hearing in the impeachment inquiry of Trump, in what is seen as a likely precursor to the announcement of formal charges within weeks.

As opinion polls show Americans are bitterly divided over whether to impeach Trump, the Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives will feature four legal scholars discussing the constitutional grounds for removing a US&nbsp;president from office.

The impeachment inquiry has heard testimony from current and former officials that military aid was withheld from Ukraine and that a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was conditioned on investigations into the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory about Ukraine interference in the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and says a July 25 phone call with Zelenskiy, in which he pressed for the probes, was "perfect." He and fellow Republicans say Democrats are seeking to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election.

Wednesday's hearing, while academic in nature, will set the stage for the Judiciary Committee to begin determining whether Trump should face formal articles of impeachment. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to supporters last week that Trump had committed "bribery" and needed to be held accountable.

The hearing witnesses, announced by the committee on Monday, are Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School, Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law School, Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina School of Law and Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University Law School.

Also watch:&nbsp;Donald Trump impeachment hearings set for Dec 4

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In a defiant response on Sunday night, the White House informed Democrats that Trump and his lawyers would not participate in Wednesday's hearing, citing a lack of "fundamental fairness."

Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House on Monday en route to London for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cool-it-france-and-germany-to-tell-trump-at-nato-talks-266086">NATO summit</a>, Trump said he had declined to participate in the hearing because it was a hoax.

Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called the White House's decision "unfortunate" and said that allowing Trump to participate had been a priority from the outset of the impeachment probe.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone has not ruled out taking part in future proceedings if Democrats address a list of procedural complaints.

The committee, which is not expected to consider evidence against Trump until next week, has given the president until 5 p.m. (2200 GMT) on Friday to say whether he plans to mount a defense by calling witnesses and introducing evidence.

The 110-page House Republican report said the witnesses called during the impeachment inquiry had painted a picture of "unelected bureaucrats" who "fundamentally disagreed with President Trump's style, world view and decisions," and had presented no evidence that amounted to an impeachable offense.

Schiff said the Republican report "ignores voluminous evidence that the president used the power of his office to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rival," which Schiff said was outside the law and "a violation of his oath of office."

If the House approves articles of impeachment, the Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial to see if Trump should be removed from office. That move is unlikely, as few Senate Republicans have shown an appetite for removing the president.

But the impeachment inquiry has cast a shadow over Trump's already tumultuous presidency and sharpened a divide among Americans that is likely to intensify as election campaigning heats up in the coming weeks.

Democratic aides said a vote on possible articles of impeachment would follow quickly on the heels of an evidentiary hearing.

A US House Intelligence Committee report laying out the Democratic case for President Donald Trump's impeachment will be publicly released on Tuesday, the panel's chairman said in a television interview.

A US House Intelligence Committee report laying out the Democratic case for President Donald Trump's impeachment will be publicly released on Tuesday, the panel's chairman said in a television interview. "We’re putting the finishing touches on the report, which will be released tomorrow,” Democrat Adam Schiff said on MSNBC on Monday night. The Democratic-controlled panel is expected to vote on the report's approval on Tuesday night. A copy of the report was made available privately to House Intelligence members on Monday night for a 24-hour review period. Republican Representative Jim Jordan, an ardent defender of Trump, told reporters he had read portions of the report in a secure room at the Capitol but was instructed not to discuss the contents until Tuesday night. House Republicans issued their own rebuttal report on Monday, saying Democrats had not established an impeachable offense by Trump. Democrats have been looking into the Republican president's efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden, the former US vice president who is seeking the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the 2020 election, and his son Hunter Biden, who was a board member of a Ukrainian energy company. Congressional Democrats on Monday named the four witnesses who will testify this week at a public hearing in the impeachment inquiry of Trump, in what is seen as a likely precursor to the announcement of formal charges within weeks. As opinion polls show Americans are bitterly divided over whether to impeach Trump, the Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives will feature four legal scholars discussing the constitutional grounds for removing a US president from office. The impeachment inquiry has heard testimony from current and former officials that military aid was withheld from Ukraine and that a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was conditioned on investigations into the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory about Ukraine interference in the 2016 US election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and says a July 25 phone call with Zelenskiy, in which he pressed for the probes, was "perfect." He and fellow Republicans say Democrats are seeking to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election. Wednesday's hearing, while academic in nature, will set the stage for the Judiciary Committee to begin determining whether Trump should face formal articles of impeachment. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to supporters last week that Trump had committed "bribery" and needed to be held accountable. The hearing witnesses, announced by the committee on Monday, are Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School, Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law School, Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina School of Law and Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University Law School. Also watch: Donald Trump impeachment hearings set for Dec 4 × In a defiant response on Sunday night, the White House informed Democrats that Trump and his lawyers would not participate in Wednesday's hearing, citing a lack of "fundamental fairness." Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House on Monday en route to London for a NATO summit, Trump said he had declined to participate in the hearing because it was a hoax. Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called the White House's decision "unfortunate" and said that allowing Trump to participate had been a priority from the outset of the impeachment probe. White House counsel Pat Cipollone has not ruled out taking part in future proceedings if Democrats address a list of procedural complaints. The committee, which is not expected to consider evidence against Trump until next week, has given the president until 5 p.m. (2200 GMT) on Friday to say whether he plans to mount a defense by calling witnesses and introducing evidence. The 110-page House Republican report said the witnesses called during the impeachment inquiry had painted a picture of "unelected bureaucrats" who "fundamentally disagreed with President Trump's style, world view and decisions," and had presented no evidence that amounted to an impeachable offense. Schiff said the Republican report "ignores voluminous evidence that the president used the power of his office to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rival," which Schiff said was outside the law and "a violation of his oath of office." If the House approves articles of impeachment, the Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial to see if Trump should be removed from office. That move is unlikely, as few Senate Republicans have shown an appetite for removing the president. But the impeachment inquiry has cast a shadow over Trump's already tumultuous presidency and sharpened a divide among Americans that is likely to intensify as election campaigning heats up in the coming weeks. Democratic aides said a vote on possible articles of impeachment would follow quickly on the heels of an evidentiary hearing.

US House panel impeachment report to be released Tuesday: Adam Schiff

Democrats responded sceptically on Monday to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strongly-considering-to-testify-in-impeachment-probe-tweets-trump-262993">President Donald Trump's</a> declaration that he might be willing to testify in his impeachment inquiry and also said they were examining the truthfulness of his testimony in the Russia 2016 election interference probe.

Trump said on Twitter that he would "strongly consider" House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's suggestion that he testify in the House impeachment inquiry into whether he pressured Ukraine to investigate domestic political opponent Joe Biden.

House Democrats saw his participation in the inquiry as unlikely.

"President Trump should testify," Representative Don Beyer said in a tweet. "He should allow top White House aides to testify. ... He should turn over the documents Congress subpoenaed. He should end his illegal coverup. I'm not holding my breath."

Trump has come under increasing pressure as public hearings have started in the impeachment probe, and the Democratic-led committees conducting the investigation have released transcripts of interviews conducted in closed sessions that contain potentially damaging allegations against him.

Late on Monday, they released a transcript of an interview with David Holmes, a top aide from the US&nbsp;Embassy in Kiev, who will testify at a public hearing on Thursday.

Holmes testified that he had overheard on July 26 a call, held on the outdoor terrace of a Kiev restaurant, between Gordon Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, and Trump.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-ukraine-phone-call-was-unusual-and-inappropriate-bidens-aide-262643">In the call</a>, he testified, Trump asked Sondland whether Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy had agreed to announce an investigation into the son of former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, a rival in Trump's race for re-election next year.

Watch: Democrats dubious as Trump dangles impeachment testimony offer

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Holmes, an aide to acting US&nbsp;Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, said he could hear the conversation and believes two others at the table could as well.

"So he's gonna do the investigation?" Holmes said he heard Trump ask.

"He's gonna do it," Sondland said, adding that Zelenskiy would do "anything you ask him to."

Holmes described the call as extraordinary.

"I’ve never seen anything like this, someone calling the President from a mobile phone at a restaurant, and then having a conversation of this level of candour, colourful language," he said.

Holmes said he was concerned Trump's call with Sondland could pose a security risk. "We generally assume that mobile communications in Ukraine are being monitored," he testified.

Asked whether <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearing-in-closed-door-session-white-house-budget-official-to-testify-on-military-aid-to-ukraine-262610">Ukrainian officials</a> felt pressure to announce investigations into the Bidens, Holmes said, "I think the Ukrainians gradually came to understand that they were being asked to do something in exchange for the meeting and the security assistance hold being lifted."

Holmes said the call, which came to light in Taylor's testimony last week,&nbsp;took place one day after Trump's July 25 telephone call with Zelenskiy, which prompted the whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment probe of Trump.

On that call, Trump asked Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;election. Trump has defended his call with Zelenskiy as "perfect."

Joe Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in 2020.

Separately, House general counsel Douglas Letter told a federal appeals court in Washington that lawmakers were examining the truthfulness of the written answers the president provided in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump initially offered to testify in that investigation but only provided written answers after months of negotiations.

Those answers drew renewed scrutiny after they appeared to conflict with the testimony of a former Trump campaign official last week in the trial of Trump ally Roger Stone.

Lawmakers are examining whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in aid to Ukraine as leverage to get Kiev to investigate Biden. The money, approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help US&nbsp;ally Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists, was later provided.

The Republican president has said he did nothing wrong and has railed against the impeachment inquiry and attacked witnesses, much as he did in the two-year Mueller investigation.

Holmes is one of nine witnesses set to testify in the second week of public impeachment hearings. He will testify on Thursday.

The committees also released a transcript of testimony behind closed doors by David Hale, a senior State Department official. In his interview, Hale confirmed that he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo knew ware of the campaign against Yovanovitch, but were not going to act on it without evidence.

Pompeo declined to discuss the impeachment inquiry,&nbsp;or defend Yovanovitch,&nbsp;at a news briefing on Monday.

Hale is set to testify at a public hearing on Wednesday.

Others due to testify this week include Sondland, whose direct contacts with Trump are likely to be the main focus in the investigation of whether the president used US&nbsp;aid as leverage to get Zelenskiy to dig up dirt on Biden.

Trump told reporters last week that he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland.

Several witnesses testified last week that they were alarmed at the pressure tactics used against Ukraine, as well as the role of Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

The hearings could clear the way for the House to approve articles of impeachment,&nbsp;formal charges,&nbsp;against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

Democrats responded sceptically on Monday to President Donald Trump's declaration that he might be willing to testify in his impeachment inquiry and also said they were examining the truthfulness of his testimony in the Russia 2016 election interference probe.

Democrats responded sceptically on Monday to President Donald Trump's declaration that he might be willing to testify in his impeachment inquiry and also said they were examining the truthfulness of his testimony in the Russia 2016 election interference probe. Trump said on Twitter that he would "strongly consider" House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's suggestion that he testify in the House impeachment inquiry into whether he pressured Ukraine to investigate domestic political opponent Joe Biden. House Democrats saw his participation in the inquiry as unlikely. "President Trump should testify," Representative Don Beyer said in a tweet. "He should allow top White House aides to testify. ... He should turn over the documents Congress subpoenaed. He should end his illegal coverup. I'm not holding my breath." Trump has come under increasing pressure as public hearings have started in the impeachment probe, and the Democratic-led committees conducting the investigation have released transcripts of interviews conducted in closed sessions that contain potentially damaging allegations against him. Late on Monday, they released a transcript of an interview with David Holmes, a top aide from the US Embassy in Kiev, who will testify at a public hearing on Thursday. Holmes testified that he had overheard on July 26 a call, held on the outdoor terrace of a Kiev restaurant, between Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, and Trump. In the call, he testified, Trump asked Sondland whether Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy had agreed to announce an investigation into the son of former US Vice President Joe Biden, a rival in Trump's race for re-election next year. Watch: Democrats dubious as Trump dangles impeachment testimony offer Holmes, an aide to acting US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor, said he could hear the conversation and believes two others at the table could as well. "So he's gonna do the investigation?" Holmes said he heard Trump ask. "He's gonna do it," Sondland said, adding that Zelenskiy would do "anything you ask him to." Holmes described the call as extraordinary. "I’ve never seen anything like this, someone calling the President from a mobile phone at a restaurant, and then having a conversation of this level of candour, colourful language," he said. Holmes said he was concerned Trump's call with Sondland could pose a security risk. "We generally assume that mobile communications in Ukraine are being monitored," he testified. Asked whether Ukrainian officials felt pressure to announce investigations into the Bidens, Holmes said, "I think the Ukrainians gradually came to understand that they were being asked to do something in exchange for the meeting and the security assistance hold being lifted." Holmes said the call, which came to light in Taylor's testimony last week, took place one day after Trump's July 25 telephone call with Zelenskiy, which prompted the whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment probe of Trump. On that call, Trump asked Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election. Trump has defended his call with Zelenskiy as "perfect." Joe Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in 2020. Separately, House general counsel Douglas Letter told a federal appeals court in Washington that lawmakers were examining the truthfulness of the written answers the president provided in former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump initially offered to testify in that investigation but only provided written answers after months of negotiations. Those answers drew renewed scrutiny after they appeared to conflict with the testimony of a former Trump campaign official last week in the trial of Trump ally Roger Stone. Lawmakers are examining whether Trump abused his power by withholding $391 million in aid to Ukraine as leverage to get Kiev to investigate Biden. The money, approved by the US Congress to help US ally Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists, was later provided. The Republican president has said he did nothing wrong and has railed against the impeachment inquiry and attacked witnesses, much as he did in the two-year Mueller investigation. Holmes is one of nine witnesses set to testify in the second week of public impeachment hearings. He will testify on Thursday. The committees also released a transcript of testimony behind closed doors by David Hale, a senior State Department official. In his interview, Hale confirmed that he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo knew ware of the campaign against Yovanovitch, but were not going to act on it without evidence. Pompeo declined to discuss the impeachment inquiry, or defend Yovanovitch, at a news briefing on Monday. Hale is set to testify at a public hearing on Wednesday. Others due to testify this week include Sondland, whose direct contacts with Trump are likely to be the main focus in the investigation of whether the president used US aid as leverage to get Zelenskiy to dig up dirt on Biden. Trump told reporters last week that he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland. Several witnesses testified last week that they were alarmed at the pressure tactics used against Ukraine, as well as the role of Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. The hearings could clear the way for the House to approve articles of impeachment, formal charges, against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

Democrats respond sceptically to Trump's willingness to testify during impeachment hearings

Democrats dubious as Trump dangles impeachment testimony offer

U.S. President Trump lashes out at the Democrats, impeachment hearings to continue. Watch this video to know more.

U.S. President Trump lashes out at the Democrats, impeachment hearings to continue

The top US&nbsp;diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-saga-americans-watch-trump-probe-live-on-tv-261932">first televised hearing</a> of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically.

William Taylor was one of two career diplomats who testified before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee as a crucial new phase began in the impeachment inquiry, which threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in 2020.

Both Taylor and George Kent testified about the pressure Trump and allies applied to get Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden over his son's business dealings in Ukraine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-hearing-us-president-prioritised-biden-investigation-over-ukraine-aid-says-witness-261921">Their testimony</a> was calm and forceful, but it was not clear whether it would help Democrats break through a partisan divide and convince more Americans that the Republican president has committed misdeeds worthy of ousting him from office.

In a disclosure that drew the most attention, Taylor, acting ambassador to Ukraine, pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden, a former vice president, and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated.

Taylor said a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former Trump political donor appointed as a senior diplomat, in which Trump asked about those investigations and Sondland told him the Ukrainians were ready to proceed.

After that conversation - which occurred a day after Trump had asked Ukraine's president during a phone call to conduct the investigations - the staff member asked Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, what Trump thought about Ukraine, Taylor said.

"Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor testified, referring to Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

Asked by Adam Schiff, the committee's Democratic chairman, if that meant Trump cared more about the investigations than about Ukraine, Taylor said: "Yes, sir."

Taylor, who was appointed by Trump in June, also said withholding military aid from Ukraine, which has been locked in conflict with Russia since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, undermined US&nbsp;strategic interests.

"It was counterproductive to all of what we had been trying to do. It was illogical ... It was crazy," he said.

At a White House news conference with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the hearing ended, Trump said he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland that Taylor said his aide overheard.

"It's the first time I heard it," said Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing.

David Holmes, a Taylor aide subpoenaed to testify behind closed doors on Friday in the impeachment inquiry, is the staffer who overheard the call that Sondland made to Trump from Ukraine, said a person familiar with the issue.

Republican lawmakers called Taylor's account hearsay and noted Ukraine's president has not said he felt pressured by Trump.

&nbsp;

In Pictures:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/trump-impeachment-what-rules-will-the-house-use-in-televised-hearings-261826">Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings?</a>

&nbsp;

With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Schiff opened the historic session - the first impeachment drama in two decades - in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public. The contentious hearing lasted 5-1/2 hours.

Schiff and other Democrats accused Trump of abusing his power while the panel's senior Republican, Devin Nunes, denied that Trump and his aides improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election.

Taylor and Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, detailed the evidence they saw that US&nbsp;security aid - as well as a meeting with Trump at the White House - was withheld from Ukraine as leverage over Kiev.

"The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself."

Schiff added: "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?"

This week's sessions, where Americans are hearing directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump.

That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal.

The inquiry is being conducted as the 2020 presidential campaign gathers steam. Opinion polls show Democrats strongly back impeachment and Republicans strongly oppose, leaving both parties appealing to a small sliver of the public - independents and others who have not made up their minds.

During his news conference with Erdogan, Trump said he had been too busy to watch the hearing. "I hear it's a joke," he said. "This is a sham and shouldn't be allowed."

Nunes accused Democrats of conducting a "carefully orchestrated smear campaign" and said they had combined with the media and "partisan bureaucrats" to try to overturn the results of the 2016 election won by Trump.

He hewed to the Republican strategy of arguing Trump did nothing wrong in asking Ukraine's new president to investigate Biden, calling it "an impeachment process in search of a crime."

The focus of the inquiry is on the July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;election. Hunter Biden had been a board member for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma.

Democrats say Trump abused his power by withholding the security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the investigations.

The money, approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, was later provided to Ukraine.

Both witnesses remained calm and unflappable throughout the marathon session. Taylor said at the outset: "I am not here to take one side or the other, or to advocate for any particular outcome of these proceedings."

Republican Jim Jordan, a forceful Trump ally, told Taylor: "You're their star witness," referring to the Democrats.

"I don't consider myself a star witness for anything," Taylor responded.

Taylor, a former US&nbsp;Army officer, previously served as US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d'affaires of the US&nbsp;Embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department.

"I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective, politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power, because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country," Kent said.

Taylor said he found two channels of US&nbsp;policy toward Ukraine - one regular and one "highly irregular" - and recounted how a Trump meeting with the Ukrainian president was improperly conditioned on Kiev agreeing to investigate Burisma and the debunked notion of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.

Taylor said he became aware that a hold on the security aid was contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations, which was alarming to him because it entailed "security assistance to a country at war."

Trump has derided some of the current and former US&nbsp;officials who have appeared before committees as "Never Trumpers" - a term referring to Republican opponents of the president whom he has called "human scum."

Asked during the hearing whether they are "never Trumpers," Taylor responded: "No, Sir," and Kent noted he had worked as a diplomat under presidents of both parties.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the first televised hearing of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically.

The top US diplomat in Ukraine, testifying on Wednesday in the first televised hearing of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, linked him more directly to a pressure campaign on Ukraine to conduct investigations that would benefit him politically. William Taylor was one of two career diplomats who testified before the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee as a crucial new phase began in the impeachment inquiry, which threatens Trump's presidency even as he seeks re-election in 2020. Both Taylor and George Kent testified about the pressure Trump and allies applied to get Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden over his son's business dealings in Ukraine. Their testimony was calm and forceful, but it was not clear whether it would help Democrats break through a partisan divide and convince more Americans that the Republican president has committed misdeeds worthy of ousting him from office. In a disclosure that drew the most attention, Taylor, acting ambassador to Ukraine, pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden, a former vice president, and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated. Taylor said a member of his staff overheard a July 26 phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, a former Trump political donor appointed as a senior diplomat, in which Trump asked about those investigations and Sondland told him the Ukrainians were ready to proceed. After that conversation - which occurred a day after Trump had asked Ukraine's president during a phone call to conduct the investigations - the staff member asked Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, what Trump thought about Ukraine, Taylor said. "Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for," Taylor testified, referring to Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Asked by Adam Schiff, the committee's Democratic chairman, if that meant Trump cared more about the investigations than about Ukraine, Taylor said: "Yes, sir." Taylor, who was appointed by Trump in June, also said withholding military aid from Ukraine, which has been locked in conflict with Russia since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, undermined US strategic interests. "It was counterproductive to all of what we had been trying to do. It was illogical ... It was crazy," he said. At a White House news conference with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the hearing ended, Trump said he knew "nothing" about the call with Sondland that Taylor said his aide overheard. "It's the first time I heard it," said Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing. David Holmes, a Taylor aide subpoenaed to testify behind closed doors on Friday in the impeachment inquiry, is the staffer who overheard the call that Sondland made to Trump from Ukraine, said a person familiar with the issue. Republican lawmakers called Taylor's account hearsay and noted Ukraine's president has not said he felt pressured by Trump. In Pictures: Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings? With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, Schiff opened the historic session - the first impeachment drama in two decades - in an ornate hearing room packed with journalists, lawmakers and members of the public. The contentious hearing lasted 5-1/2 hours. Schiff and other Democrats accused Trump of abusing his power while the panel's senior Republican, Devin Nunes, denied that Trump and his aides improperly pressured Ukraine to dig up dirt on Biden, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 election. Taylor and Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, detailed the evidence they saw that US security aid - as well as a meeting with Trump at the White House - was withheld from Ukraine as leverage over Kiev. "The questions presented by this impeachment inquiry are whether President Trump sought to exploit that ally's vulnerability and invite Ukraine's interference in our elections," Schiff said. "Our answer to these questions will affect not only the future of this presidency, but the future of the presidency itself." Schiff added: "If this is not impeachable conduct, what is?" This week's sessions, where Americans are hearing directly for the first time from people involved in events that sparked the congressional inquiry, may pave the way for the Democratic-led House to approve articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. That would lead to a trial in the Senate on whether to convict Trump of those charges and remove him from office. Republicans control the Senate and have shown little support for Trump's removal. The inquiry is being conducted as the 2020 presidential campaign gathers steam. Opinion polls show Democrats strongly back impeachment and Republicans strongly oppose, leaving both parties appealing to a small sliver of the public - independents and others who have not made up their minds. During his news conference with Erdogan, Trump said he had been too busy to watch the hearing. "I hear it's a joke," he said. "This is a sham and shouldn't be allowed." Nunes accused Democrats of conducting a "carefully orchestrated smear campaign" and said they had combined with the media and "partisan bureaucrats" to try to overturn the results of the 2016 election won by Trump. He hewed to the Republican strategy of arguing Trump did nothing wrong in asking Ukraine's new president to investigate Biden, calling it "an impeachment process in search of a crime." The focus of the inquiry is on the July 25 telephone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, and into a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 US election. Hunter Biden had been a board member for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Democrats say Trump abused his power by withholding the security aid to Ukraine - a vulnerable US ally facing Russian aggression - as leverage to pressure Kiev into conducting the investigations. The money, approved by the US Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country, was later provided to Ukraine. Both witnesses remained calm and unflappable throughout the marathon session. Taylor said at the outset: "I am not here to take one side or the other, or to advocate for any particular outcome of these proceedings." Republican Jim Jordan, a forceful Trump ally, told Taylor: "You're their star witness," referring to the Democrats. "I don't consider myself a star witness for anything," Taylor responded. Taylor, a former US Army officer, previously served as US ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department. "I do not believe the United States should ask other countries to engage in selective, politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents of those in power, because such selective actions undermine the rule of law regardless of the country," Kent said. Taylor said he found two channels of US policy toward Ukraine - one regular and one "highly irregular" - and recounted how a Trump meeting with the Ukrainian president was improperly conditioned on Kiev agreeing to investigate Burisma and the debunked notion of Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election. Taylor said he became aware that a hold on the security aid was contingent on Ukraine opening the investigations, which was alarming to him because it entailed "security assistance to a country at war." Trump has derided some of the current and former US officials who have appeared before committees as "Never Trumpers" - a term referring to Republican opponents of the president whom he has called "human scum." Asked during the hearing whether they are "never Trumpers," Taylor responded: "No, Sir," and Kent noted he had worked as a diplomat under presidents of both parties.

Trump impeachment hearings focus on Ukraine pressure campaign in first day

Trump impeachment: What rules will the House use in televised hearings?

Immigrants known as "Dreamers" and senior Democrats rallied behind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme on Tuesday as the US&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-to-examine-dreamers-program-that-trump-wants-axed-261490">Supreme Court considered</a> whether to let President Donald Trump end it.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse on a grey and chilly morning to show their support for the "Dreamers," immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally or overstayed a visa as children.

DACA, launched in 2012 by Democratic former President Barack Obama, provides roughly 661,000 such immigrants with deportation protection and work permits. Trump, a Republican known for his hardline immigration policies, announced plans in September 2017 to phase out DACA, but was blocked by lower courts.

Demonstrator Anel Medina, a 28-year-old DACA enrollee and oncology nurse at Penn Medicine in the Philadelphia area, said the programme changed her life. She was born in Mexico City, and her mother brought her to the United States at age 5. She was a college student and living without legal status when DACA was created in 2012.

"I was able to get a job ... finish nursing school," she said. "It was the moment I was waiting for."

Democratic congressional leaders criticized Trump and Republicans for failing to pass legislation to protect "Dreamers." The Democratic-led House passed a bill in June that would give legal status to an estimated 2.7 million people, but the Republican-controlled Senate has not taken up the measure.

"The president's relentless scapegoating of immigrants is the most un-American thing I can think of," Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, said during a news conference with roughly two dozen DACA recipients in the US&nbsp;Capitol.

Trump tweeted in the morning that he would strike a deal with Democrats to allow DACA recipients to stay if the Supreme Court rules against the programme, but also said many programme enrollees are "very tough, hardened criminals." The DACA programme bars applicants with serious criminal convictions.

Demonstrators at the protest outside the courthouse carried signs that read "home is here" and "defend DACA." Several hoisted depictions of monarch butterflies, which migrate from parts of the United States to Mexico and have become a symbol of the "Dreamers" movement.

No DACA opponents were evident outside the Supreme Court, but Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favours lower levels of immigration, argued that Trump's termination was lawful.

"President Obama's initial action was undertaken informally, and so the policy can be undone in precisely the same manner," Stein said in a statement.

Arisaid Gonzalez Porras and her brother Sergio, both DACA recipients and undergraduate students at Georgetown University, said the court should affirm the programme's legality, but that a permanent fix is needed.

"When the programme was rescinded it made a lot of us realise that DACA is just a Band Aid," she said.

Sammie Chai, a 19-year-old freshman at American University whose parents came to the United States from Malaysia, said she attended the demonstration in solidarity with "Dreamers" and other immigrants in the face of Trump's hardline policies.

"He exemplifies xenophobia," she said of Trump. "Everyone showing up here today, we're just showing that we will not stand for that."

Immigrants known as "Dreamers" and senior Democrats rallied behind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme on Tuesday as the US Supreme Court considered whether to let President Donald Trump end it.

Immigrants known as "Dreamers" and senior Democrats rallied behind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme on Tuesday as the US Supreme Court considered whether to let President Donald Trump end it. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse on a grey and chilly morning to show their support for the "Dreamers," immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally or overstayed a visa as children. DACA, launched in 2012 by Democratic former President Barack Obama, provides roughly 661,000 such immigrants with deportation protection and work permits. Trump, a Republican known for his hardline immigration policies, announced plans in September 2017 to phase out DACA, but was blocked by lower courts. Demonstrator Anel Medina, a 28-year-old DACA enrollee and oncology nurse at Penn Medicine in the Philadelphia area, said the programme changed her life. She was born in Mexico City, and her mother brought her to the United States at age 5. She was a college student and living without legal status when DACA was created in 2012. "I was able to get a job ... finish nursing school," she said. "It was the moment I was waiting for." Democratic congressional leaders criticized Trump and Republicans for failing to pass legislation to protect "Dreamers." The Democratic-led House passed a bill in June that would give legal status to an estimated 2.7 million people, but the Republican-controlled Senate has not taken up the measure. "The president's relentless scapegoating of immigrants is the most un-American thing I can think of," Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, said during a news conference with roughly two dozen DACA recipients in the US Capitol. Trump tweeted in the morning that he would strike a deal with Democrats to allow DACA recipients to stay if the Supreme Court rules against the programme, but also said many programme enrollees are "very tough, hardened criminals." The DACA programme bars applicants with serious criminal convictions. Demonstrators at the protest outside the courthouse carried signs that read "home is here" and "defend DACA." Several hoisted depictions of monarch butterflies, which migrate from parts of the United States to Mexico and have become a symbol of the "Dreamers" movement. No DACA opponents were evident outside the Supreme Court, but Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favours lower levels of immigration, argued that Trump's termination was lawful. "President Obama's initial action was undertaken informally, and so the policy can be undone in precisely the same manner," Stein said in a statement. Arisaid Gonzalez Porras and her brother Sergio, both DACA recipients and undergraduate students at Georgetown University, said the court should affirm the programme's legality, but that a permanent fix is needed. "When the programme was rescinded it made a lot of us realise that DACA is just a Band Aid," she said. Sammie Chai, a 19-year-old freshman at American University whose parents came to the United States from Malaysia, said she attended the demonstration in solidarity with "Dreamers" and other immigrants in the face of Trump's hardline policies. "He exemplifies xenophobia," she said of Trump. "Everyone showing up here today, we're just showing that we will not stand for that."

'Dreamers,' Democrats rally behind DACA as US top court mulls programme's fate

The US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">impeachment enquiry</a> into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Trump said on Saturday he would likely release the transcript on Tuesday, describing it to reporters as "very important." He said on Twitter on Monday evening, however, that he would be releasing it "sometime this week," adding: "I am sure you will find it tantalizing!"

Just two days before the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">first public hearings </a>in the impeachment inquiry, Trump issued a series of scathing tweets on Monday slamming the probe and the Democrats conducting it.

"It is a totally one-sided Witch Hunt. This can't be making the Democrats look good. Such a farce!" he said.

The investigation formally launched six weeks ago by Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has shadowed Trump's presidency, with the threat that he could be removed from office even as he seeks re-election next year.

He is only the fourth US&nbsp;president to face impeachment. None has been removed from office, although Richard Nixon resigned as he faced almost certain impeachment in 1974 over the Watergate scandal.

Democrats are investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Trump over his July 25 request in a phone call to Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

That call prompted a whistleblower complaint that led Democrats to launch the probe in September into whether Trump abused his power by withholding security assistance to put pressure on a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally.

The transcript Trump will release is from a call with Zelenskiy on April 12, after the Ukrainian was elected president, but before he took office. The White House did not release a readout of that conversation when it took place.

For the past two weeks, House investigators have been releasing transcripts of interviews conducted behind closed doors with witnesses, including diplomats and security aides, about dealings with Ukraine by administration officials and the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.

On Monday, the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees released transcripts of interviews with one official from the Department of Defense and two from the State Department.

In her testimony, senior Pentagon official Laura Cooper, detailed confusion and concern in the US&nbsp;national security community after Trump's White House blocked nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine without explanation.

"All of the senior leaders of the US&nbsp;national security departments and agencies were all unified in their, in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript.

Trump has intensified his attacks on the investigation as public hearings approach. He issued a series of impeachment-related tweets on Monday evening, including accusing Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the Intelligence Committee, of fabricating transcripts.

There has been no suggestion by any witness or Republicans on the three committees that the transcripts have been inaccurate.

Democrats consider the open hearings that start on Wednesday crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial.

Republicans have so far shown little interest in removing Trump from office.

The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the impeachment enquiry into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The US President Donald Trump on Tuesday could take some control of the impeachment enquiry into his dealings with Ukraine if he follows through on a promise to release a transcript of an April call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump said on Saturday he would likely release the transcript on Tuesday, describing it to reporters as "very important." He said on Twitter on Monday evening, however, that he would be releasing it "sometime this week," adding: "I am sure you will find it tantalizing!" Just two days before the first public hearings in the impeachment inquiry, Trump issued a series of scathing tweets on Monday slamming the probe and the Democrats conducting it. "It is a totally one-sided Witch Hunt. This can't be making the Democrats look good. Such a farce!" he said. The investigation formally launched six weeks ago by Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has shadowed Trump's presidency, with the threat that he could be removed from office even as he seeks re-election next year. He is only the fourth US president to face impeachment. None has been removed from office, although Richard Nixon resigned as he faced almost certain impeachment in 1974 over the Watergate scandal. Democrats are investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Trump over his July 25 request in a phone call to Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. That call prompted a whistleblower complaint that led Democrats to launch the probe in September into whether Trump abused his power by withholding security assistance to put pressure on a vulnerable US ally. The transcript Trump will release is from a call with Zelenskiy on April 12, after the Ukrainian was elected president, but before he took office. The White House did not release a readout of that conversation when it took place. For the past two weeks, House investigators have been releasing transcripts of interviews conducted behind closed doors with witnesses, including diplomats and security aides, about dealings with Ukraine by administration officials and the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. On Monday, the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Oversight committees released transcripts of interviews with one official from the Department of Defense and two from the State Department. In her testimony, senior Pentagon official Laura Cooper, detailed confusion and concern in the US national security community after Trump's White House blocked nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine without explanation. "All of the senior leaders of the US national security departments and agencies were all unified in their, in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript. Trump has intensified his attacks on the investigation as public hearings approach. He issued a series of impeachment-related tweets on Monday evening, including accusing Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the Intelligence Committee, of fabricating transcripts. There has been no suggestion by any witness or Republicans on the three committees that the transcripts have been inaccurate. Democrats consider the open hearings that start on Wednesday crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial. Republicans have so far shown little interest in removing Trump from office.

As impeachment probe starts new phase, Trump promises to release transcript

A senior Pentagon official detailed confusion and concern in the US&nbsp;national security apparatus after the White House blocked aid to Ukraine without explanation, according to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-faces-perilous-test-as-impeachment-hearings-open-261230">testimony released on Monday</a> by the congressional impeachment panel into US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

Testimony by Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defence, was the latest to be made public that showed the internal machinations of the administration as Trump insisted that nearly $400 million in aid slated for Ukraine be withheld until its president publicly launch an investigation into one of Trump's top political rivals.

Also on Monday, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney withdrew a motion to join a lawsuit seeking to have a judge settle whether he can be compelled by Congress to testify in the inquiry. Instead, Mulvaney will file his own lawsuit.

The congressional panel also released testimony on Monday from Catherine Croft and Christopher Anderson, both advisers to Ambassador Kurt Volker on Ukraine policy, who described their concerns about the Trump administration's Ukraine policy. Volker was Trump's special representative for Ukraine negotiations until he resigned in September.

The new transcripts come two days before the impeachment inquiry by Democratic-led US&nbsp;House of Representatives committees enters a crucial new public phase.

The first on-camera hearings in the investigation are set for later this week and focused on accusations that Trump improperly withheld security money as leverage to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-trump-ally-admits-tying-ukraine-aid-to-biden-investigation-260217">pressure Ukraine</a> to investigate political rival Joe Biden.

On Wednesday and Friday, US&nbsp;diplomats William Taylor, George Kent and Marie Yovanovitch are due to detail in public their concerns, previously expressed in testimony behind closed doors, that Trump and his administration sought to tie the security aid to investigations that might benefit his 2020 re-election bid.

The public testimony before the House Intelligence Committee will be carried by major broadcast and cable television networks and is expected to be viewed by millions of people, as Democrats seek to make the case for Trump's removal from office.

Trump took to Twitter on Monday to fume again about the investigation. He said he would release this week a transcript of an earlier call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Cooper's October&nbsp;23 closed-door testimony became the scene of one of the most explosive moments of the inquiry so far, when about two dozen Republican lawmakers and allies of Trump stormed the secure room where she was speaking. Critics denounced the lawmakers' actions, saying they had compromised US&nbsp;security by taking phones into the secure room.

In her testimony, Cooper described at some length the approval process for the $391 million in aid to Ukraine, including that the Pentagon had determined that Kiev had met anti-corruption requirements for the release of the funds.

Trump and some of his supporters have argued that the funds - approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine - were blocked by Trump to press Zelenskiy's government to fight corruption, not to seek an investigation of Biden and his son.

"All of the senior leaders of the US&nbsp;national security departments and agencies were all unified in their - in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript.

Cooper said the US&nbsp;military was concerned that denying US&nbsp;assistance would make it harder for Kiev to negotiate with Moscow.

"They are trying to negotiate a peace with Russia, and if they are seen as weak, and if they are seen to lack the backing of the United States for their armed forces, it makes it much more difficult for them to negotiate a peace on terms that are good for Ukraine."

The impeachment investigation began in September after a whistleblower within the US&nbsp;intelligence community brought a complaint against Trump over his July 25 call with Zelenskiy.

Democrats, who control the House, have argued that Trump abused his power in pressing a vulnerable US&nbsp;ally to carry out investigations that would benefit Trump politically. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face the Republican president in the 2020 election. His son Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma.

Trump has denied there was a quid pro quo - or exchanging a favour for a favour - in his dealings with Ukraine. He defended his call with Zelenskiy as "perfect" and branded the probe a politically motivated hoax. Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday that the inquiry should be ended and the unnamed whistleblower, the whistleblower's lawyer and "Corrupt politician" Schiff should be investigated for fraud.

Democrats consider the open hearings to be crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial on the charges.

Republicans have so far shown little support for removing Trump from office, which would require two-thirds of senators present to vote to convict him.

A senior Pentagon official detailed confusion and concern in the US national security apparatus after the White House blocked aid to Ukraine without explanation, according to testimony released on Monday by the congressional impeachment panel into US President Donald Trump.

A senior Pentagon official detailed confusion and concern in the US national security apparatus after the White House blocked aid to Ukraine without explanation, according to testimony released on Monday by the congressional impeachment panel into US President Donald Trump. Testimony by Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defence, was the latest to be made public that showed the internal machinations of the administration as Trump insisted that nearly $400 million in aid slated for Ukraine be withheld until its president publicly launch an investigation into one of Trump's top political rivals. Also on Monday, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney withdrew a motion to join a lawsuit seeking to have a judge settle whether he can be compelled by Congress to testify in the inquiry. Instead, Mulvaney will file his own lawsuit. The congressional panel also released testimony on Monday from Catherine Croft and Christopher Anderson, both advisers to Ambassador Kurt Volker on Ukraine policy, who described their concerns about the Trump administration's Ukraine policy. Volker was Trump's special representative for Ukraine negotiations until he resigned in September. The new transcripts come two days before the impeachment inquiry by Democratic-led US House of Representatives committees enters a crucial new public phase. The first on-camera hearings in the investigation are set for later this week and focused on accusations that Trump improperly withheld security money as leverage to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden. On Wednesday and Friday, US diplomats William Taylor, George Kent and Marie Yovanovitch are due to detail in public their concerns, previously expressed in testimony behind closed doors, that Trump and his administration sought to tie the security aid to investigations that might benefit his 2020 re-election bid. The public testimony before the House Intelligence Committee will be carried by major broadcast and cable television networks and is expected to be viewed by millions of people, as Democrats seek to make the case for Trump's removal from office. Trump took to Twitter on Monday to fume again about the investigation. He said he would release this week a transcript of an earlier call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Cooper's October 23 closed-door testimony became the scene of one of the most explosive moments of the inquiry so far, when about two dozen Republican lawmakers and allies of Trump stormed the secure room where she was speaking. Critics denounced the lawmakers' actions, saying they had compromised US security by taking phones into the secure room. In her testimony, Cooper described at some length the approval process for the $391 million in aid to Ukraine, including that the Pentagon had determined that Kiev had met anti-corruption requirements for the release of the funds. Trump and some of his supporters have argued that the funds - approved by the US Congress to help combat Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine - were blocked by Trump to press Zelenskiy's government to fight corruption, not to seek an investigation of Biden and his son. "All of the senior leaders of the US national security departments and agencies were all unified in their - in their view that this assistance was essential," Cooper said, according to the transcript. Cooper said the US military was concerned that denying US assistance would make it harder for Kiev to negotiate with Moscow. "They are trying to negotiate a peace with Russia, and if they are seen as weak, and if they are seen to lack the backing of the United States for their armed forces, it makes it much more difficult for them to negotiate a peace on terms that are good for Ukraine." The impeachment investigation began in September after a whistleblower within the US intelligence community brought a complaint against Trump over his July 25 call with Zelenskiy. Democrats, who control the House, have argued that Trump abused his power in pressing a vulnerable US ally to carry out investigations that would benefit Trump politically. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face the Republican president in the 2020 election. His son Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Trump has denied there was a quid pro quo - or exchanging a favour for a favour - in his dealings with Ukraine. He defended his call with Zelenskiy as "perfect" and branded the probe a politically motivated hoax. Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday that the inquiry should be ended and the unnamed whistleblower, the whistleblower's lawyer and "Corrupt politician" Schiff should be investigated for fraud. Democrats consider the open hearings to be crucial to building public support for a vote on articles of impeachment - formal charges - against Trump. If that occurs, the 100-seat Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial on the charges. Republicans have so far shown little support for removing Trump from office, which would require two-thirds of senators present to vote to convict him.

Democrats release new batch of testimony from Trump impeachment inquiry

US&nbsp;President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-impeachment-hearings-trump-may-expand-communications-team-to-bolster-defense-260440">Donald Trump</a> struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes.

Speaking at a packed arena in the city of Monroe, Trump doubled down on his assertion that a House-led <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/public-hearings-in-trump-impeachment-probe-start-next-week-us-lawmaker-260398">impeachment inquiry</a> into his presidency was a hoax and sought to buoy support for Republican businessman Eddie Rispone's bid for the governorship.

"Eddie will defend your values from the all-out assault by the extreme left," he said, describing incumbent Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards as "dangerously soft on crime."

The remarks came after Democrats claimed an upset win on Tuesday in Kentucky over Republican Governor Matt Bevin after Trump campaigned for him, telling voters that pundits would say the president "suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world" if he lost.

On Tuesday, Democrats also seized control of the state legislature in Virginia and gained ground in the key state of Pennsylvania, though Republicans held on to the governorship in Mississippi, where Trump also campaigned.

The loss in Kentucky may have raised questions about the success of Republican candidates who align themselves closely with the president. But Rispone, who also spoke at the rally, put himself squarely in the president's camp.

"Louisiana is Trump country," said Rispone, a little-known construction entrepreneur who will face off on Nov. 16 in a runoff election against Louisiana's popular conservative Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards.

Trump said he would return to the state next week for more campaigning.

Edwards, the only Democratic governor of a Deep South state, comfortably bested rival Rispone in a six-candidate primary last month, but he failed to secure the 50 percent needed to win a second term outright in Louisiana's unusual primary system.

An observant Roman Catholic, Edwards opposes abortion, and this year signed a law banning the procedure after 15 weeks, which could have contributed to dimmed enthusiasm among Democrats.

"John Bel Edwards broke his solemn promise to the people of Louisiana when he rammed - that's the only word I can say - rammed through the largest tax hike in Louisiana history," Trump said on Wednesday. "How did you ever get a liberal Democrat to be your governor?" Trump asked thousands of fans waving Trump 2020 signs.

Edwards, for his part, has criticized what he called efforts to nationalize the state race but also promised to work closely with Trump, who carried the conservative-leaning state in 2016 by 20 percentage points, should the Republican win a second term.

Trump faces headwinds of his own, as Democrats in the House of Representative mount an impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office by pressuring Ukrainian authorities to investigate political rival Joe Biden by withholding millions in aid.

Trump visited Louisiana last month ahead of the primary vote, later taking credit for forcing a run-off.

"The Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has done a poor job. NOW HE IS IN A RUNOFF WITH A GREAT REPUBLICAN ... 66 per cent&nbsp;DOWN TO 47 per cent&nbsp;after I explained what a bad job the Governor was doing,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

US President Donald Trump struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes.

US President Donald Trump struck a defiant note on Wednesday at a rally in Louisiana a day after Democrats clinched victories in a raft of local elections that cast a shadow over his 2020 re-election hopes. Speaking at a packed arena in the city of Monroe, Trump doubled down on his assertion that a House-led impeachment inquiry into his presidency was a hoax and sought to buoy support for Republican businessman Eddie Rispone's bid for the governorship. "Eddie will defend your values from the all-out assault by the extreme left," he said, describing incumbent Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards as "dangerously soft on crime." The remarks came after Democrats claimed an upset win on Tuesday in Kentucky over Republican Governor Matt Bevin after Trump campaigned for him, telling voters that pundits would say the president "suffered the greatest defeat in the history of the world" if he lost. On Tuesday, Democrats also seized control of the state legislature in Virginia and gained ground in the key state of Pennsylvania, though Republicans held on to the governorship in Mississippi, where Trump also campaigned. The loss in Kentucky may have raised questions about the success of Republican candidates who align themselves closely with the president. But Rispone, who also spoke at the rally, put himself squarely in the president's camp. "Louisiana is Trump country," said Rispone, a little-known construction entrepreneur who will face off on Nov. 16 in a runoff election against Louisiana's popular conservative Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards. Trump said he would return to the state next week for more campaigning. Edwards, the only Democratic governor of a Deep South state, comfortably bested rival Rispone in a six-candidate primary last month, but he failed to secure the 50 percent needed to win a second term outright in Louisiana's unusual primary system. An observant Roman Catholic, Edwards opposes abortion, and this year signed a law banning the procedure after 15 weeks, which could have contributed to dimmed enthusiasm among Democrats. "John Bel Edwards broke his solemn promise to the people of Louisiana when he rammed - that's the only word I can say - rammed through the largest tax hike in Louisiana history," Trump said on Wednesday. "How did you ever get a liberal Democrat to be your governor?" Trump asked thousands of fans waving Trump 2020 signs. Edwards, for his part, has criticized what he called efforts to nationalize the state race but also promised to work closely with Trump, who carried the conservative-leaning state in 2016 by 20 percentage points, should the Republican win a second term. Trump faces headwinds of his own, as Democrats in the House of Representative mount an impeachment inquiry into whether he abused his office by pressuring Ukrainian authorities to investigate political rival Joe Biden by withholding millions in aid. Trump visited Louisiana last month ahead of the primary vote, later taking credit for forcing a run-off. "The Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has done a poor job. NOW HE IS IN A RUNOFF WITH A GREAT REPUBLICAN ... 66 per cent DOWN TO 47 per cent after I explained what a bad job the Governor was doing,” Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump defiant at Louisiana rally after Democrat wins

US <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-impeachment-transcripts-go-public-as-whouse-stonewalls-260028">House&nbsp;impeachment</a>&nbsp;investigators on Tuesday&nbsp;summoned&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump's acting&nbsp;chief&nbsp;of&nbsp;staff&nbsp;Mick Mulvaney for a deposition, saying he has "substantial first-hand knowledge" of&nbsp;Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine.

Mulvaney is the latest administration official to be ordered to&nbsp;testify&nbsp;with the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;probe&nbsp;closing in around those nearest the president as it proceeds into a new public phase, in which transcripts of closed-door testimony are being released.

Mulvaney is the highest-ranking White House official to be&nbsp;summoned&nbsp;in the&nbsp;probe, although he is unlikely to comply given the White House's opposition to administration officials cooperating with investigators.

The chairs of the three House committees leading the investigation wrote Mulvaney requesting he appear before the panels on Friday at 9:00 am.

"The investigation has revealed that you may have been directly involved in an effort orchestrated by President&nbsp;Trump, his personal agent, Rudolph Giuliani and others to withhold a coveted White House meeting and nearly $400 million in security assistance in order to pressure (Ukraine) to pursue investigations that would benefit President&nbsp;Trump's personal political interests," they wrote.

"Your failure or refusal to appear at the deposition, including at the direction or behest of the president, shall constitute further evidence of obstruction of the House's&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry and may be used as an adverse inference against you and the President."

Last month, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-houses-mick-mulvaney-did-not-mull-quitting-over-quid-pro-quo-flap-257178">Mulvaney</a> publicly stated that the decision to freeze aid was tied to the demand for investigations. He later walked back those comments.

Several current and former officials have defied House subpoenas or voluntary requests to&nbsp;testify.

John Eisenberg, a White House lawyer suspected of involvement in the Ukraine scandal, and Robert Blair, assistant to the president and senior advisor to Mulvaney, were among four officials who ignored calls to&nbsp;testify&nbsp;Monday.

The no-shows continued Tuesday when Wells Griffith, a White House adviser on energy, failed to appear.

US House impeachment investigators on Tuesday summoned President Donald Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney for a deposition, saying he has "substantial first-hand knowledge" of Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine.

US House impeachment investigators on Tuesday summoned President Donald Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney for a deposition, saying he has "substantial first-hand knowledge" of Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine. Mulvaney is the latest administration official to be ordered to testify with the impeachment probe closing in around those nearest the president as it proceeds into a new public phase, in which transcripts of closed-door testimony are being released. Mulvaney is the highest-ranking White House official to be summoned in the probe, although he is unlikely to comply given the White House's opposition to administration officials cooperating with investigators. The chairs of the three House committees leading the investigation wrote Mulvaney requesting he appear before the panels on Friday at 9:00 am. "The investigation has revealed that you may have been directly involved in an effort orchestrated by President Trump, his personal agent, Rudolph Giuliani and others to withhold a coveted White House meeting and nearly $400 million in security assistance in order to pressure (Ukraine) to pursue investigations that would benefit President Trump's personal political interests," they wrote. "Your failure or refusal to appear at the deposition, including at the direction or behest of the president, shall constitute further evidence of obstruction of the House's impeachment inquiry and may be used as an adverse inference against you and the President." Last month, Mulvaney publicly stated that the decision to freeze aid was tied to the demand for investigations. He later walked back those comments. Several current and former officials have defied House subpoenas or voluntary requests to testify. John Eisenberg, a White House lawyer suspected of involvement in the Ukraine scandal, and Robert Blair, assistant to the president and senior advisor to Mulvaney, were among four officials who ignored calls to testify Monday. The no-shows continued Tuesday when Wells Griffith, a White House adviser on energy, failed to appear.

Trump chief of staff summoned to testify in impeachment probe

Ethnically&nbsp;and&nbsp;racially&nbsp;driven&nbsp;terrorism&nbsp;rose&nbsp;alarmingly&nbsp;in&nbsp;2018&nbsp;both worldwide and in the United&nbsp;States, and groups&nbsp;have often mimicked the tactics of armed Islamist militants to radicalise and recruit people, the&nbsp;US&nbsp;State&nbsp;Department said on Friday.

"Similar to Islamist&nbsp;terrorism&nbsp;this breed of&nbsp;terrorism&nbsp;is inspired by hateful, supremacist and intolerant ideology," Nathan Sales, the&nbsp;State&nbsp;Department's counterterrorism&nbsp;coordinator, told a briefing, adding that the&nbsp;2018&nbsp;attack by a gunman who killed 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh was an example of the rising trend.

"Make no mistake we will confront all forms of&nbsp;terrorism&nbsp;no matter what ideology inspires it," Sales said.

He added that white supremacist and other&nbsp;racially&nbsp;motivated&nbsp;terror organisations were copying strategies from armed Islamist groups.

"They are in a sense learning from their jihadist predecessors in terms of their ability to raise money and move money, in terms of their ability to radicalise and recruit."

Mass shootings that killed dozens of people this year in the United&nbsp;States have fueled a long-running debate over gun control.

In August, a suspected white nationalist shot dead 22 people at a Walmart store in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/el-paso-shooting-shooter-says-he-was-targeting-mexicans-242003">El Paso</a>, Texas, shortly after posting an anti-Hispanic manifesto online.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said after the shooting that Americans “must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy” and blamed the internet and violent video games for fostering violence but some Democrats and El Paso residents said Trump's own rhetoric about an immigrant “<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-orders-immigration-sweep-targeting-2000-families-report-229375">invasion</a>” had contributed to racial division.

Asked if any neo-Nazi or white supremacist groups&nbsp;inside the United&nbsp;States had been identified as terrorist organisations, Sales said&nbsp;State&nbsp;Department deferred to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security when it comes to combating domestic&nbsp;terrorism&nbsp;threats.

But he added that the&nbsp;State&nbsp;Department was working with technology companies to develop positive narratives against hateful messages and international partners to mobilize action against these networks.

Ethnically and racially driven terrorism rose alarmingly in 2018 both worldwide and in the United States, and groups have often mimicked the tactics of armed Islamist militants to radicalise and recruit people, the US State Department said on Friday.

Ethnically and racially driven terrorism rose alarmingly in 2018 both worldwide and in the United States, and groups have often mimicked the tactics of armed Islamist militants to radicalise and recruit people, the US State Department said on Friday. "Similar to Islamist terrorism this breed of terrorism is inspired by hateful, supremacist and intolerant ideology," Nathan Sales, the State Department's counterterrorism coordinator, told a briefing, adding that the 2018 attack by a gunman who killed 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh was an example of the rising trend. "Make no mistake we will confront all forms of terrorism no matter what ideology inspires it," Sales said. He added that white supremacist and other racially motivated terror organisations were copying strategies from armed Islamist groups. "They are in a sense learning from their jihadist predecessors in terms of their ability to raise money and move money, in terms of their ability to radicalise and recruit." Mass shootings that killed dozens of people this year in the United States have fueled a long-running debate over gun control. In August, a suspected white nationalist shot dead 22 people at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, shortly after posting an anti-Hispanic manifesto online. US President Donald Trump said after the shooting that Americans “must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy” and blamed the internet and violent video games for fostering violence but some Democrats and El Paso residents said Trump's own rhetoric about an immigrant “invasion” had contributed to racial division. Asked if any neo-Nazi or white supremacist groups inside the United States had been identified as terrorist organisations, Sales said State Department deferred to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security when it comes to combating domestic terrorism threats. But he added that the State Department was working with technology companies to develop positive narratives against hateful messages and international partners to mobilize action against these networks.

Racially and ethnically motivated terrorism rose alarmingly in 2018: US State Department

Democrats in Congress, answering Republican complaints that their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-lawmakers-hear-from-corroborating-witness-in-trump-impeachment-probe-258323">impeachment investigation</a> of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is being conducted in secret, plan a vote on Thursday on how to make their inquiry public, a significant new stage in the probe.

Trump and his fellow Republicans have for weeks branded the work of committees probing Trump's overtures to Ukraine as illegitimate, arguing the full Democratic-led House of Representatives had failed to authorise their investigations in a public vote.

Meeting behind closed doors, the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees have been looking into the possibility that Trump violated federal law by seeking foreign help for his November 2020 re-election efforts.

House Rules Committee Chairman James McGovern said on Monday: "I will be introducing a resolution to ensure transparency and provide a clear path forward."

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said in a statement the legislation would establish a format for open hearings.The US&nbsp;Constitution gives the House broad authority to set ground rules for an impeachment inquiry and Democrats say they are following House rules on investigations.

Several administration officials, including a former deputy national security adviser on Monday, have failed to testify to House committees engaged in the probe.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to her fellow House Democrats the House will vote this week - on Thursday, according to a senior Democratic aide - on a resolution that spells out how future public hearings will be held.

Pelosi promised to provide legal protections for Trump.

A source familiar with the probe said the public hearings will be held by the Intelligence Committee and that the transcripts from closed depositions with witnesses will be made public. A senior House Democratic aide said the hearings could begin within the next month.

The measure will set the stage for House investigating committees to forward evidence they have collected to the House Judiciary Committee, which would then decide whether to advance articles of impeachment against Trump.

Even if the House impeaches Trump, he would face a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which for the moment seems unlikely to convict the president and force his ouster.

Impeachment requires a simple majority in the 435-member House but conviction demands the support of a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate.

Charles Kupperman, a former deputy to ousted national security adviser John Bolton, failed to appear earlier on Monday before the three House panels conducting the Ukraine phase of the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry, lawmakers said.

Other panels are probing separate issues, including Trump's finances and abuses of White House security clearances.

Kupperman put off testifying while asking a court to rule on whether he should comply with a congressional subpoena or honour the Trump administration's order not to testify, his lawyers said last week.

Democrats in turn said they would not let further legal manoeuvrings delay their work.

At least nine others have testified despite being instructed by the White House not to do so, Schiff said.

Kupperman was expected to provide testimony about Trump's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-lawmakers-hear-from-corroborating-witness-in-trump-impeachment-probe-258323">dealings with Ukraine</a> brought to Congress' attention by a report from a whistleblower about a July 25 telephone call between the US&nbsp;president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Trump's request to Zelenskiy that he investigate former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, a leading candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, is the focus of the inquiry being conducted by the three panels.

Trump made his request after withholding $391 million in security aid approved by the US&nbsp;Congress to help fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

A separate White House official, Alexander Vindman, a lieutenant colonel who sits on the National Security Council and who listened in on the call, is expected to tell lawmakers in a closed-door hearing on Tuesday that the conversation alarmed him so much that he raised concerns with an NSC lawyer.

But Trump again dismissed the inquiry in comments to reporters.

"I had a great conversation with the Ukrainian president. I had another with him also, I think before that, which was the same thing, it was nothing. They tried to take that conversation and make it into a big scandal," Trump said on Monday.

Schiff noted that a federal judge had validated the legality of the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry in a decision about releasing information regarding a separate investigation, into Russian election interference in 2016, to Congress and that all witnesses need to come forward when called.

The Trump administration appealed that ruling on Monday.

Democrats in Congress, answering Republican complaints that their impeachment investigation of US President Donald Trump is being conducted in secret, plan a vote on Thursday on how to make their inquiry public, a significant new stage in the probe.

Democrats in Congress, answering Republican complaints that their impeachment investigation of US President Donald Trump is being conducted in secret, plan a vote on Thursday on how to make their inquiry public, a significant new stage in the probe. Trump and his fellow Republicans have for weeks branded the work of committees probing Trump's overtures to Ukraine as illegitimate, arguing the full Democratic-led House of Representatives had failed to authorise their investigations in a public vote. Meeting behind closed doors, the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees have been looking into the possibility that Trump violated federal law by seeking foreign help for his November 2020 re-election efforts. House Rules Committee Chairman James McGovern said on Monday: "I will be introducing a resolution to ensure transparency and provide a clear path forward." House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said in a statement the legislation would establish a format for open hearings.The US Constitution gives the House broad authority to set ground rules for an impeachment inquiry and Democrats say they are following House rules on investigations. Several administration officials, including a former deputy national security adviser on Monday, have failed to testify to House committees engaged in the probe. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to her fellow House Democrats the House will vote this week - on Thursday, according to a senior Democratic aide - on a resolution that spells out how future public hearings will be held. Pelosi promised to provide legal protections for Trump. A source familiar with the probe said the public hearings will be held by the Intelligence Committee and that the transcripts from closed depositions with witnesses will be made public. A senior House Democratic aide said the hearings could begin within the next month. The measure will set the stage for House investigating committees to forward evidence they have collected to the House Judiciary Committee, which would then decide whether to advance articles of impeachment against Trump. Even if the House impeaches Trump, he would face a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which for the moment seems unlikely to convict the president and force his ouster. Impeachment requires a simple majority in the 435-member House but conviction demands the support of a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate. Charles Kupperman, a former deputy to ousted national security adviser John Bolton, failed to appear earlier on Monday before the three House panels conducting the Ukraine phase of the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry, lawmakers said. Other panels are probing separate issues, including Trump's finances and abuses of White House security clearances. Kupperman put off testifying while asking a court to rule on whether he should comply with a congressional subpoena or honour the Trump administration's order not to testify, his lawyers said last week. Democrats in turn said they would not let further legal manoeuvrings delay their work. At least nine others have testified despite being instructed by the White House not to do so, Schiff said. Kupperman was expected to provide testimony about Trump's dealings with Ukraine brought to Congress' attention by a report from a whistleblower about a July 25 telephone call between the US president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump's request to Zelenskiy that he investigate former US Vice President Joe Biden, a leading candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, is the focus of the inquiry being conducted by the three panels. Trump made his request after withholding $391 million in security aid approved by the US Congress to help fight Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. A separate White House official, Alexander Vindman, a lieutenant colonel who sits on the National Security Council and who listened in on the call, is expected to tell lawmakers in a closed-door hearing on Tuesday that the conversation alarmed him so much that he raised concerns with an NSC lawyer. But Trump again dismissed the inquiry in comments to reporters. "I had a great conversation with the Ukrainian president. I had another with him also, I think before that, which was the same thing, it was nothing. They tried to take that conversation and make it into a big scandal," Trump said on Monday. Schiff noted that a federal judge had validated the legality of the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry in a decision about releasing information regarding a separate investigation, into Russian election interference in 2016, to Congress and that all witnesses need to come forward when called. The Trump administration appealed that ruling on Monday.

Democrats set to vote on on how to make Trump impeachment probe public

United States&nbsp;congressional Democrats, faced with stepped-up efforts by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-validates-impeachment-enquiry-against-donald-trump-orders-mueller-document-release-258208">President Donald Trump's</a> Republican allies to disrupt their impeachment enquiry, are now considering calling only career government employees to testify at public hearings expected to start next month, according to congressional sources.

Democrats on the three House of Representatives committees handling the initial inquiries plan to conduct at least two more weeks of closed-door depositions with witnesses knowledgeable about dealings that Trump, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other officials have had with Ukrainian authorities including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Top Trump advisers such as Giuliani, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Energy Secretary Rick Perry have defied House subpoenas for documents.

But other witnesses have appeared for committee depositions despite instructions from the Trump administration to boycott such proceedings, and in some cases have provided what Democrats describe as damning evidence about Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine to serve his own political interests.

The Democratic-led inquiry is focussed on Trump's request in a July 25 telephone call to Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, Joe Biden, the former vice president who is a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. US&nbsp;law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election.

Televised proceedings could help Democrats stoke public support for a House vote to impeach Trump later this year, while increasing pressure on Republican lawmakers to break with Trump and support an impeachment resolution.

But after a group of Republican lawmakers threw the enquiry into chaos this week by barging into a high-security hearing room and forcing a delay in testimony from a Pentagon official, Democrats have grown more concerned about the potential for disruptions, said the sources, who were not authorized to speak on the record.

Republicans have denounced the inquiry as illegitimate and called on Democrats to hold a full House vote authorizing the investigation and to give Trump and Republican lawmakers the ability to cross-examine witnesses and subpoena their own. 
 
Early-stage

While the planning of public proceedings remains at an early stage, the sources said Democrats are inclined to avoid open testimony by Giuliani, Mulvaney, Pompeo and others.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-to-unveil-measure-knocking-trump-impeachment-effort-258014">Trump's former national security adviser</a> John Bolton could prove to be the exception, given closed-door testimony that he was alarmed by efforts to pressure Ukraine. But sources said it is not clear whether Bolton would be willing to speak publicly about what occurred.

Democrats are instead considering a limited number of public hearings that would feature testimony only by nonpolitical career diplomats such as acting US&nbsp;Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor and former US&nbsp;Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, according to the sources.

In closed-door testimony on Tuesday, Taylor told the three investigating House committees that Trump made the release of $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine contingent on Kiev publicly declaring that it would carry out investigations into Biden and a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 US&nbsp;election.

Yovanovitch testified earlier that Trump ousted her from her post in Ukraine based on "unfounded and false claims" after she came under attack from Giuliani.

United States congressional Democrats, faced with stepped-up efforts by President Donald Trump's Republican allies to disrupt their impeachment enquiry, are now considering calling only career government employees to testify at public hearings expected to start next month, according to congressional sources.

United States congressional Democrats, faced with stepped-up efforts by President Donald Trump's Republican allies to disrupt their impeachment enquiry, are now considering calling only career government employees to testify at public hearings expected to start next month, according to congressional sources. Democrats on the three House of Representatives committees handling the initial inquiries plan to conduct at least two more weeks of closed-door depositions with witnesses knowledgeable about dealings that Trump, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other officials have had with Ukrainian authorities including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Top Trump advisers such as Giuliani, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Energy Secretary Rick Perry have defied House subpoenas for documents. But other witnesses have appeared for committee depositions despite instructions from the Trump administration to boycott such proceedings, and in some cases have provided what Democrats describe as damning evidence about Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine to serve his own political interests. The Democratic-led inquiry is focussed on Trump's request in a July 25 telephone call to Zelenskiy to investigate a domestic political rival, Joe Biden, the former vice president who is a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. US law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election. Televised proceedings could help Democrats stoke public support for a House vote to impeach Trump later this year, while increasing pressure on Republican lawmakers to break with Trump and support an impeachment resolution. But after a group of Republican lawmakers threw the enquiry into chaos this week by barging into a high-security hearing room and forcing a delay in testimony from a Pentagon official, Democrats have grown more concerned about the potential for disruptions, said the sources, who were not authorized to speak on the record. Republicans have denounced the inquiry as illegitimate and called on Democrats to hold a full House vote authorizing the investigation and to give Trump and Republican lawmakers the ability to cross-examine witnesses and subpoena their own. Early-stage While the planning of public proceedings remains at an early stage, the sources said Democrats are inclined to avoid open testimony by Giuliani, Mulvaney, Pompeo and others. Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton could prove to be the exception, given closed-door testimony that he was alarmed by efforts to pressure Ukraine. But sources said it is not clear whether Bolton would be willing to speak publicly about what occurred. Democrats are instead considering a limited number of public hearings that would feature testimony only by nonpolitical career diplomats such as acting US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor and former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, according to the sources. In closed-door testimony on Tuesday, Taylor told the three investigating House committees that Trump made the release of $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine contingent on Kiev publicly declaring that it would carry out investigations into Biden and a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 US election. Yovanovitch testified earlier that Trump ousted her from her post in Ukraine based on "unfounded and false claims" after she came under attack from Giuliani.

United States Democrats to limit witnesses in public impeachment hearings: Report

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