<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-democrats-set-the-stage-for-trump-impeachment-with-key-hearing-265798">Congressional Democrats</a> on Monday&nbsp;named&nbsp;the four&nbsp;witnesses&nbsp;who will testify this week at a public&nbsp;hearing&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-democrats-set-the-stage-for-trump-impeachment-with-key-hearing-265798">impeachment&nbsp;inquiry</a> of&nbsp;US&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;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&nbsp;Trump, the Judiciary Committee&nbsp;hearing&nbsp;on Wednesday in the Democratic-controlled&nbsp;House&nbsp;of Representatives will feature four legal scholars discussing the constitutional grounds for removing a&nbsp;US&nbsp;president from office.

The Judiciary panel is also expected to receive a report this week from the&nbsp;House&nbsp;Intelligence Committee laying out the Democratic case for&nbsp;Trump's&nbsp;impeachment.

A copy of the report was made available privately to&nbsp;House&nbsp;Intelligence members on Monday night for a 24-hour review period, and the Democratic-controlled panel is expected to vote on approval on Tuesday night.

Republican Representative Jim Jordan, an ardent defender of&nbsp;Trump, told reporters he had read portions of the report in a secure room at the Capitol but was instructed not to discuss&nbsp;the contents until Tuesday night.

House&nbsp;Republicans issued their own rebuttal report on Monday, saying Democrats had not established an impeachable offence by&nbsp;Trump.

Democrats have been looking into the Republican president's efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden, the former&nbsp;US&nbsp;vice president who is seeking the Democratic nomination to face&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;in the 2020 election, and his son Hunter Biden, who was a board member of a Ukrainian energy company.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-congressional-panel-to-begin-drawing-up-charges-against-us-president-265633">The&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry</a> has heard testimony from current and former officials that military aid was withheld from Ukraine and that a White&nbsp;House&nbsp;meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was conditioned on investigations into the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory about Ukraine interference in the 2016&nbsp;US&nbsp;election.

Trump&nbsp;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&nbsp;hearing, while academic in nature, will set the stage for the Judiciary Committee to begin determining whether&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;should face formal articles of&nbsp;impeachment.&nbsp;House&nbsp;Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to supporters last week that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;had committed "bribery" and needed to be held accountable.

The&nbsp;hearing&nbsp;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.

In a defiant response on Sunday night, the White&nbsp;House&nbsp;informed Democrats that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and his lawyers would not participate in Wednesday's&nbsp;hearing, citing a lack of "fundamental fairness."

Speaking to reporters as he departed the White&nbsp;House&nbsp;on Monday en route to London for a NATO summit,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said he had declined to participate in the&nbsp;hearing&nbsp;because it was a hoax.

Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the&nbsp;House&nbsp;Judiciary Committee, called the White&nbsp;House's decision "unfortunate" and said that allowing&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;to participate had been a priority from the outset of the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;probe.

Watch: Donald Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-impeachment-hearings-set-for-dec-4-265791/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Friday deadline

White&nbsp;House&nbsp;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&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;until next week, has given the president until 5 pm&nbsp;(2200 GMT) on Friday to say whether he plans to mount a defence by calling&nbsp;witnesses&nbsp;and introducing evidence.

The 110-page&nbsp;House&nbsp;Republican report&nbsp;said the&nbsp;witnesses&nbsp;called during the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry had painted a picture of "unelected bureaucrats" who "fundamentally disagreed with President&nbsp;Trump's style, world view and decisions," and had presented no evidence that amounted to an impeachable offence.

House&nbsp;Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam 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&nbsp;House&nbsp;approves <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-says-it-will-refuse-to-take-part-in-impeachment-hearing-265629">articles of&nbsp;impeachment</a>, the Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial to see if&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;should be removed from office. That move is unlikely, as few Senate Republicans have shown an appetite for removing the president.

But the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry has cast a shadow over&nbsp;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&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;would follow quickly on the heels of an evidentiary&nbsp;hearing.

Congressional Democrats on Monday named the four witnesses who will testify this week at a public hearing in the impeachment inquiry of US President Donald Trump, in what is seen as a likely precursor to the announcement of formal charges within weeks.

Congressional Democrats on Monday named the four witnesses who will testify this week at a public hearing in the impeachment inquiry of US President Donald 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 Judiciary panel is also expected to receive a report this week from the House Intelligence Committee laying out the Democratic case for Trump's impeachment. A copy of the report was made available privately to House Intelligence members on Monday night for a 24-hour review period, and the Democratic-controlled panel is expected to vote on approval on Tuesday night. 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 offence 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. 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. 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. Watch: Donald Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4 Friday deadline 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 pm (2200 GMT) on Friday to say whether he plans to mount a defence 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 offence. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam 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.

Witnesses named for Trump impeachment hearing in United States House

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U.S. President Donald Trump Signs Bills Backing The Protesters Of Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said on Thursday (November 28) that a U.S. law backing the protests in the Chinese-controlled city was a sign for other countries to "stand with Hong Kong".

Fineprint: US required to seek yearly report on Hong Kong

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;on December&nbsp;4&nbsp;in the&nbsp;next&nbsp;phase&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-must-comply-with-impeachment-subpoenas-court-264495">impeachment&nbsp;inquiry</a> into Donald&nbsp;Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend.

Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives spent the last two weeks publicly questioning witnesses including White House officials and diplomats over allegations&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;abused the power of his office when he pressured Ukraine to launch investigations that would help him politically.

With that stage complete, chairman Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with considering whether to draft articles of&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;against the president, said the first public hearing before his panel would begin at 10.00 am.

"The committee looks forward to your participation in the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry as the committee fulfils its constitutional duties," Nadler said in a letter to&nbsp;Trump.

The&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;will address "the historical and constitutional basis of&nbsp;impeachment," and "whether your alleged actions warrant the House's exercising its authority to adopt articles of&nbsp;impeachment," he added.

Under procedural rules passed by the House last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrat-says-more-testimony-hearings-possible-in-trump-impeachment-264258">Trump&nbsp;is invited to attend the judiciary committee&nbsp;hearings</a>, and "the president's counsel may question any witness called."

Nadler in his letter reminded&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;that if he continued to refuse to allow administration personnel to testify or turn over documents sought by the inquiry, the chair may "impose appropriate remedies," including denying presidential requests to question witnesses.

Watch: Hill and Holmes sworn-in for impeachment hearing testimony

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hill-and-holmes-sworn-in-for-impeachment-hearing-testimony-263760/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Democrats leading the probe said ahead of Tuesday's announcement that they could present their report detailing presidential wrongdoing as early as&nbsp;next&nbsp;week when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving break.&nbsp;

House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff presided over two weeks of dramatic public&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;that he said uncovered a "massive amount of evidence" despite efforts to obstruct the investigation by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and his administration.

Schiff said the evidence "conclusively shows" that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;conditioned a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president and critical US military assistance on Kiev announcing investigations that would help&nbsp;Trump's 2020 reelection campaign.

Those include a probe of a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, the son of&nbsp;Trump's potential election rival Joe Biden, sat on the board.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-democrat-says-next-step-underway-in-trump-impeachment-probe-264274">Trump&nbsp;in recent months</a> has repeatedly described the Bidens as "corrupt" despite no evidence of the family committing any wrongdoing related to Ukraine.

The remaining transcripts from closed-door&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;interviews were released on Tuesday -- including testimony from Mark Sandy, a career official in the White House's budget office, who said an attorney at the office had resigned in part due to concerns over the hold on military aid to Ukraine.

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin hearings on December 4 in the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend.

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin hearings on December 4 in the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend. Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives spent the last two weeks publicly questioning witnesses including White House officials and diplomats over allegations Trump abused the power of his office when he pressured Ukraine to launch investigations that would help him politically. With that stage complete, chairman Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with considering whether to draft articles of impeachment against the president, said the first public hearing before his panel would begin at 10.00 am. "The committee looks forward to your participation in the impeachment inquiry as the committee fulfils its constitutional duties," Nadler said in a letter to Trump. The hearings will address "the historical and constitutional basis of impeachment," and "whether your alleged actions warrant the House's exercising its authority to adopt articles of impeachment," he added. Under procedural rules passed by the House last month, Trump is invited to attend the judiciary committee hearings, and "the president's counsel may question any witness called." Nadler in his letter reminded Trump that if he continued to refuse to allow administration personnel to testify or turn over documents sought by the inquiry, the chair may "impose appropriate remedies," including denying presidential requests to question witnesses. Watch: Hill and Holmes sworn-in for impeachment hearing testimony Democrats leading the probe said ahead of Tuesday's announcement that they could present their report detailing presidential wrongdoing as early as next week when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving break. House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff presided over two weeks of dramatic public hearings that he said uncovered a "massive amount of evidence" despite efforts to obstruct the investigation by Trump and his administration. Schiff said the evidence "conclusively shows" that Trump conditioned a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president and critical US military assistance on Kiev announcing investigations that would help Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. Those include a probe of a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, the son of Trump's potential election rival Joe Biden, sat on the board. Trump in recent months has repeatedly described the Bidens as "corrupt" despite no evidence of the family committing any wrongdoing related to Ukraine. The remaining transcripts from closed-door impeachment interviews were released on Tuesday -- including testimony from Mark Sandy, a career official in the White House's budget office, who said an attorney at the office had resigned in part due to concerns over the hold on military aid to Ukraine.

Next phase of Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-democrat-says-next-step-underway-in-trump-impeachment-probe-264274">impeachment investigation</a> against him.

In a case involving former White House counsel Don McGahn, who was subpoenaed in May by the House Judiciary Committee, Judge Ketanji Jackson ruled that senior administration officials cannot claim absolute immunity from testifying based on their closeness to the US leader.

While Jackson ruled specifically on McGahn's case, she said it had broad application to all current and former presidential aides.

"Presidents are not kings," Jackson wrote in her decision.&nbsp;

"No one, not even the head of the Executive branch, is above the law."

Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/will-us-president-donald-trump-be-fired-263694/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

She said Congress has the power to subpoena any of the president's advisors, whether they are involved in domestic policies or sensitive national security issues.

"It goes without saying that the law applies to former White House Counsel Don McGahn, just as it does to other current and former senior-level White House officials," she wrote.

That ruling could open a path for the House Intelligence Committee,&nbsp;which is building a case for impeachment charges against Trump based on his pressuring Ukraine for domestic political help,&nbsp;to force testimony from three top witnesses: former national security advisor John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

All are believed to have direct knowledge of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrat-says-more-testimony-hearings-possible-in-trump-impeachment-264258">Trump's alleged demand</a> that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky open investigations into his Democratic rivals in exchange for a high profile summit and much-needed military aid.

The ruling could also give fresh life to the stalled impeachment case in the Judiciary Committee, which has tried to develop charges against Trump for obstructing the Russian collusion investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Mueller's final report in April outlined 10 acts of alleged obstruction by the president.

"Don McGahn is a central witness to allegations that President Trump obstructed Special Counsel Mueller's investigation," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement.

"The administration's claim that officials can claim 'absolute immunity' from Congressional subpoenas has no basis in law, as the court recognized today."

But <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-accuses-impeachment-witness-of-lying-defends-use-of-giuliani-264142">testimony won't happen right away</a>, as the Justice Department plans to appeal Jackson's decision, said department spokesperson Kerri Kupec.

That could take the case to the Supreme Court, and in the meantime, the department could seek a court stay to prevent McGahn or others from speaking before the two committees.

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the impeachment investigation against him.

A Washington appeals court judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's top aides must comply with subpoenas issued by the impeachment investigation against him. In a case involving former White House counsel Don McGahn, who was subpoenaed in May by the House Judiciary Committee, Judge Ketanji Jackson ruled that senior administration officials cannot claim absolute immunity from testifying based on their closeness to the US leader. While Jackson ruled specifically on McGahn's case, she said it had broad application to all current and former presidential aides. "Presidents are not kings," Jackson wrote in her decision. "No one, not even the head of the Executive branch, is above the law." Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached? She said Congress has the power to subpoena any of the president's advisors, whether they are involved in domestic policies or sensitive national security issues. "It goes without saying that the law applies to former White House Counsel Don McGahn, just as it does to other current and former senior-level White House officials," she wrote. That ruling could open a path for the House Intelligence Committee, which is building a case for impeachment charges against Trump based on his pressuring Ukraine for domestic political help, to force testimony from three top witnesses: former national security advisor John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. All are believed to have direct knowledge of Trump's alleged demand that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky open investigations into his Democratic rivals in exchange for a high profile summit and much-needed military aid. The ruling could also give fresh life to the stalled impeachment case in the Judiciary Committee, which has tried to develop charges against Trump for obstructing the Russian collusion investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller's final report in April outlined 10 acts of alleged obstruction by the president. "Don McGahn is a central witness to allegations that President Trump obstructed Special Counsel Mueller's investigation," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement. "The administration's claim that officials can claim 'absolute immunity' from Congressional subpoenas has no basis in law, as the court recognized today." But testimony won't happen right away, as the Justice Department plans to appeal Jackson's decision, said department spokesperson Kerri Kupec. That could take the case to the Supreme Court, and in the meantime, the department could seek a court stay to prevent McGahn or others from speaking before the two committees.

White House must comply with impeachment subpoenas: Court

An irate Donald Trump said Friday he welcomes the prospect of an impeachment trial, as the US leader lashed out at "crazy" and "corrupt" opponents probing potential abuse of presidential power.

An irate Donald Trump said Friday he welcomes the prospect of an impeachment trial, as the US leader lashed out at "crazy" and "corrupt" opponents probing potential abuse of presidential power. After a week of dramatic impeachment testimony from current and former administration officials, an embattled Trump took to a favorite broadcaster to air a long, occasionally incoherent list of grievances -- against the FBI, his political adversaries, impeachment inquiry leaders, the "deep state," and more. "These people are sick," Trump raged down the telephone line to Fox at the start of a 53-minute tirade that showed how angered and unsettled he has been by an impeachment inquiry that threatens his presidency. Multiple witnesses, in often damning testimony under oath, buttressed charges the president conditioned much-needed military aid and a coveted White House meeting on Ukraine investigating his political rivals. But with many Republicans seemingly unmoved, Trump bashed the testimony as "total nonsense" and said he relished the chance to defend himself. "Frankly, I want a trial," Trump told morning show Fox and Friends. The House Intelligence Committee has not formally concluded its role in the inquiry, possibly waiting for a court ruling on Monday that could empower members to force senior Trump aides to testify. But Democrats appear determined to hold an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives by the end of the year, which could see Trump go on trial in the Senate in January. Removing him from office would require conviction by a two-thirds majority in the Republican-controlled upper chamber. 'Crazy as a bedbug' The increasing prospect of becoming only the third US president formally impeached, after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, has riled the brash New York billionaire, and he fired off multiple attacks against rivals leading the effort. His main Democratic nemesis in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is "crazy as a bedbug" for pressing a "scam" impeachment, he fumed. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who has presided over the public phase of the inquiry? A "nutjob" and a "sick puppy" who should be sued for having "lied" about the president's "flawless" Ukraine call, Trump added. Trump was quick to say he "hardly" knows several of the witnesses, including his own ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who said Trump sought a quid pro quo from Ukraine. But he rushed to the defense of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has emerged in many accounts as having orchestrated the shadow policy to pressure Ukraine. "Rudy is a great crime fighter," Trump said, giving an unqualified endorsement to one of the most controversial figures in the Ukraine saga. "He is a friend of mine. He is a great person, an iconic figure in this country," he said of the former New York major. Trump also repeated the conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election -- just a day after a former National Security Council expert, Fiona Hill, denounced that in testimony as a "fictional narrative" advanced by Russia to harm the United States. "They have the server from the DNC -- Democratic National Committee," Trump said of Ukraine, claiming that Democrats gave the computer to "a company owned by a very wealthy Ukrainian." The claim appeared to alarm Fox hosts, including Steve Doocy. "Are you sure they gave it to Ukraine?" a skeptical Doocy asked Trump. "That's what the word is, and that's what I asked actually in my phone call," Trump responded, referring to his July 25 conversation with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. Trump mentioned his political rival Joe Biden to Zelensky and pressed the new president to investigate a Ukrainian firm where Biden's son worked while his father was vice president. Democrats argue that Trump's demand that a foreign leader investigate his potential adversary in the 2020 presidential election is impeachable conduct. Trump has said he was merely pressing Ukraine to ramp up its anti-corruption efforts. But he also claims the Bidens were involved in corruption. There is no evidence to back up the assertion, but Trump nonetheless repeated it on Fox, saying "you have to say Joe Biden is corrupt." Biden, who leads the Democratic 2020 nomination race, has said Trump has smeared him with corruption allegations because he fears a Biden candidacy. Polls show American voters believe Biden would have the best shot at defeating Trump. But Trump seized on polling released this week that shows him winning in hypothetical matchups against Biden and other Democrats in battleground Wisconsin, a state Trump flipped in 2016 but which Democrats aim to retake. "I'm going through the roof," Trump boasted.

Frustrated Trump lashes out at impeachment probe

The Indian Link To Trump's Impeachment Proceedings.

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According to the head of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-inquiry-us-president-says-does-not-know-sondland-very-well-263475">congressional impeachment probe</a>, the behaviour exhibited by Donald Trump in respect to Ukraine was far worse than what led to Richard Nixon's downfall.

Lawmakers are investigating whether Trump misused his office by bullying Ukraine into helping&nbsp;with his reelection aspirations. The testimonies, as part of the hearing, have become more explosive in the last three days.&nbsp;

The Democrats based their accusation on a phone call from Trump to Zelensky on July 25, and help from accomplices, especially senior leaders within the administration.

"People look to us from all over the world," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said. "People in Ukraine who want a better future, they look to us''.

"They still look to us and increasingly they don't recognise what they see... That is a terrible tragedy for us but it is a greater tragedy for the rest of the world," the Schiff added.

Allegedly, Trump stalled $400 million worth of military aid to Ukraine in order to coerce Ukrainian president&nbsp;Volodymyr Zelensky into helping. Kiev's stressful relationships with Russia were a contributing factor.&nbsp;

Trump also pushed Zelensky to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ordered-ukraine-deal-to-probe-biden-us-diplomat-sondland-263493">investigate Democrat Joe Biden</a> and his son, Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

"In my view, there is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who believes they are above the law," Schiff said.

Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/will-us-president-donald-trump-be-fired-263694/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to Democrats, the plan would have materialised seamlessly if it weren't for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-never-discussed-ukraine-aid-freeze-with-me-us-diplomat-gordon-sondland-263472">whistleblower</a> whose complaint about the July call reached Congress on September 9, ensuring the aid was handed over two days later.

"What we've seen here is far more serious than a third-rate burglary of the Democratic headquarters," said&nbsp;Schiff, referring to the infamous 1972 Watergate break-in that Nixon ordered, eventually leading to his resignation.

"What we're talking about here is the withholding of recognition in that White House meeting (and) the withholding of military aid to an ally at war. This is beyond anything Nixon did."

Nixon resigned in 1974, two years after the burglary of Democratic offices in the Watergate complex in Washington.

(With inputs from AFP)

According to the head of the congressional impeachment probe, the behaviour exhibited by Donald Trump in respect to Ukraine was far worse than what led to Richard Nixon's downfall.

According to the head of the congressional impeachment probe, the behaviour exhibited by Donald Trump in respect to Ukraine was far worse than what led to Richard Nixon's downfall. Lawmakers are investigating whether Trump misused his office by bullying Ukraine into helping with his reelection aspirations. The testimonies, as part of the hearing, have become more explosive in the last three days. The Democrats based their accusation on a phone call from Trump to Zelensky on July 25, and help from accomplices, especially senior leaders within the administration. "People look to us from all over the world," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said. "People in Ukraine who want a better future, they look to us''. "They still look to us and increasingly they don't recognise what they see... That is a terrible tragedy for us but it is a greater tragedy for the rest of the world," the Schiff added. Allegedly, Trump stalled $400 million worth of military aid to Ukraine in order to coerce Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky into helping. Kiev's stressful relationships with Russia were a contributing factor. Trump also pushed Zelensky to investigate Democrat Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. "In my view, there is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who believes they are above the law," Schiff said. Watch: Will US President Donald Trump be impeached? According to Democrats, the plan would have materialised seamlessly if it weren't for a whistleblower whose complaint about the July call reached Congress on September 9, ensuring the aid was handed over two days later. "What we've seen here is far more serious than a third-rate burglary of the Democratic headquarters," said Schiff, referring to the infamous 1972 Watergate break-in that Nixon ordered, eventually leading to his resignation. "What we're talking about here is the withholding of recognition in that White House meeting (and) the withholding of military aid to an ally at war. This is beyond anything Nixon did." Nixon resigned in 1974, two years after the burglary of Democratic offices in the Watergate complex in Washington. (With inputs from AFP)

Trump's behaviour worse than Nixon: Head of impeachment probe

Hill and Holmes sworn in for impeachment hearing testimony. Watch video to know more.

Hill and Holmes sworn in for impeachment hearing testimony

Trump Reads Out His Sharpie Scrawls As Impeachment Proceedings Intensify.

Trump: All the President's men ( & his sharpie notes!) | Gravitas

The US&nbsp;military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-ordered-ukraine-deal-to-probe-biden-us-diplomat-sondland-263493">President Donald Trump</a>, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said.

A trident review board hearing is set for December&nbsp;2 to weigh whether Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was charged with committing war crimes during a 2017 deployment to Iraq, is fit to remain in the SEALs, Navy Captain Tamara Lawrence said.

She told Reuters that three of Gallagher's commanding officers face separate hearings to review whether they, too, should be removed from the SEALs.

Gallagher's civilian lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, confirmed his client was served with papers in San Diego, where he is based, informing him of the upcoming review, convened by Naval Special Warfare commander Rear Admiral Collin Green.

Parlatore said Green's move to strip Gallagher of his SEAL status marked a direct challenge to Trump's authority as commander-in-chief and an act of insubordination for which Parlatore said the admiral himself could be court-martialed.

Parlatore contested the move in a complaint filed on Tuesday with the US&nbsp;Defense Department inspector general's office.

Gallagher's notice of a trident review board hearing cited the verdict rendered in his court-martial trial in July as evidence calling into question his suitability to continue serving in naval special warfare, the Navy said.

A military jury acquitted him of charges he fired at unarmed civilians and murdered a captured Islamic State fighter by stabbing the wounded prisoner in the neck. But he was found guilty of illegally posing with the detainee's corpse.

Although spared prison time, he was sentenced to a demotion in rank and pay, from chief petty officer to petty officer first-class, along with a two-month forfeiture of his salary.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/donald-trump-says-us-is-still-talking-to-china-on-trade-263477">Trump last Friday intervened in the case</a> to restore his rank and pay, allowing Gallagher to retire later this year on a full pension. The president also granted pardons to two Army officers separately accused of war crimes in Afghanistan.

Critics said Trump's moves undermined military justice and sent a message that US&nbsp;battlefield atrocities would be tolerated.

The US military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by President Donald Trump, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said.

The US military formally notified a court-martialed Navy SEAL commando on Wednesday that he faces proceedings to expel him from the ranks of elite special forces after his demotion was reversed by President Donald Trump, his lawyer and a Navy spokeswoman said. A trident review board hearing is set for December 2 to weigh whether Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who was charged with committing war crimes during a 2017 deployment to Iraq, is fit to remain in the SEALs, Navy Captain Tamara Lawrence said. She told Reuters that three of Gallagher's commanding officers face separate hearings to review whether they, too, should be removed from the SEALs. Gallagher's civilian lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, confirmed his client was served with papers in San Diego, where he is based, informing him of the upcoming review, convened by Naval Special Warfare commander Rear Admiral Collin Green. Parlatore said Green's move to strip Gallagher of his SEAL status marked a direct challenge to Trump's authority as commander-in-chief and an act of insubordination for which Parlatore said the admiral himself could be court-martialed. Parlatore contested the move in a complaint filed on Tuesday with the US Defense Department inspector general's office. Gallagher's notice of a trident review board hearing cited the verdict rendered in his court-martial trial in July as evidence calling into question his suitability to continue serving in naval special warfare, the Navy said. A military jury acquitted him of charges he fired at unarmed civilians and murdered a captured Islamic State fighter by stabbing the wounded prisoner in the neck. But he was found guilty of illegally posing with the detainee's corpse. Although spared prison time, he was sentenced to a demotion in rank and pay, from chief petty officer to petty officer first-class, along with a two-month forfeiture of his salary. Trump last Friday intervened in the case to restore his rank and pay, allowing Gallagher to retire later this year on a full pension. The president also granted pardons to two Army officers separately accused of war crimes in Afghanistan. Critics said Trump's moves undermined military justice and sent a message that US battlefield atrocities would be tolerated.

US Navy moves to expel court-martialed SEAL commando after Trump restored his rank

A senior US diplomat directly implicated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-praises-apple-chief-tim-cook-for-great-job-in-austin-after-tirade-against-technology-firms-263491">President Donald Trump</a> Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing.

Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, told lawmakers he followed the president's orders in seeking a "quid pro quo" deal for Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden in exchange for a White House summit.

Sondland said Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani led the effort at Trump's direction to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for the investigation and that top official in the White House and State Department knew about it.

The unexpectedly damning testimony drew a sharp backlash from Trump who tweeted: "This Witch Hunt must end NOW. So bad for our Country!".

Trump said he barely knew Sondland and had not spoken to him much, despite the senior diplomat having donated $1 million to his inauguration and testifying that he had spoken to the president some 20 times while ambassador.

Bombshell testimony

Democrats said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-inquiry-us-president-says-does-not-know-sondland-very-well-263475">Sondland's seven hours of testimony</a> before the House Intelligence Committee had bolstered their case for Trump's impeachment for what they have labelled "extortion".

"Today's testimony is among the most significant evidence to date," said committee chairman Adam Schiff.

"It goes right to the heart of the issue of bribery as well as other potential high crimes or misdemeanours."

A succession of Democrats hoping to win the nomination to take on Trump in next year's election also said the testimony had strengthened the case for impeachment as the issue dominated the opening exchanges in their latest televised primary debate.

Sondland said Trump directed him and two other senior diplomats to work with Giuliani.

From early in the year, Giuliani mounted a pressure campaign on Zelensky's government to investigate Biden over his son Hunter's ties to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and to probe a conspiracy theory espoused by Trump that Ukraine helped Democrats against him in 2016. Biden is one of the favourites to challenge Trump in next year's presidential election.

"Mr&nbsp;Giuliani demanded that Ukraine&nbsp;make a public statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma," Sondland told the panel.

"Mr Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky."

Far from being a "rogue" operation outside normal US diplomatic channels, Sondland told the hearing top officials,&nbsp;including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,&nbsp;were kept constantly informed.

"We followed the president's orders," he said.&nbsp;

Watch: Sondland admits quid pro quo at hearing

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-impeachment-saga-sondland-admits-quid-pro-quo-at-hearing-263485/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

'Can't remember'

Like Trump, a multimillionaire developer with a chain of high-end hotels, Sondland, who wore a $55,000 Breguet white gold watch to the hearing, fended off pressure from both Democrats and Republicans.&nbsp;

He had not implicated the president in earlier private testimony when he answered scores of questions by saying he could "not remember".

But subsequent testimony by other witnesses which had further implicated him in the Ukraine pressure scheme had jolted his memory, he said on Wednesday.

While he confirmed the linkage between the investigations and a White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump, he would not attest to allegations that Trump froze $391 million in aid as well to Ukraine to add pressure on Ukraine.&nbsp;

"I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement" of the investigations, he said, contradicting testimony from two other diplomats.

Ukraine knew of aid freeze in July

In separate testimony, a Pentagon official appeared to undermine a key <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-never-discussed-ukraine-aid-freeze-with-me-us-diplomat-gordon-sondland-263472">Republican defence in the impeachment battle</a>, that Kiev did not even know until late August or even September about the July 18 aid freeze, rendering moot Democrats' allegations that Trump had extorted Ukraine.

Laura Cooper, the Pentagon official in charge of Ukraine affairs, said Kiev voiced concern over a holdup in aid on July 25.

That was the same day that Trump told Zelensky in a phone call that he wanted a favour, asking for investigations into Biden specifically and the 2016 conspiracy theory.

"The Ukrainian embassy staff asked, 'What is going on with Ukrainian security assistance?" she told the committee.

At the White House, Trump denied making the demand of Zelensky, citing Sondland's own recall of their September 9 phone call on the Ukraine issue.&nbsp;

Reading from large-print notes, he said that he told Sonderland: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing."

"If this were a prizefight, they'd stop it!" he said of the inquiry.

Speaking at the Democrats' debate, Biden dodged a question on the role of his son but said the testimony had shown that "Donald Trump doesn't want me to be the nominee."

And Bernie Sanders, another of the frontrunners for the nomination, said Trump had been shown to be "not only a pathological liar" but also "the most corrupt president in the modern history of America".

A senior US diplomat directly implicated President Donald Trump Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing.

A senior US diplomat directly implicated President Donald Trump Wednesday in a scheme to force Ukraine to probe a political rival, in bombshell testimony to a televised impeachment hearing. Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, told lawmakers he followed the president's orders in seeking a "quid pro quo" deal for Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden in exchange for a White House summit. Sondland said Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani led the effort at Trump's direction to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for the investigation and that top official in the White House and State Department knew about it. The unexpectedly damning testimony drew a sharp backlash from Trump who tweeted: "This Witch Hunt must end NOW. So bad for our Country!". Trump said he barely knew Sondland and had not spoken to him much, despite the senior diplomat having donated $1 million to his inauguration and testifying that he had spoken to the president some 20 times while ambassador. Bombshell testimony Democrats said Sondland's seven hours of testimony before the House Intelligence Committee had bolstered their case for Trump's impeachment for what they have labelled "extortion". "Today's testimony is among the most significant evidence to date," said committee chairman Adam Schiff. "It goes right to the heart of the issue of bribery as well as other potential high crimes or misdemeanours." A succession of Democrats hoping to win the nomination to take on Trump in next year's election also said the testimony had strengthened the case for impeachment as the issue dominated the opening exchanges in their latest televised primary debate. Sondland said Trump directed him and two other senior diplomats to work with Giuliani. From early in the year, Giuliani mounted a pressure campaign on Zelensky's government to investigate Biden over his son Hunter's ties to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and to probe a conspiracy theory espoused by Trump that Ukraine helped Democrats against him in 2016. Biden is one of the favourites to challenge Trump in next year's presidential election. "Mr Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing the investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma," Sondland told the panel. "Mr Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky." Far from being a "rogue" operation outside normal US diplomatic channels, Sondland told the hearing top officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, were kept constantly informed. "We followed the president's orders," he said. Watch: Sondland admits quid pro quo at hearing 'Can't remember' Like Trump, a multimillionaire developer with a chain of high-end hotels, Sondland, who wore a $55,000 Breguet white gold watch to the hearing, fended off pressure from both Democrats and Republicans. He had not implicated the president in earlier private testimony when he answered scores of questions by saying he could "not remember". But subsequent testimony by other witnesses which had further implicated him in the Ukraine pressure scheme had jolted his memory, he said on Wednesday. While he confirmed the linkage between the investigations and a White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump, he would not attest to allegations that Trump froze $391 million in aid as well to Ukraine to add pressure on Ukraine. "I never heard from President Trump that aid was conditioned on an announcement" of the investigations, he said, contradicting testimony from two other diplomats. Ukraine knew of aid freeze in July In separate testimony, a Pentagon official appeared to undermine a key Republican defence in the impeachment battle, that Kiev did not even know until late August or even September about the July 18 aid freeze, rendering moot Democrats' allegations that Trump had extorted Ukraine. Laura Cooper, the Pentagon official in charge of Ukraine affairs, said Kiev voiced concern over a holdup in aid on July 25. That was the same day that Trump told Zelensky in a phone call that he wanted a favour, asking for investigations into Biden specifically and the 2016 conspiracy theory. "The Ukrainian embassy staff asked, 'What is going on with Ukrainian security assistance?" she told the committee. At the White House, Trump denied making the demand of Zelensky, citing Sondland's own recall of their September 9 phone call on the Ukraine issue. Reading from large-print notes, he said that he told Sonderland: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelensky to do the right thing." "If this were a prizefight, they'd stop it!" he said of the inquiry. Speaking at the Democrats' debate, Biden dodged a question on the role of his son but said the testimony had shown that "Donald Trump doesn't want me to be the nominee." And Bernie Sanders, another of the frontrunners for the nomination, said Trump had been shown to be "not only a pathological liar" but also "the most corrupt president in the modern history of America".

Trump ordered Ukraine deal to probe Biden: US diplomat Sondland

President Donald Trump's visit to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/gary-oldman-to-star-in-apple-tv-drama-series-slow-horses-262526">Apple's Texas</a> manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

The visit will give the US leader a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms.

Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers.

The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants.

"On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector.

Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said.

"He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay.

"He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it."

Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection&nbsp;for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children.

While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction.

Sidestepping Trump tirades

Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos,&nbsp;accusing him of using his personal investment in the Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO.

"Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem."

Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple," appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism.

In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button.

"To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president.

Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung.

"Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research.

Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said.

"Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-co-founder-says-apple-card-algorithm-gave-wife-lower-credit-limit-261266">Apple</a>, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 per cent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers.

O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular.

"I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said.

Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry.

"Maybe Tim can create&nbsp;a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said.

"If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

President Donald Trump's visit to Apple's Texas manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook.

President Donald Trump's visit to Apple's Texas manufacturing plant represents a truce in the White House war on Silicon Valley and an unlikely "bromance" with chief executive Tim Cook. The visit will give the US leader a chance to hail American manufacturing and step back, at least temporarily, from his tirade against big technology firms. Apple announced in September it would keep making its Mac Pro computer in the United States, after obtaining tariff exemptions for some components in the high-end computers. The developments show an unusual Trump-Cook relationship in sharp contrast with the president's attacks on other tech giants. "On the face of it, it's an unlikely relationship," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the sector. Cook, who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, has been able to sidestep much of Trump's anger by being "very diplomatic," Kay said. "He's not saying 'I love Trump,' but he's not saying 'I hate Trump,'" said Kay. "He hasn't made any disparaging public comments. By not ruffling Trump's feathers he's gotten quite a lot out of it." Cook and Trump remain far apart on a number of issues including trade and immigration, with Apple opposing the White House plan to end protection for so-called "dreamers" who came to the US as children. While Apple has acknowledged it has paid some tariffs imposed by Trump on goods imported from China, the iPhone maker has so far avoided a major impact from the trade friction. Sidestepping Trump tirades Trump, who has called Google and social media firms "biased" and been especially critical of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, accusing him of using his personal investment in the Washington Post for politics, has had mostly praise for the Apple CEO. "Other companies hire very expensive consultants," Trump said in August. "But the only one who calls me is Tim Cook. He calls me whenever there's a problem." Trump, who once referred to the CEO as "Tim Apple," appears to be forging a friendly relationship with Cook even when he offers criticism. In one tweet, he seemed to fret over the design of the latest iPhones which no longer have a home button. "To Tim: The Button on the iPhone was FAR better than the Swipe!" Trump wrote. According to the Wall Street Journal, Cook has quietly cultivated his relationship with Trump through the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both of whom advise the president. Trump appears to have softened some of his positions on tariffs after hearing Cook's argument that punishing Apple would help foreign rivals such as Samsung. "Tim Cook has gone out of his way it seems to develop a relationship with President Trump because he was concerned I'm sure of the potential impact on the business" from Trump's policies, said Bob O'Donnell of Technalysis Research. Because most of Apple products are manufactured in China, "there was a potentially large impact on profitability," O'Donnell said. "Tim Cook is trying to be pragmatic and trying to address the issue by tackling it head-on." Apple, which benefited from legislation signed by Trump that reduced taxes on repatriated profits from 35 to 15 per cent, has responded to White House efforts by pledging to invest $350 billion in the US economy by 2023 through its own manufacturing and from suppliers. O'Donnell said that Cook's efforts to forge a relationship with Trump has some risks as well in Silicon Valley, where the president is unpopular. "I think some people who are Apple fans and don't like Trump find it a little disconcerting," O'Donnell said. Kay said however that Apple employees and customers understand the needs of the business, and that Cook's efforts might even ease some of the tensions between the White House and the tech industry. "Maybe Tim can create a rosier halo around Silicon Valley," Kay said. "If he puts a human face on Silicon Valley, it could give Trump a slightly different view."

Trump-Cook meeting to culminate with visit to Apple factory

The phone call between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' <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">impeachment investigation</a> was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday.

Jennifer Williams, who was listening to the call on July 25, testified that Trump's insistence that Ukraine carry out politically sensitive investigations "struck me as unusual and inappropriate."

The House of Representatives on Saturday also released a transcript of an earlier closed-door deposition by Tim Morrison, a White House aide with the National Security Council focusing on Europe and Russia policy.

As did Williams, Morrison told lawmakers he had concerns about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-very-intimidating-yovanovitch-on-trump-during-impeachment-hearing-262483">Trump's remarks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a>. Williams and Morrison are scheduled to testify publicly next week.

"I was not comfortable with any idea that President Zelenskiy should allow himself to be involved in our politics," said Morrison, who also was on the call.

Trump's call is at the heart of the Democratic-led inquiry into whether the Republican president misused US&nbsp;foreign policy to undermine former US&nbsp;Vice President Joe Biden, one of his potential opponents in the 2020 election.

Morrison declined to say he thought the call was illegal or improper, stressing instead that he thought it would leak, and damage relations with Ukraine.

In a disclosure that drew the most attention in the first public hearing last week, acting ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US&nbsp;security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated.

Morrison said he had reviewed Taylor's testimony and did not dispute it on any significant points.

House investigators on Saturday also heard closed-door testimony from a White House budget official about the holdup of military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear.

Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said Sandy was brought in to shed light on whether military aid was held up for political reasons.

"This is a technical part of our investigation," Raskin told reporters outside the interview room. "We want to know exactly how the president translated his political objective to shake down the Ukrainian government for the favours he wanted (into) the budget process."

On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticize a former US&nbsp;ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing, an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation.&nbsp;Trump defended his attack on Yovanovitch, saying he had the right to free speech.

Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, testified on the second day of televised impeachment hearings, which will resume next week.

While Yovanovitch's testimony dominated headlines on Friday, a closed-door deposition lawmakers held later in the day with David Holmes, a US&nbsp;embassy official in Kiev, could prove more consequential.

Holmes told lawmakers he overheard a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US&nbsp;ambassador to the European Union, in which the president inquired about Ukraine's willingness to carry out investigations of Biden and his son.

The phone call occurred on July 26, one day after the now-infamous phone conversation between Trump and Zelenskiy.

"So, he's gonna do the investigation?" <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michael-bloomberg-to-launch-100-million-digital-anti-trump-campaign-262468">Trump</a> asked Sondland, referring to Zelenskiy, according to Holmes' testimony.

"He's gonna do it," replied Sondland, adding the Ukrainian president would do "anything you ask him to," according to Holmes.

The testimony by Holmes, an aide to Taylor, ties Trump more directly to a pressure campaign in Ukraine to investigate the Bidens led by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Holmes' statement appears to contradict Sondland's previous sworn testimony about his interactions with Trump, in which he did not mention his July 26 phone call with the president.

Sondland, who has already revised his testimony once, is scheduled to testify publicly on Wednesday.

Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Saturday that House leaders were considering bringing Holmes in for a public hearing.

The phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' impeachment investigation was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday.

The phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the centre of Congress' impeachment investigation was "inappropriate," a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released on Saturday. Jennifer Williams, who was listening to the call on July 25, testified that Trump's insistence that Ukraine carry out politically sensitive investigations "struck me as unusual and inappropriate." The House of Representatives on Saturday also released a transcript of an earlier closed-door deposition by Tim Morrison, a White House aide with the National Security Council focusing on Europe and Russia policy. As did Williams, Morrison told lawmakers he had concerns about Trump's remarks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Williams and Morrison are scheduled to testify publicly next week. "I was not comfortable with any idea that President Zelenskiy should allow himself to be involved in our politics," said Morrison, who also was on the call. Trump's call is at the heart of the Democratic-led inquiry into whether the Republican president misused US foreign policy to undermine former US Vice President Joe Biden, one of his potential opponents in the 2020 election. Morrison declined to say he thought the call was illegal or improper, stressing instead that he thought it would leak, and damage relations with Ukraine. In a disclosure that drew the most attention in the first public hearing last week, acting ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor pointed to Trump's keen interest in getting the eastern European ally to investigate Biden and reiterated his understanding that $391 million in US security aid was withheld from Kiev unless it cooperated. Morrison said he had reviewed Taylor's testimony and did not dispute it on any significant points. House investigators on Saturday also heard closed-door testimony from a White House budget official about the holdup of military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said Sandy was brought in to shed light on whether military aid was held up for political reasons. "This is a technical part of our investigation," Raskin told reporters outside the interview room. "We want to know exactly how the president translated his political objective to shake down the Ukrainian government for the favours he wanted (into) the budget process." On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticize a former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing, an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation. Trump defended his attack on Yovanovitch, saying he had the right to free speech. Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, testified on the second day of televised impeachment hearings, which will resume next week. While Yovanovitch's testimony dominated headlines on Friday, a closed-door deposition lawmakers held later in the day with David Holmes, a US embassy official in Kiev, could prove more consequential. Holmes told lawmakers he overheard a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, in which the president inquired about Ukraine's willingness to carry out investigations of Biden and his son. The phone call occurred on July 26, one day after the now-infamous phone conversation between Trump and Zelenskiy. "So, he's gonna do the investigation?" Trump asked Sondland, referring to Zelenskiy, according to Holmes' testimony. "He's gonna do it," replied Sondland, adding the Ukrainian president would do "anything you ask him to," according to Holmes. The testimony by Holmes, an aide to Taylor, ties Trump more directly to a pressure campaign in Ukraine to investigate the Bidens led by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Holmes' statement appears to contradict Sondland's previous sworn testimony about his interactions with Trump, in which he did not mention his July 26 phone call with the president. Sondland, who has already revised his testimony once, is scheduled to testify publicly on Wednesday. Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Saturday that House leaders were considering bringing Holmes in for a public hearing.

Trump's Ukraine phone call was 'unusual and inappropriate': Pence's aide

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Ex-US envoy to Ukraine testify against US President Trump. Watch this video to know more.

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Trump impeachment saga: Americans watch Trump probe live on TV

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

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At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tayyip-erdogan-says-united-states-not-fulfilling-syria-deal-ahead-of-doanld-trump-talks-260531">Tayyip Erdogan</a>, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world.

"He's a good man. He's just representing you very well," Trump said at the ceremony.

Since becoming the US&nbsp;president, Trump has openly complimented Erdogan and his combative ruling style, calling him "a friend" and "hell of a leader."

Such fondness from Trump for the Turkish president, who is due to meet with him at the White House on Wednesday, is seen by many as the only reason why relations between Turkey and the United States have not completely collapsed, having soured severely over their disagreements on a host of issues.

"The two leaders have an affinity for each other as strongman presidents," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, while warning of the deep animosity within the bureaucracies of the two NATO allies.

"The Erdogan-Trump part of the US-Turkey relationship is really the only component of it that is currently working right now," Cagaptay said. "Confidence between government agencies of both countries has eroded and there is considerable anger towards the US&nbsp;in Turkey and vice versa."

Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point last month over Syria after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-kurdish-fighters-have-not-left-syria-safe-zone-despite-us-russia-deals-260109">Erdogan began a cross-border incursion</a> against America's Kurdish allies and upended the US&nbsp;presence there. Months earlier, the United States was livid over Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems.

Turkey shrugged off threats of US&nbsp;sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not imposed any sanctions.

The move infuriated the US&nbsp;Congress, whose anger toward Turkey deepened following Ankara's offensive into Syria to drive out the Kurdish militia, Washington's main partner in the fight against Islamic State.

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives last month passed a sanctions package to punish Turkey over its Syria operation while key members of the Senate, including Trump ally Lindsey Graham, have vowed to advance it if Ankara endangers Kurds.

The House has also voted in favour of a non-binding resolution recognizing as genocide the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians 100 years ago, for the first time, angering Ankara. Some lawmakers on Monday asked Trump in a letter to rescind the invitation to Erdogan.

Erdogan has managed to avoid sanctions so far, but on Sunday, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said the threat was real. "If Turkey doesn't get rid of the S-400, I mean, there will likely be sanctions. ... Turkey will feel the impact of those sanctions," he told CBS News.

Washington wants S-400S abandoned

The issues straining the NATO allies stretch well beyond Syria and Russia. While <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-speaks-with-trump-to-visit-washington-next-week-260443">Washington has largely stayed quiet</a> in the face of an increasingly authoritarian Erdogan, it wants Ankara to drop charges against US&nbsp;consular workers prosecuted in Turkey.

For Ankara, its long-standing extradition request for US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it blames for orchestrating the 2016 failed coup, and US&nbsp;charges on Turkey's state-owned Halkbank for Iran sanctions-busting are also contentious.

"We are of the same opinion with President Trump to solve problems and to improve our relations despite clouds in our bilateral ties," Erdogan told reporters before his flight to Washington. "We have made significant progress on several issues despite bureaucratic and political sabotage attempts by some remnants of the previous administration."

For Wednesday, the Trump administration's main goals are to get Erdogan to drop plans to use the S-400s and to agree to a permanent ceasefire in Syria, a senior administration official said. "We want to lock that in," the official said, referring to both issues.

If Turkey agrees, Washington could eventually allow Ankara back on the F-35 fighter jet program and offer to sign a $100 billion trade agreement, two US&nbsp;officials said. But Ankara has yet to signal a reversal.

"Something like Turkey taking a step back from its purchase of S-400s is not on the agenda," a senior Turkish official said.

Since his announcement last December to pull out all troops from Syria, Trump has softened plans and agreed to keep a residual force in the northeastern part of the country. As part of that plan, Washington wants to continue working with SDF fighters in the region to press on Islamic State, a move Ankara dislikes.

"US&nbsp;soldiers remaining at oil fields in Syria are also against the spirit of what is being done in Syria," the Turkish official said. "The support the United States provides the YPG is one of the biggest threats to ties between the two countries in the coming period. This will be underlined very seriously during the visit," he said.

Despite the disagreements, Ankara remains hopeful, citing a warm telephone conversation between the two leaders last week. "With Trump's personal support, I believe the visit will contribute to overcoming problems. The phone call gave serious indications of this," the official added.

At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of Tayyip Erdogan, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world.

At the 2012 opening of Trump Towers in Istanbul, real estate mogul Donald Trump sang the praises of Tayyip Erdogan, telling a mostly Turkish audience that their leader, prime minister at the time, was "highly respected" around the world. "He's a good man. He's just representing you very well," Trump said at the ceremony. Since becoming the US president, Trump has openly complimented Erdogan and his combative ruling style, calling him "a friend" and "hell of a leader." Such fondness from Trump for the Turkish president, who is due to meet with him at the White House on Wednesday, is seen by many as the only reason why relations between Turkey and the United States have not completely collapsed, having soured severely over their disagreements on a host of issues. "The two leaders have an affinity for each other as strongman presidents," said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, while warning of the deep animosity within the bureaucracies of the two NATO allies. "The Erdogan-Trump part of the US-Turkey relationship is really the only component of it that is currently working right now," Cagaptay said. "Confidence between government agencies of both countries has eroded and there is considerable anger towards the US in Turkey and vice versa." Washington and Ankara hit a new crisis point last month over Syria after Erdogan began a cross-border incursion against America's Kurdish allies and upended the US presence there. Months earlier, the United States was livid over Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defence systems. Turkey shrugged off threats of US sanctions and began receiving its first S-400 deliveries in July. In response, Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Ankara was a manufacturer and buyer. But so far, it has not imposed any sanctions. The move infuriated the US Congress, whose anger toward Turkey deepened following Ankara's offensive into Syria to drive out the Kurdish militia, Washington's main partner in the fight against Islamic State. The US House of Representatives last month passed a sanctions package to punish Turkey over its Syria operation while key members of the Senate, including Trump ally Lindsey Graham, have vowed to advance it if Ankara endangers Kurds. The House has also voted in favour of a non-binding resolution recognizing as genocide the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians 100 years ago, for the first time, angering Ankara. Some lawmakers on Monday asked Trump in a letter to rescind the invitation to Erdogan. Erdogan has managed to avoid sanctions so far, but on Sunday, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said the threat was real. "If Turkey doesn't get rid of the S-400, I mean, there will likely be sanctions. ... Turkey will feel the impact of those sanctions," he told CBS News. Washington wants S-400S abandoned The issues straining the NATO allies stretch well beyond Syria and Russia. While Washington has largely stayed quiet in the face of an increasingly authoritarian Erdogan, it wants Ankara to drop charges against US consular workers prosecuted in Turkey. For Ankara, its long-standing extradition request for US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it blames for orchestrating the 2016 failed coup, and US charges on Turkey's state-owned Halkbank for Iran sanctions-busting are also contentious. "We are of the same opinion with President Trump to solve problems and to improve our relations despite clouds in our bilateral ties," Erdogan told reporters before his flight to Washington. "We have made significant progress on several issues despite bureaucratic and political sabotage attempts by some remnants of the previous administration." For Wednesday, the Trump administration's main goals are to get Erdogan to drop plans to use the S-400s and to agree to a permanent ceasefire in Syria, a senior administration official said. "We want to lock that in," the official said, referring to both issues. If Turkey agrees, Washington could eventually allow Ankara back on the F-35 fighter jet program and offer to sign a $100 billion trade agreement, two US officials said. But Ankara has yet to signal a reversal. "Something like Turkey taking a step back from its purchase of S-400s is not on the agenda," a senior Turkish official said. Since his announcement last December to pull out all troops from Syria, Trump has softened plans and agreed to keep a residual force in the northeastern part of the country. As part of that plan, Washington wants to continue working with SDF fighters in the region to press on Islamic State, a move Ankara dislikes. "US soldiers remaining at oil fields in Syria are also against the spirit of what is being done in Syria," the Turkish official said. "The support the United States provides the YPG is one of the biggest threats to ties between the two countries in the coming period. This will be underlined very seriously during the visit," he said. Despite the disagreements, Ankara remains hopeful, citing a warm telephone conversation between the two leaders last week. "With Trump's personal support, I believe the visit will contribute to overcoming problems. The phone call gave serious indications of this," the official added.

Behind Trump-Erdogan 'bromance,' a White House meeting to repair US-Turkey ties

What to expect from Trump's televised impeachment hearings

President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war.

Trump's remarks appeared to push back against Beijing's claims this week that the two sides had agreed to remove tariffs in stages as part of a partial deal announced last month.

Hopes for progress in defusing trade tensions have driven global stocks higher this month.&nbsp;

"They would like to have a rollback. I haven't agreed to anything,"&nbsp;Trump told reporters at the White House.&nbsp;

"China would like to get somewhat of a rollback, not a complete rollback, because they know I won't do it."

Beijing, however, said such this week the two sides had already agreed to mutual tariff reductions.

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng announced Thursday US and Chinese officials had "agreed to roll back the additional tariffs in stages, as progress is made towards a (final) agreement."

The United States and China have imposed steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade, and another round of US duties are set to hit on December 15 on $160 billion in Chinese goods.

Trump again said Beijing is eager for a deal because their economy is hurting, although economic data show the conflict has hit US businesses as well, and the uncertainty over the dispute between the economic powers is undermining global growth.

"They would like to make a deal much more than I do," Trump said, adding that the initial agreement will be signed "in our country," possibly in Iowa.

Investors worldwide have been cheered in recent days by reports quoting sources in Washington and Beijing saying duties already imposed could be removed in a proportional way.

But markets also have been buffeted by conflicting comments from White House officials, including China hardliner Peter Navarro who earlier Friday cast doubt on any plans to remove punitive duties.

"What is on the table is tariffs coming in December, December 15," Peter Navarro told NPR radio. "We would be willing I think,&nbsp;it's up to the president,&nbsp;to postpone those tariffs."

"But not roll back any existing tariffs. That's a fine distinction here."

White House economic aide Larry Kudlow was less categorical, telling Bloomberg on Thursday that if the sides reach a phase one trade deal, "there are going to be tariff agreements and concessions."

Trump administration officials, on the other hand, have been upbeat about the general prospects for a mini deal but without revealing any details.

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News Channel: "we are very, very optimistic that we will reach a deal soon."

President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war.

President Donald Trump said Friday he has not agreed to roll back tariffs on Chinese imports, dampening recent optimism for a major de-escalation in the US-China trade war. Trump's remarks appeared to push back against Beijing's claims this week that the two sides had agreed to remove tariffs in stages as part of a partial deal announced last month. Hopes for progress in defusing trade tensions have driven global stocks higher this month. "They would like to have a rollback. I haven't agreed to anything," Trump told reporters at the White House. "China would like to get somewhat of a rollback, not a complete rollback, because they know I won't do it." Beijing, however, said such this week the two sides had already agreed to mutual tariff reductions. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng announced Thursday US and Chinese officials had "agreed to roll back the additional tariffs in stages, as progress is made towards a (final) agreement." The United States and China have imposed steep tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade, and another round of US duties are set to hit on December 15 on $160 billion in Chinese goods. Trump again said Beijing is eager for a deal because their economy is hurting, although economic data show the conflict has hit US businesses as well, and the uncertainty over the dispute between the economic powers is undermining global growth. "They would like to make a deal much more than I do," Trump said, adding that the initial agreement will be signed "in our country," possibly in Iowa. Investors worldwide have been cheered in recent days by reports quoting sources in Washington and Beijing saying duties already imposed could be removed in a proportional way. But markets also have been buffeted by conflicting comments from White House officials, including China hardliner Peter Navarro who earlier Friday cast doubt on any plans to remove punitive duties. "What is on the table is tariffs coming in December, December 15," Peter Navarro told NPR radio. "We would be willing I think, it's up to the president, to postpone those tariffs." "But not roll back any existing tariffs. That's a fine distinction here." White House economic aide Larry Kudlow was less categorical, telling Bloomberg on Thursday that if the sides reach a phase one trade deal, "there are going to be tariff agreements and concessions." Trump administration officials, on the other hand, have been upbeat about the general prospects for a mini deal but without revealing any details. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News Channel: "we are very, very optimistic that we will reach a deal soon."

No agreement on China tariff rollback: Trump

According to a report Trump wanted Barr to hold a press conference declaring that Trump had done nothing wrong in his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump Impeachment Inquiry: Trump wanted Bill Barr to defend Ukraine call in a news conference

A US appeals court ruled on Monday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-witnesses-are-no-shows-in-impeachment-probe-259947">President Donald Trump</a> must release eight years of tax returns, dealing a blow to his attempts to keep his personal earnings private.

The decision is the latest development in a years-long effort to obtain copies of Trump's taxes, which he promised during the campaign to make public after an audit but has since refused to share.

A three-judge panel in Manhattan rejected an appeal by the president's lawyers challenging a subpoena by New York prosecutors that demanded that his accounting firm hand over the records.

The federal judges, however, refused to take a position on claims by Trump's attorneys that as America's leader he is immune from any criminal investigation.

"We emphasize again the narrowness of the issue before us," they wrote in their decision.

"This appeal does not require us to consider whether the president is immune from indictment and prosecution while in office, nor to consider whether the president may lawfully be ordered to produce documents for use in a state criminal proceeding," the judges added.

The president's legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment but it is likely that the case will end up in the Supreme Court.

Trump had filed suit against Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, a Democrat who had subpoenaed the accounting firm Mazars USA, seeking access to the president's returns dating back to 2011.

Vance is investigating payments made by Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed to have had a sexual liaison with Trump before he ran for president in 2016.

Cohen is currently serving three years in prison after admitting paying hush money,&nbsp;in violation of campaign finance laws,&nbsp;to Daniels and another woman, tax fraud, and lying to Congress.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-threatens-to-withhold-emergency-aid-from-fire-hit-california-259805">Trump's lawyers</a> claimed in court that their client doesn't need to abide by Vance's injunction because as president of the United States he cannot be prosecuted for an offence.

But the judges ruled that presidential immunity was not an issue here because it was the accounting firm that had been subpoenaed for the documents.

Trump broke with a long-established norm during the 2016 presidential election by refusing to release his tax returns as most presidents have done since the 1970s even though it is not required by law.

He has claimed that they are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service, and there have been various attempts to obtain them, including by the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

A US appeals court ruled on Monday that President Donald Trump must release eight years of tax returns, dealing a blow to his attempts to keep his personal earnings private.

A US appeals court ruled on Monday that President Donald Trump must release eight years of tax returns, dealing a blow to his attempts to keep his personal earnings private. The decision is the latest development in a years-long effort to obtain copies of Trump's taxes, which he promised during the campaign to make public after an audit but has since refused to share. A three-judge panel in Manhattan rejected an appeal by the president's lawyers challenging a subpoena by New York prosecutors that demanded that his accounting firm hand over the records. The federal judges, however, refused to take a position on claims by Trump's attorneys that as America's leader he is immune from any criminal investigation. "We emphasize again the narrowness of the issue before us," they wrote in their decision. "This appeal does not require us to consider whether the president is immune from indictment and prosecution while in office, nor to consider whether the president may lawfully be ordered to produce documents for use in a state criminal proceeding," the judges added. The president's legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment but it is likely that the case will end up in the Supreme Court. Trump had filed suit against Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr, a Democrat who had subpoenaed the accounting firm Mazars USA, seeking access to the president's returns dating back to 2011. Vance is investigating payments made by Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed to have had a sexual liaison with Trump before he ran for president in 2016. Cohen is currently serving three years in prison after admitting paying hush money, in violation of campaign finance laws, to Daniels and another woman, tax fraud, and lying to Congress. Trump's lawyers claimed in court that their client doesn't need to abide by Vance's injunction because as president of the United States he cannot be prosecuted for an offence. But the judges ruled that presidential immunity was not an issue here because it was the accounting firm that had been subpoenaed for the documents. Trump broke with a long-established norm during the 2016 presidential election by refusing to release his tax returns as most presidents have done since the 1970s even though it is not required by law. He has claimed that they are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service, and there have been various attempts to obtain them, including by the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

United States judges reject Trump appeal over tax returns

United States&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Sunday called on the whistleblower whose concerns prompted an impeachment enquiry to "come forward," appealing directly to the intelligence community employee is a stark departure from norms of conduct in such cases.

"The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay. Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax!" Trump said in a Twitter post.

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The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay. 
Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1191000516580519937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The whistleblower whose complaint has shaken the&nbsp;<a href="watch: Trump meets Ukraine's Zelensky at United Nations">foundations of Donald Trump's presidency</a>&nbsp;is a male officer of the Central Intelligence Agency who was seconded to the White House, the New York Times reported earlier.

The man "was detailed to work at the White House at one point" but has since returned to the CIA, the Times said, citing three people familiar with his identity.

The complaint, which describes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-president-zelensky-calls-controversial-donald-trump-call-normal-252078">Trump using his powers to pressure the Ukraine government</a>&nbsp;to find damaging information on Democratic political rival Joe Biden, "suggested he was an analyst by training and made clear he was steeped in details of American foreign policy toward Europe," the Times said.

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday called on the whistleblower whose concerns prompted an impeachment enquiry to "come forward," appealing directly to the intelligence community employee is a stark departure from norms of conduct in such cases.

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday called on the whistleblower whose concerns prompted an impeachment enquiry to "come forward," appealing directly to the intelligence community employee is a stark departure from norms of conduct in such cases. "The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay. Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax!" Trump said in a Twitter post. The Whistleblower got it sooo wrong that HE must come forward. The Fake News Media knows who he is but, being an arm of the Democrat Party, don’t want to reveal him because there would be hell to pay. Reveal the Whistleblower and end the Impeachment Hoax! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2019 × The whistleblower whose complaint has shaken the foundations of Donald Trump's presidency is a male officer of the Central Intelligence Agency who was seconded to the White House, the New York Times reported earlier. The man "was detailed to work at the White House at one point" but has since returned to the CIA, the Times said, citing three people familiar with his identity. The complaint, which describes Trump using his powers to pressure the Ukraine government to find damaging information on Democratic political rival Joe Biden, "suggested he was an analyst by training and made clear he was steeped in details of American foreign policy toward Europe," the Times said.

Trump calls on Ukraine whistleblower to 'come forward'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-wades-into-uk-election-with-attack-on-opposition-leader-and-brexit-warning-259176">Brexit deal with the European Union</a>, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement.

The president, whose impeachment in the US has moved a stage closer following a key vote in Congress, waded into the British election campaign on Thursday to criticise Johnson's divorce terms with the European bloc.

"This deal... you can't do it, you can't trade. We can't make a trade deal with the UK," he said.

But a Downing Street spokesman later said the deal would allow the UK to strike "our own free trade deals around the world from which every part of the UK will benefit".

Trump's comments appear at odds with his previous pledge in September that he was working closely with Johnson to strike a "magnificent trade deal" once Britain left the EU.

The US president also launched a stinging attack on the country's main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and urged Johnson to unite with eurosceptic hardliner Nigel Farage, a key figure in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership.

"Corbyn would be so bad for your country," Trump told Farage during a phone interview broadcast on his talk show on British radio station LBC.

"He'd take you in such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places."

"I'd like to see you and Boris get together... I think it'd be a great thing," Trump added.

Farage, whose new Brexit Party is campaigning for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-spins-towards-christmas-election-in-bid-to-break-brexit-deadlock-258700">Britain to leave the EU</a> without any deal in place, has urged Johnson to form an electoral alliance but has so far been rebuffed.&nbsp;

He is due to launch his party's election campaign on Friday.

'Trump trying to interfere'

Within minutes of the interview airing, Corbyn shot back on Twitter that "Trump is trying to interfere in Britain's election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-election-campaign-kicks-off-on-no-brexit-day-259143">Johnson agreed new divorce terms</a> with the bloc's leaders earlier this month, ahead of the country's scheduled departure on Thursday. &nbsp;

But he was unable to push the plan through parliament and instead opted to hold a snap pre-Christmas election, blaming his Labour rivals for the latest Brexit delay and promising to now take the country out by a new January 31 deadline.

"If you vote for us and we get our programme through, which we will...&nbsp;we can be out, at the absolute latest, by January next year," Johnson said during a campaign stop Thursday at a hospital.

The Conservative leader is riding high in opinion polls going into the December 12 vote that will be Britain's third in four years.&nbsp;

But he risks a backlash over his unkept "do or die" promise to deliver Brexit on October 31 -- and has again set himself up for another potential fall by promising to meet the next deadline.

Pro-EU campaigners and business executives have breathed a sigh of relief that Britain avoided a Halloween Brexit nightmare that could have seen it crash out of the EU after 46 years without a plan.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his Brexit deal with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office has defended his Brexit deal with the European Union, after US President Donald Trump warned it would make it impossible for the two nations to strike a future trade agreement. The president, whose impeachment in the US has moved a stage closer following a key vote in Congress, waded into the British election campaign on Thursday to criticise Johnson's divorce terms with the European bloc. "This deal... you can't do it, you can't trade. We can't make a trade deal with the UK," he said. But a Downing Street spokesman later said the deal would allow the UK to strike "our own free trade deals around the world from which every part of the UK will benefit". Trump's comments appear at odds with his previous pledge in September that he was working closely with Johnson to strike a "magnificent trade deal" once Britain left the EU. The US president also launched a stinging attack on the country's main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and urged Johnson to unite with eurosceptic hardliner Nigel Farage, a key figure in the 2016 referendum on European Union membership. "Corbyn would be so bad for your country," Trump told Farage during a phone interview broadcast on his talk show on British radio station LBC. "He'd take you in such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places." "I'd like to see you and Boris get together... I think it'd be a great thing," Trump added. Farage, whose new Brexit Party is campaigning for Britain to leave the EU without any deal in place, has urged Johnson to form an electoral alliance but has so far been rebuffed. He is due to launch his party's election campaign on Friday. 'Trump trying to interfere' Within minutes of the interview airing, Corbyn shot back on Twitter that "Trump is trying to interfere in Britain's election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected". Johnson agreed new divorce terms with the bloc's leaders earlier this month, ahead of the country's scheduled departure on Thursday. But he was unable to push the plan through parliament and instead opted to hold a snap pre-Christmas election, blaming his Labour rivals for the latest Brexit delay and promising to now take the country out by a new January 31 deadline. "If you vote for us and we get our programme through, which we will... we can be out, at the absolute latest, by January next year," Johnson said during a campaign stop Thursday at a hospital. The Conservative leader is riding high in opinion polls going into the December 12 vote that will be Britain's third in four years. But he risks a backlash over his unkept "do or die" promise to deliver Brexit on October 31 -- and has again set himself up for another potential fall by promising to meet the next deadline. Pro-EU campaigners and business executives have breathed a sigh of relief that Britain avoided a Halloween Brexit nightmare that could have seen it crash out of the EU after 46 years without a plan.

United Kingdom defends Brexit deal after Trump's trade warning

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