Pelosi announces impeachment inquiry of Trump

Very predictably, Emperor Trump (who lies constantly) is disputing statements made today by the retired Marine Corps general who served as White House chief of staff (and who always tells the truth). And Trump's current press secretary is the latest in a long line of lapdogs who seem to worship Trump almost as much as he worships himself.

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham: John Kelly 'was totally unequipped to handle the greatness of our President'

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/26/pol...man/index.html

Taylor is one of several diplomats and government officials who have confirmed the whistleblower's report of Trump offering a quid pro quo to Ukraine's President: Give us dirt on Joe Biden and the Democrats in exchange for military aid and an invitation to the White House. TrumpTaylor is one of several diplomats and government officials who have confirmed the whistleblower's report of Trump offering a quid pro quo to Ukraine's President: Dirt on Joe Biden and the Democrats in exchange for military aid and an invitation to the White House. Rather than try to defend his actions, which he knows he can't do, Trump is attacking the impeachment inquiry as a "scam," a "witch hunt" and "illegitimate" and attacking those who testify as "scum" and "Never Trumpers." Because Taylor's testimony was particularly damning, Trump is really lashing out at him. How dare anyone speak ill of Emperor Trump!

Bill Taylor defended as a 'man of honor,' 'public servant' and 'role model' by three veterans who served with him

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...him/ar-AAJqlPW

The House subpoenaed Kupperman to testify and the White House ordered him to not testify. Kupperman asked a judge to decide what he should do: honor a Congressional subpoena to testify in an impeachment inquiry or ignore the subpoena and protect crooked, corrupt Emperor Trump. Not really a difficult decision, is it? Anyway, the judge has not yet issued a ruling. Adam Schiff rightfully points out that Kupperman's failure to show up today is further evidence of White House obstruction of justice. And the Justice Department's appeal of a judge's order to give the unredacted Mueller report to House investigators is more evidence of White House obstruction of Congress. Emperor Trump, the biggest liar in history, is fighting tooth and nail to prevent the truth from coming to light.

Former deputy national security adviser Charles Kupperman declines to show for impeachment inquiry deposition

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/28/pol...ion/index.html

Responding to this news, Emperor Trump and his blindly loyal lapdog Stephanie Grisham – neither of whom knows anything about the United States Constitution – again called the impeachment inquiry "unauthorized" and "completely and irreversibly illegitimate" and again complained that Trump is being denied his "due process." Trump uses "denial of due process" as a phony excuse for his refusal to cooperate with the investigation. Due process is not an issue here because Trump has not yet been charged with any wrongdoing. The House is merely determining if the evidence justifies drawing up articles of impeachment and conducting a trial in the Senate. Trump will be given his "due process" when he's impeached.

House to vote Thursday on impeachment inquiry procedures

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/28/pol...ote/index.html

CNN commentator Charlie Dent is a former Republican Congressman and former House Ethics Committee chairman. (Who ever thought you'd see "Republican" and "ethics" in the same sentence?) He has a message for his fellow Republicans: Stop attacking the impeachment investigation, look at the facts and do what is best for our nation. Spoiler alert: Showing loyalty to Donald Trump is not best for our nation.

Opinion: Fellow Republicans, please take the impeachment inquiry seriously

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/28/opi...ent/index.html

Emperor Trump keeps insisting he's "done nothing wrong" and yet he tries to prevent witnesses from testifying in the impeachment inquiry. That's because he knows he's done something wrong – plenty of things, in fact – but he will never admit it. Let's hope this judge rules in favor of truth, justice, the Constitution and the rule of law and not in favor of lies, cover-ups, obstruction and intimidation. By the way, Donald, Richard Nixon said to tell you hello.

Federal judge kicks newest impeachment lawsuit into high gear
A key witness wants the court to decide whether he needs to testify in the inquiry. That judge wants to hear from that witness, Trump's lawyers and the House.

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/28/pol...ase/index.html

Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a decorated Iraq war veteran and the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, was listening in on the phone call when Trump pressured Ukraine's President to investigate the Bidens. Vindman is expected to testify tomorrow before House impeachment investigators. He will be the 11th witness. If Emperor Trump had his way, nobody would be testifying. How dare anyone criticize the Emperor!

Army officer who heard Trump's Ukraine call reported concerns

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...rns/ar-AAJuZ02

Emperor Trump claims Article II of the Constitution grants him "absolute power." He and his lawyers believe that no matter what he does – even, as one lawyer said recently, if he were to shoot somebody – he should be immune to civil lawsuits, criminal investigations, judicial orders, subpoenas, Congressional oversight and impeachment. In other words, Trump is above the law. He is the King. Or Emperor. Trump never wanted to "Make America Great." He wants only to make himself great.

Trump attorneys assert immunity from broad sweep of law

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...law/ar-AAJvUZ2

This story includes the video and a written transcript of an exchange between CNN's Manu Raju and Nevada Representative Mark Amodei. Raju asked five times, "Is it okay for Trump to ask Ukraine to investigate the Bidens?" Amodei refused to answer. Instead he resorted to the tactic favored by Donald Trump: Divert, deflect, distort and distract. By refusing to answer, he made his answer pretty clear: "No."

Want to get angry? Watch this House Republican fail to answer a simple question about Ukraine.

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/29/pol...ump/index.html

Eleven witnesses (so far) have given House investigators details of Emperor Trump's abuse of power and quid-pro-quo offer to Ukraine. Emperor Trump, very predictably, has attacked each one of them while continuing to squawk, "Hoax! Witch hunt! Fake news! Hoax! Witch hunt! Fake news! Awwwrkkk!"

'Extremely disturbing': Top Democrats alarmed over
Vindman's testimony on Trump-Ukraine call
NBC News, Oct 29 2018 11:11 AM

Top Democrats at the deposition of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, said his testimony today was "extremely disturbing" and praised him for appearing despite attacks from the White House. Acting House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney told NBC News she found Vindman's remarks "extremely, extremely, extremely disturbing" as she left the deposition. Maloney refused to answer any other questions about Vindman's testimony.

Vindman, appearing voluntarily under congressional subpoena, was set to tell members of Congress conducting an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump that he was on the phone call between Trump and Ukraine's leader in which Trump asked for an investigation into the Bidens – and that he raised concerns about it. Vindman considered Trump's request that Ukraine investigate his political rivals so damaging to American national security that he reported it to a superior.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a member of the House Oversight Committee who was present for the deposition, told NBC News that Vindman was a "very credible" witness and said his testimony "corroborated the testimony of other witnesses" that "really drew a direct line to the President and those around him and their interest in withholding foreign aid through Ukraine that was vital, as well as insisting on investigations into Biden."

Vindman served multiple overseas tours as an infantry officer and received the Purple Heart after being wounded by an improvised explosive device while in Iraq. He joined the National Security Council in July of 2018. After details of Vindman's opening statement emerged Monday night, Trump, as well as Republican allies of the President, attacked the former soldier. "Supposedly, according to the Corrupt Media, the Ukraine call 'concerned' today’s Never Trumper witness," Trump tweeted. "Was he on the same call that I was? Can't be possible! Please ask him to read the Transcript of the call. Witch Hunt!"

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...trump-n1073371

On Thursday the House will vote to to formalize the procedures of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump and Ukraine. Today the resolution was released by the House Rules Committee.

Read: House impeachment resolution

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/29/polit...doc/index.html

Donald Trump bribed a doctor to diagnose him with bone spurs so he could avoid being drafted. Trump cozies up to dictators, alienates our allies, attacks the news media, vilifies Mexicans and Muslims, slanders war heroes, hinders investigations, obstructs Congress and seeks election help from foreign governments. Alexander Vindman is a decorated lieutenant colonel who served in the Iraq war, the holder of a Master's degree and the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council. So who are Republican Congressmen and right-wing newscasters attacking? Vindman. Of course. Anyone who dares to speak out against Emperor Trump is regarded by Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Trump's blindly loyal lackeys in Congress as a traitor. How dare anyone criticize the Emperor!

Opinion: Trump team's disgusting smear of Alexander Vindman

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/29/opi...vic/index.html

Trump lapdog Mitch McConnell is parroting Trump's complaint about being denied "due process" and not being allowed to cross-examine witnesses. In an impeachment investigation, "due process" is not a factor. After articles of impeachment are filed, then Trump will be given due process. Even in a Grand Jury investigation, the target is not allowed to cross-examine witnesses. Trump, McConnell and Congressional Republicans know they can't defend the indefensible, i.e., the quid-pro-quo offer to Ukraine. Instead, they attack the impeachment inquiry process and all the government officials who are testifying. How dare anyone investigate the Emperor! He's above the law!

Mitch McConnell: Impeachment measure denies Trump 'basic rights'

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ts/ar-AAJA1NV?

Emperor Trump continues to attack the impeachment inquiry as a "witch hunt," a "scam" and an attempt by Democrats to overturn the results of the 2016 election. Yeah, Donald, you're right. That's why they waited until you were in the 33rd month of your Presidency. And it certainly couldn't have anything to do with your abuse of power, contempt of Congress, obstruction of investigations and quid-pro-quo offer to Ukraine.

Bill Taylor, top US diplomat in Ukraine, is willing to testify publicly in impeachment probe

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/30/pol...cly/index.html

What Vindman's testimony shows us about Trump's idea of loyalty

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/10/30/pol...lty/index.html

Croft served as a deputy to Kurt Volker, US envoy to Ukraine, and knew about Trump's quid-pro-quo offer to Ukraine. Anderson has been a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department since 2005 and for two years served as a Ukraine adviser to Volker. Croft and Anderson are testifying today. Trump defended his phone call to Zelensky by saying he wanted to "root out corruption" – and yet he wasn't concerned about corruption anywhere except Ukraine and he wasn't concerned about any corruption unless it involved the Bidens and the Democrats. How about that!

Read Catherine Croft's full prepared remarks in Trump impeachment inquiry

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politic...chment-inquiry

Read Christopher Anderson's full prepared remarks in Trump impeachment inquiry

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politic...chment-inquiry

Thirteen government officials (so far) have testified about the Trump-Ukraine quid-pro-quo offer. Trump's only defense tactic (so far) is to call the impeachment inquiry a "witch hunt" and to attack the credibility of every witness. The noose is tightening.

Top Ukraine expert was convinced aid was tied to Biden probe
Alexander Vindman told lawmakers Trump blocked $400 million in military aid
to force Ukraine to publicly announce a probe into the Bidens, sources say.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/polit...ons/index.html

Impeachment investigators invite John Bolton to testify

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/polit...ent/index.html

Emperor Trump continues to insist the transcript of his phone call with Zelensky is a "complete word-for-word transcript." It isn't. It even says so on the very first page – and the transcript contains three sets of ellipses (...). Trump lapdog Stephanie Grisham said today the ellipses don't mean anything was left out. No, they mean somebody's voice just trailed off. She's lying – and not very convincingly, either. According to Alexander Vindman, Trump was discussing Joe and Hunter Biden and those parts of the conversation were omitted from the transcript. Somewhere there is a recording of the phone call. Will we ever get to hear it?

New testimony raises questions about White House 'transcript' of Trump's phone call with Ukraine's President
Alexander Vindman testified that two bits of the conversation didn't make it into the record.

https://www.vox.com/2019/10/30/20939...chment-inquiry

Well, here is another person who can expect to be attacked by the President as a "Never Trumper" and "human scum." Morrison, a Republican, was a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the National Security Council and was outraged by Trump and Giuliani pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Morrison is expected to testify tomorrow before House impeachment investigators. He will be the first White House political appointee to do so.

Top Trump adviser Tim Morrison steps down ahead of impeachment testimony

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ony/ar-AAJBDKC

Trump keeps calling the impeachment inquiry "illegitimate," a "scam," a "hoax," a "lynching" and a "witch hunt." It is none of those things. Many Republican Congressmen are also denouncing the investigation as "illegitimate" and Trump is now ordering them to defend him on not just the process but on substance. Yes, he wants them to defend what is indefensible. Good luck with that.

Trump badly needs Republicans to defend him. New revelations will make that harder.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...e-that-harder/

Trump keeps saying his phone call with Zelensky was "perfect." Is that why a White House lawyer moved the transcript to a classified server where almost nobody would be able to see it?

White House lawyer moved transcript of Trump call to classified server after Ukraine adviser raised alarms

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...e01_story.html