First testimony: Kurt Volker, the former US special envoy to Ukraine, appeared before three congressional committees behind closed doors. He told House investigators that he urged Ukraine’s leadership not to interfere in US politics after Trump’s July call, according to two sources familiar with the testimony.
Trump’s Nickelback tweet: Twitter said it removed an edited Nickelback music video Trump tweeted Wednesday after a copyright claim was made. The edited clip from Nickleback’s 2005 music video “Photograph” targeted Biden.
Our live coverage has ended, but you can scroll through the posts to read more.
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Source: Ukrainians, not US diplomats, wrote initial statement about investigations
From CNN's Jeremy Herb
A source familiar with the matter tells CNN that the Ukrainian government wrote the initial statement for public release committing to pursue investigations of corruption.
The New York Times was first to report on the existence of the statement, saying it was drafted by US special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker and US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.
But the source said Ukrainians’ purpose for drafting the statement was to try to reinforce with Rudy Giuliani, who the Ukrainians knew had influence with President Trump, that there was a new team in Ukraine with President Zelensky that was committed to cleaning up corruption in Ukraine.
The statement was shared with Volker and Sondland, who then shared it with Giuliani, according to the source. It was Giuliani who suggested to Volker that it did not go far enough and suggested inserting references to pursuing probes of Burisma and the 2016 election.
Burisma is the Ukrainian company that hired Joe Biden’s son Hunter for its board.
Volker and Sondland then exchanged text messages about the draft, which Volker said he would share with an adviser to Zelensky. The Ukrainians told Volker they were not comfortable with the suggested statement, and the matter was ultimately dropped while a meeting between Zelensky and Trump continued to be pursued, the source said.
The source explained the context of the statement about the investigation after the discussion was included in text messages that were provided to Congress ahead of Volker’s closed-door testimony on Thursday.
Asked earlier today about the draft statement, Giuliani told CNN’s Michael Warren via text that he “Never saw it or even draft of it.”
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Trump says he has "an absolute right" to ask countries for help investigating corruption
President Trump took to Twitter tonight to tell Americans he has the “absolute right” to recruit the help of foreign countries in investigating corruption.
Some background: The tweet comes after the President told reporters at the White House earlier today that he wants both Ukraine and China to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
Trump also said he’d consider asking his counterpart in Beijing to investigate the Bidens, adding to a growing list of foreign leaders he’s tried to enlist in his attempts to bring down a potential Democratic challenger. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens.
CNN reported tonight that Trump discussed Biden’s political prospects as well as those of Sen. Elizabeth Warren during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 18, according to two people familiar with the discussion. In that call, Trump also told Xi he would remain quiet on Hong Kong protests as trade talks progressed.
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Beto O’Rourke calls Trump's remarks on China a "criminal effort"
From CNN's Katherine Sullivan
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke addressed President Trump and his call for China and Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son a “criminal effort.”
“This is another criminal effort on the part of the President to involve a foreign power in our elections, and to do so by offering a quid pro quo,” O’Rourke told CNN’s Erin Burnett.
Despite Trump’s claims, there is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe Biden or his son, Hunter Biden.
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New York Times: Trump envoys pressed Ukraine to commit to investigate US political rivals
From CNN's Paul LeBlanc
Two of President Trump’s top envoys to Ukraine drafted a statement for that country in August that would’ve committed Ukraine to launching investigations into the President’s political rivals, The New York Times reported today citing three people briefed on the effort.
The statement, the Times reported, according to the three people briefed, was drafted by Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union, and Kurt Volker, who was then the State Department’s envoy to Ukraine.
According to the Times, the statement would have committed Ukraine to investigate an energy company that employed former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, despite no evidence of wrongdoing by either.
The statement also would have called on the country to investigate what Trump has perceived as Ukrainian interference in the 2016 US election to benefit Hillary Clinton, the paper reported.
Both Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were aware of the statement being written, the Times said. It remains unclear if the statement was ever delivered to Zelensky, according to the newspaper.
Giuliani told CNN after the Times’ story published that he “never saw it or even draft of it.”
What we know: The statement was drafted, the Times said, in the weeks after a July phone call between Trump and Zelensky that has now set off a political storm in Washington after a whistleblower complaint released this past week alleged that Trump abused his official powers “to solicit interference” from Ukraine in the 2020 election and that the White House took steps to cover it up. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
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Republican congressman says he hopes the public gets to read a transcript of Kurt Volker's testimony
Rep. Jim Jordan speaks to reporters before returning to a meeting with former US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker at US Capitol in Washington, DC on Oct. 3, 2019.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
Rep. Jim Jordan, a ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said he hopes the public will get to read a transcript of former US special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker’s deposition.
“We hope the American people get to read the transcript of today’s testimony and see the truth,” Jordan tweeted tonight.
Volker testified before three House committees behind closed doors for more than nine hours.
Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, said Volker’s testimony “undercut the salacious narrative” of House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff.
Read Jordan’s tweet:
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House Republican leadership outlines impeachment strategy on call
From CNN's Kristen Holmes
CNN
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, held a call with team members on an impeachment strategy this afternoon.
Scalise detailed the way in which he believes Democrats are using procedural norms to deny due process rights to President Trump and shield his members from a vote on the floor, according to a source on the call.
Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, spoke about plans for a messaging strategy and Rep. Steve Chabot, a Republican from Ohio, spoke about what members can expect in an impeachment proceeding, the source said.
Scalise outlined a series of all-conference member briefings he will be leading on impeachment moving forward, the source said.
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Elizabeth Warren: "The public must see the transcript of Trump's call with Xi"
From CNN's Leyla Santiago
Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren took to Twitter tonight to respond to reports about President Trump’s call with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Read her full tweet:
About the call: During a phone call with Xi on June 18, Trump discussed former Vice President Joe Biden’s political prospects, as well as those of Warren, according to two people familiar with the discussion. In that call, Trump also told Xi he would remain quiet on Hong Kong protests as trade talks progressed.
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Mike Pence was told about call between Trump and Ukraine's president the day after it happened
From CNN's Pam Brown, Kaitlan Collins, Jim Acosta and Betsy Klein
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Vice President Mike Pence was told about the July 25 call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the day after the call, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The sources would not say whether in that conversation Pence was told about what Trump said about presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his son Hunter. A third source says Pence was not briefed on Biden, but did say information about the call was made available to him. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden or his son.
Pence was provided a transcript of Trump’s call with Zelensky in his briefing book the day after the call, according to three sources.
“He may or may have not read it,” a source familiar with the matter said. But the source said Pence did not raise the Biden allegations with Zelensky during their meeting.
“We do not comment on conversations between the President and the vice president,” Short added.
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Trump raised Biden with China's president in June call housed in highly-secure server
From CNN's Kylie Atwood, Kevin Liptak, Pamela Brown and Jim Sciutto
President Trump discussed former Vice President Joe Biden’s political prospects, as well as those of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, during a phone call with Chinese president Xi Jinping on June 18, according to two people familiar with the discussion. In that call, Trump also told Xi he would remain quiet on Hong Kong protests as trade talks progressed.
The White House record of that call was later stored in the highly secured electronic system used to house a now-infamous phone call with Ukraine’s president and which helped spark a whistleblower complaint that’s led Democrats to open an impeachment inquiry into Trump.
Trump also said he’d consider asking his counterpart in Beijing to investigate the Bidens, adding to a growing list of foreign leaders he’s tried to enlist in his attempts to bring down a potential Democratic challenger. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens.
“It’s certainly something we can start thinking about,” Trump said when questioned whether he would seek the help of Xi in investigating Biden. “Because I’m sure that President Xi does not like being under that kind of scrutiny.”
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Kurt Volker is done testifying
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Kurt Volker, the former US special envoy to the Ukraine, testified before three House committees behind closed doors for more than nine hours today.
He just wrapped his testimony.
What we know: Volker urged Ukraine’s leadership not to interfere in US politics in a conversation that followed the phone call between President Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, according to two sources familiar with the testimony.
Volker’s testimony behind closed doors seems to confirm the whistleblower description in the complaint that Volker and another US diplomat “provided advice to the Ukrainian leadership about how to ‘navigate’ the demands that the President made.”
In the interview, Volker told lawmakers that the Ukrainian government had a lot of questions about why the military aid was being held up and he did not have a good explanation, according to the sources describing the testimony.
Volker also testified that the Ukrainian government was concerned that a meeting with the Ukrainians and Trump was being put on hold but did not understand the reason.
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Trump is "going for broke," source says
From CNN's Jim Acosta
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
President Trump is touting his performance at yesterday’s news conference with the Finnish president in phone calls with associates, according to a source close to the White House.
“He doesn’t see it as a violation of the law,” the source added, noting Trump has theorized his opponents have been doing the same thing to him.
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White House scrubs newsletter of Trump saying he "asked Ukraine to fully cooperate" in Biden investigation
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
The White House removed a section of its daily public newsletter today that suggested President Trump had instructed the Justice Department to launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his family.
According to the Daily Beast, which first reported on the newsletter language, the paragraph yesterday originally said that the President “has asked Ukraine to fully cooperate with any Justice Department’s investigation into the actions of former Vice President Joe Biden and his family in Ukraine.”
And later today, that paragraph was deleted from the Oct. 2 newsletter page before the entire web page was updated with the next day’s newsletter issue.
There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden or his son, Hunter Biden, and neither the Justice Department nor the White House has announced the start of a formal US investigation into both men.
The Justice Department declined to comment, referring CNN to a statement it issued last week that states the department had not yet done any outreach to Ukraine.
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Wall Street Journal: Trump ordered the removal of US ambassador to Ukraine
Yovanovitch, who was recalled months earlier than expected in May 2019, was accused by Giuliani without evidence of trying to undermine the President and blocking efforts to investigate Democrats like former Vice President Joe Biden. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a person familiar with the matter said that State Department officials were told that her removal was “a priority” for Trump.
At the time of her removal, the State Department said that Yovanovitch was “concluding her three-year diplomatic assignment in Kyiv in 2019 as planned” and that her departure aligned with the presidential transition in Ukraine.
Giuliani told the Wall Street Journal that he had reminded the President “of complaints percolating among Trump supporters that she had displayed an anti-Trump bias in private conversations.” Giuliani told the paper that when he mentioned Yovanovitch to Trump in the spring, the President “remembered he had a problem with her earlier and thought she had been dismissed” and was then asked to provide a list of his allegations about the career diplomat again.
Volker urged Ukrainians not to interfere in US politics after Trump call
From CNN's Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb
SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images
The former US special envoy for Ukraine told House investigators that he urged Ukraine’s leadership not to interfere in US politics in a conversation that followed a phone call between President Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, according to two sources familiar with the testimony.
Volker’s testimony seems to confirm the whistleblower description in the complaint that Volker and another US diplomat “provided advice to the Ukrainian leadership about how to ‘navigate’ the demands that the president made.”
He also told lawmakers that the Ukrainian government had a lot of questions why the military aid was being held up and he did not have a good explanation, according to the sources describing the testimony.
Volker also testified that the Ukrainian government was concerned that a meeting with the Ukrainians and Trump was being put on hold but did not understand the reason.
The meeting was important to Zelensky, who pushed to come to Washington on the July 25 call. According to the rough transcript, the President responds first that he will have Attorney General William Barr and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, get in touch and then says: “Whenever you would like to come to the White House, feel free to call. Give us a date and we’ll work that out. I look forward to seeing you.”
But the meeting never happened. A planned meeting in Poland ended up being scrubbed because the President stayed in the United States to deal with the hurricane and he sent Vice President Mike Pence in his place.
Volker also told congressional investigators that he raised concerns with Giuliani about using former Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko as a source for information about the Bidens and other controversies, warning that Lutsenko was not credible.
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4 things you need to know that happened today
House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff speaks to reporters after stepping out of a meeting with former US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Oct. 3, 2019.
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump headed to Florida for a Medicare event today, as the House moved forward with its impeachment inquiry.
Here’s what else happened today:
China pulled into Ukraine controversy: Trump said he wants both Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Biden and his son. Trump said he hasn’t yet asked his Chinese counterpart to investigate the Bidens, but added that it was something he’d consider. While Trump has repeatedly accused Biden and his son of corruption, there is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.
First testimony in the impeachment inquiry: Former US Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker, who resigned just one day after the release of a whistleblower report, appeared before three congressional committees. He’s the first official to testify in the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower scandal. The whistleblower complaint mentioned Volker’s name when discussing interactions between him and Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, concerning pushing Ukraine to look into the Bidens.
House GOP leader makes a request: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to suspend impeachment proceedings. She later responded, saying there is no requirement for a floor vote while an inquiry is ongoing.
Trump’s Nickelback tweet: Twitter said it had removed an edited Nickelback music video Trump tweeted yesterday after a copyright claim. The edited clip from Nickleback’s 2005 music video “Photograph” targeted Biden. The copyright complaint was made by Warner Music Inc., according to information posted in the Lumen database, a project that tracks copyright complaints.
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The bias complaint is that the whistleblower is a registered Democrat, source says
From CNN's Jake Tapper
The political bias referenced in the intelligence community inspector general report is that the whistleblower is a registered Democrat, a source familiar with the investigation said.
Inspector general Michael Atkinson acknowledged the bias in his report, though said it doesn’t change the facts of the complaint.
Here’s what he wrote:
Mark S. Zaid, an attorney for the whistleblower, took to Twitter to respond to the bias complaint, saying, “We won’t comment on identifying info but if true, give me a break! Bias? Seriously? Most ppl are.”
He went on to say, “Partisanship not involved. Don’t let anyone argue differently.”
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Pelosi responds to McCarthy's request to suspend the impeachment inquiry
Tom Brenner/Getty Images
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter today to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy responding to his request to suspend the impeachment inquiry.
In the letter to McCarthy, Pelosi said there is no requirement for a floor vote while an impeachment inquiry is ongoing.
Earlier today, McCarthy called on Pelosi to suspend the inquiry until “rules and procedures are established.” McCarthy, who also sent a letter to Pelosi, asked 10 questions including, among those: Do you intend to hold a vote of the full House authorizing your impeachment inquiry?
She also acknowledged receipt of McCarthy’s letter.
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The impeachment process could take months
From CNN's Zachary B. Wolf
An official ticket to watch the impeachment trial of US President Bill Clinton
WILLIAM PHILPOTT/AFP/Getty Images
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has not given a timeframe for the impeachment inquiry but she told her colleagues it would be done “expeditiously.”
This process can take months. Take the three presidents who have faced impeachment as examples:
For Andrew Johnson, the entire process lasted 94 days. From first congressional action to Senate acquittal, it lasted from Feb. 22, 1868 to May 26, 1868.
For Richard Nixon, it lasted 184 days. The House approved the impeachment inquiry on Feb. 6, 1974, and Nixon announced he’s resign, effective the next day, on Aug. 8, 1974.
For Bill Clinton, it lasted 127 days. The House approved the impeachment inquiry on October 8, 1998, and the Senate acquitted him on February 12, 1999.
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Trump: Democrats "do the impeachment crap" because they know they can't win
Evan Vucci/AP
President Trump, speaking at a Medicare event in Florida, claimed the Democrats are focusing on impeachment because “they know they can’t beat” Republicans in elections.
He added that Democratic victories would be bad for the country.
“It’d be a sad, sad day for our country if they ever won,” he said.
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House Intel chair says Trump's remarks on China are "repugnant"
From CNN's Lauren Fox and Manu Raju
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill this afternoon, House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff declined to answer questions regarding former US special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker’s deposition, but did offer reaction to President Trump’s call for both Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Biden and his son.
While Trump has repeatedly accused Biden and his son of corruption, there is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.
“Once again you have the President of the United States suggesting, urging, a foreign country to interfere in our presidential elections is an illustration that if this President has learned anything from the two years of the Mueller investigation, it is that he feels he can do anything with impunity,” the Schiff said.
CNN asked Schiff about the GOP contention that Volker’s testimony today undercut Schiff’s probe.
He declined to comment but called Trump’s comments “repugnant.”
Inviting “foreign interference in our election is repugnant in a violation of his oval opposite and dangerous our elections and dangerous our security, and after all we’ve been through for president continue along this path shows that he fundamentally doesn’t understand his role as president,” Schiff said.
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Mike Pence defends Trump's phone call with Ukraine president
Matt York/AP
Vice President Mike Pence defended President Trump’s July phone call with the Ukrainian president.
He urged Democratic lawmakers to focus on “issues” not impeachment.
“Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats ought to be focusing on issues of security, of prosperity, infrastructure, the USMCA, lowering drug prices,” Pence said.
Note: Yesterday Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stressed that lawmakers can both work on legislation and the impeachment inquiry at the same time.
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NOW: President Trump is speaking
Pool
President Trump is delivering remarks on Medicare for senior citizens at the Villages, a retirement community near Ocala, Florida.
The President will also sign an executive order that emphasizes the benefits of preserving the status quo for Medicare, in particular Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers.
Before he left the White House this morning, Trump spoke to reporters about the ongoing impeachment inquiry. He publicly called for China to look into former Vice President Joe Biden or his son, Hunter Biden. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens.
It is not clear if Trump will comment on the impeachment process at the event this afternoon.
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The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach — but doesn't say how to proceed
From CNN legal analyst Elie Honig
Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images
Your impeachment questions, answered
Today, ex-diplomat Kurt Volker is testifying before three Congressional committees — making him the first official to testify about the whistleblower complaint in the scandal that has led to an impeachment inquiry.
Can Congress impeach Trump based solely on written documents like the whistleblower’s complaint or special counsel Robert Mueller’s report?
Yes. Article I of the Constitution broadly grants the House the “sole power of impeachment,” but says nothing whatsoever about how an impeachment proceeding must be conducted, or what type and quantum of evidence is necessary to impeach.
This is different from federal criminal trials, which are governed by specific rules of procedure, rules of evidence and the requirement that the prosecutor prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
That said, the House will conduct its own investigation into the Ukraine scandal in the coming weeks and months. Pelosi has announced that the six major House committees — Judiciary, Intelligence, Ways and Means, Oversight, Financial Services and Foreign Affairs — will each investigate and then forward recommendations to the Judiciary Committee, which in turn will decide whether to recommend articles of impeachment (and if so, which ones) for a vote by the full House.
Such investigation seems necessary here because many of the key questions around the Ukraine scandal remain unanswered. So, the House’s investigation will be crucial to determining whether an adequate basis exists for impeachment.
GOP congressman: Volker's statements don't line up with "Democratic impeachment narrative"
From CNN's Lauren Fox and Manu Raju
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Rep. Jim Jordan, a ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said “not one thing” ex-diplomat to Ukraine Kurt Volker told lawmakers this morning “aligns with the “Democratic impeachment narrative.”
Volker spent the morning testifying behind closed-doors before members from multiple House committees. Jordan said House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff limited members from asking questions.
“We have never seen a chairman suggest that members aren’t allowed to ask questions. So, if this is how Mr. Schiff is going to conduct these kinds of interviews … that’s a concern as well,” Jordan said.
The Ohio Republican said Volker has been “very impressive,” but would not elaborate on the specifics, just saying nothing Volker said supports the narrative Democrats have been pushing.
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President Trump arrives in Florida for signing event
President Trump just landed in Florida, where he’s expected today to sign an executive order that underscores the benefits of preserving the status quo for Medicare.
The President is scheduled to visit the Villages, a large retirement community in Sumter County, Florida.
The event is part of the White House’s plan to roll out a piecemeal health care policy. In particular the President is expected to push Medicare Advantage plans.
Before he left, the President spoke to reporters and publicly called for China to look into former Vice President Joe Biden or his son, Hunter Biden. This echoed a request Trump made privately to the new President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, according to White House transcripts of their phone call. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe Biden or his son.
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McConnell pushes back on Trump's claim that he made a statement defending his Ukraine call
From CNN's Ted Barrett
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s staff said he has made no statements about Ukraine, as President Trump said this morning.
They said McConnell gave a statement to Politico last week in which he said he thinks Democrats have overplayed their hand on impeachment.
What is this about: Earlier today, Trump said McConnell called a White House transcript of his July 25 call with Ukraine’s leader “the most innocent phone call.”
“He read my phone call with the president of Ukraine. Mitch McConnell, he said, ‘That was the most innocent phone call that I’ve read.’ I mean, give me a break. Anybody that reads it says the same thing,” Trump said.
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Chinese diplomat reacts to Trump's remarks: "This is quite chaotic"
From CNN's Kylie Atwood
A Chinese diplomat suggested that China is not likely to be interested in investigating Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, as President Trump suggested today.
While there is no official response from the Chinese government, the diplomat suggested that Trump’s comments were so fresh that they are still working to process them.
“This is quite chaotic,” the diplomat told CNN. “Are you asking about the comments that Trump just made? I don’t think I can tell you anything in this regard right now.”
The diplomat learned of Trump’s comments, made to reporters at the White House on Thursday morning, through media reports.
What the President said: Trump said that he has not asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to investigate Biden, but said “China should start an investigation into the Bidens because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine.”
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Top American general in Europe says he hasn't had any conversations about delaying Ukraine aid
From CNN's Ryan Browne
Gen. Tod Wolters, the commander of US European Command, said Thursday that he has not had any conversations with his counterparts about the frozen military assistance funds to Ukraine.
Wolters, the supreme allied commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), also said he supported providing Ukraine with additional Javelin anti-tank missiles.
Wolters, the supreme allied commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), also said he supported providing Ukraine with additional Javelin anti-tank missiles, something the Trump Administration has recently approved according to US officials.
“It’s a sophisticated capability, it’s a modern capability it has great precision, it has great speed,” he said of the Javelin weapon system.
Why this matters: President Trump said that he delayed aid to Ukraine ahead of a call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when he pushed the leader to look into potential rival Joe Biden and his son’s work, giving the excuse that he was waiting for European nations to contribute their fair share of aid and claiming there was “never any quid pro quo.”
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No, Trump can't pardon himself if he's convicted by the Senate
From CNN legal analyst Elie Honig
Your impeachment questions, answered
President Trump is facing an impeachment investigation over a contentious phone call with the president of Ukraine.
Now that House Democrats initiated impeachment proceedings against Trump, can he still issue pardons?
Yes. The President can issue pardons in criminal cases right up until the moment he leaves office. In fact, many presidents have issued pardons in their final days and hours in office, likely because pardons tend to be politically unpopular.
But remember: While the President has the constitutional power to pardon federal crimes — “offenses against the United States” — he cannot issue pardons for impeachment.
So, if the President or any other federal official is impeached by the House and then convicted by the Senate, there is nothing he — or anyone else — can do to reverse it. There is no way to appeal or undo an impeachment.
What we know about the former ambassador to Ukraine
From CNN's Holmes Lybrand and Tara Subramaniam
When asked Thursday morning about the recall of former ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, President Trump claimed he did not know if he had personally recalled her from her post in Kiev, but that he “heard very, very bad things about her for a long period of time. Not good.”
Yovanovitch, the third US Ambassador to Ukraine under the Obama administration, was dismissed from her position in May of 2019 — two months before her scheduled departure.
Her dismissal was proceeded by unsubstantiated claims from Trump allies and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko that Yovanovitch had created a list of people who were off limits for the prosecutor to investigate. Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has also claimed that Yovanovitch attempted to block his investigations in Ukraine.
She is currently a senior State Department fellow at Georgetown University.
Yovanovitch was previously scheduled to appear this week before the House Intelligence Committee in the impeachment inquiry, but is now scheduled to appear next week on Oct. 11.
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Here's the first Republican reaction from inside Volker's closed-door testimony
Andrew Harnik
Kurt Volker, the former US special envoy to Ukraine, is testifying behind closed doors in front of three congressional committees.
Rep. Mike Turner, a Republican from Ohio, just released a statement — the first one any representative has sent since the testimony began. In it, Turner criticizes House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, saying Volker’s testimony does not “advanced Schiff’s impeachment agenda.”
Volker resigned from his State Department position last week, following release of the whistleblower complaint and a White House transcript of Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Here is Turner’s full statement:
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Schiff says Trump's "rant" calling for China to investigate the Bidens "reinforces the urgency" of the impeachment inquiry
House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff reacted to Trump’s remarks on the White House lawn this morning, during which he called for China to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden.
“The President cannot use the power of his office to pressure foreign leaders to investigate his political opponents,” Schiff tweeted.
“His rant this morning reinforces the urgency of our work,” Schiff added.
More context: Before embarking for Florida for an event, the President spoke to reporters and publicly called for China to look into the Bidens. This echoed a request Trump made privately to the new leader of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, according to White House transcripts of their phone call. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe Biden or his son, Hunter.
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House GOP leader wants Pelosi to suspend the impeachment inquiry
From CNN's Haley Byrd
Zach Gibson/Getty Images
House GOP Leader McCarthy is calling on Speaker Pelosi to suspend the impeachment inquiry until “rules and procedures are established.”
In a letter to Pelosi, McCarthy asks 10 questions including, among those: Do you intend to hold a vote of the full House authorizing your impeachment inquiry?
This morning, Pelosi said in an interview, “We haven’t, but we could.” She said they could hold a vote “because it is a Republican talking point.”
For now, Pelosi is dismissing this as a political move and pressing ahead with the investigation.
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Trump publicly asked foreign leaders to investigate Biden. Here's why that matters.
From CNN's Marshall Cohen
Andrew Harnik/AP
President Trump today publicly asked Ukraine and China to investigate Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden.
By doing this in public, Trump inoculates himself from the potential of a “bombshell” coming out in the press, and he can claim that there was nothing wrong about the request because he made it openly in front of the cameras.
But remember: Doing it in public doesn’t negate the fact that Trump is still asking a foreign government to get involved in the 2020 presidential election and investigate his chief political rival.
Trump’s private request for Zelensky was referred to the Justice Department as a potential violation of campaign finance laws. The Justice Department did not launch a full investigation but determined that there was not evidence to prove that Trump did anything illegal.
This situation has some parallels to the Mueller investigation. Special counsel Robert Mueller examined plenty of comments that Trump made publicly, to determine whether Trump was obstructing justice. Mueller’s team wrote in their report that, regarding obstruction laws, there wasn’t any difference between Trump saying something in public, versus Trump saying the same thing in private. The Mueller report regularly cited Trump’s public remarks and tweets as proof of his wrongdoing or of his intention to obstruct the investigation.
Here’s one key excerpt from the Mueller report…
…and another:
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Could the House censure Trump instead of impeaching him?
From CNN legal analyst Elie Honig
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Your impeachment questions, answered
The House of Representatives is currently conducting a formal impeachment investigation into President Trump after an explosive whistleblower complaint was released. If a majority of the House votes to impeach, the trial moves to the Senate, where a two thirds majority is required to convict and remove the president.
Could the House conduct a formal impeachment investigation and then vote to censure the President, rather than impeaching and sending it to the Republican-controlled Senate for trial?
Constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe has proposed a similar procedure designed to create a formal record of Trump’s conduct in the Democratic-controlled House without sending the matter to the Republican-controlled Senate for what many see as an inevitable party-line vote of acquittal.
Under Tribe’s proposal, the House would hold an impeachment investigation, affording Trump the right to mount a defense. The House would then vote on a resolution proclaiming the President impeachable — which Tribe calls “far stronger than a mere censure” — but would not forward the matter to the Senate for a formal vote on removal from office.
Tribe’s proposal has some merit. It would promote public understanding of Trump’s conduct and create an important historical record.
But there are arguments against Tribe’s approach.
First, it is an end-run around the process set forth in the Constitution: the House votes to impeach, then the Senate holds a trial and votes either to acquit or to convict and remove from office.
Second, Tribe’s approach is more sizzle than steak. While the House would go through the motions, the end result (at most) would be a sternly-worded resolution condemning the President, but without actual penalty (such as removal from office).
This Democrat didn't support the impeachment inquiry. "We have no choice now but to proceed," he says.
Mary Altaffer/AP
Rep. Max Rose — a Democrat from Staten Island, New York, who won a district in 2018 that Trump won in the 2016 presidential election — has changed his mind and says he now supports the impeachment inquiry.
Rose officially announced his support last night at an appearance on Staten Island.
Rose told CNN today, “What we have seen…over the last few days is not only this president and his White House, but the Secretary of State and [Trump’s] personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, obstruct each and every step of the way.”
Even though he now supports the inquiry, Rose says he believes it is important to follow the facts before drawing any conclusions about impeaching the president.
“What’s most important here is that we do not jump either to any conclusions. This is a sad, sad day for America,” Rose said.
Ask by CNN if he’s worried he might lose his seat in his Trump voter-heavy district, Rose said, “I’m not afraid at all.”
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Trump: McConnell said the July call was "the most innocent phone call"
Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Trump said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called a transcript of his call with Ukraine’s leader “the most innocent phone call.”
Last week, the White House released a rough transcript of the July call. McConnell urged the White House to release the summary, sources said.
Trump also said that the “only people” who don’t understand the transcript are those who listen to House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff.
“And the only people that don’t understand it, is when they look at the false, fabricated, fraudulent statement made by shifty Schiff,” Trump said.
What this is all about: Trump has repeatedly claimed Schiff lied while reading the rough White House transcript to Congress.
We can’t endorse Trump’s claim that Schiff “lied,” since Schiff introduced his comments at Thursday’s committee hearing by saying he would be outlining “the essence of what the president communicates,” not providing “the exact transcribed version of the call.”
Trump says he heard "very bad things" about recalled US ambassador to Ukraine
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
Mikhail Palinchak/Presidential Press Service Pool Photo/AP
President Trump said today that he had heard “very bad things” about US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was unexpectedly recalled from her post last May.
Asked why she was recalled, Trump said, “I heard very bad things about her.”
Trump told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the July 25 call, according to a White House transcript: “The former ambassador from the United States, the woman, was bad news and the people she was dealing with in the Ukraine were bad news so I just want to let you know that.”
More on this: Yovanovitch was previously scheduled to appear this week before the House Intelligence Committee in the impeachment inquiry, but is now scheduled to appear next week on Oct. 11.
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Trump is on his way to Florida for Medicare event
Evan Vucci
President Trump is attending an event in Florida today, as ex-diplomat to Ukraine Kurt Volker testifies before Congress.
Trump is expected to sign an executive order emphasizing the benefits of preserving the status quo for Medicare, in particular Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers.
The event is part of a concentrated plan by the White House to roll out health care policies to help Trump compete with 2020 Democrats.
The Trump administration has been heavily promoting Medicare Advantage plans since 2017.
The President will visit the Villages, a sprawling retirement community in Sumter County, Florida.
As he left the White House, the president told reporters he wanted both Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either of the Bidens.
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Trump says he'll think about asking China's president to investigate Bidens
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
Andrew Harnik/AP
Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump says he hasn’t yet asked his Chinese counterpart to investigate Joe Biden and his son.
But he said it was something he’d consider, alleging without evidence that the Bidens engaged in wrongdoing.
Where is this coming from: On several occasions, Trump has intimated that the Bidens have received millions of dollars from China, implying they capitalized on the then vice-president’s political power and connections.
Trump’s allegations are misleading. There is no evidence that former Vice President Joe Biden received money from China. Though when it comes to Biden’s son Hunter, Trump’s allegations are not thoroughly unfounded. A company whose board Hunter sat on, received a large investment of Chinese capital shortly after Hunter visited the country with his father.
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Trump says Ukraine and China should investigate Bidens
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
Andrew Harnik/AP
President Trump says he wants both Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Biden and his son.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was again asked what he wanted Ukrainian President Zelensky to do with regard to the Bidens. Trump raised both Ukraine and China in his answer, saying he thinks both countries should investigate the former vice president and his son Hunter.
Trump repeated his criticism of a whistleblower complaint, saying it was “total fiction” and again said his conversation with Ukraine’s president was “absolutely perfect.”
While Trump has repeatedly accused Biden and his son of corruption, there is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.
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You don't need a statutory crime to impeach a president
From CNN legal analyst Elie Honig
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Your impeachment questions, answered
Last week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi officially launched an impeachment investigation into President Trump regarding a phone call between Trump and the President of Ukraine.
Must impeachment be based on a statutory crime?
No. Congress certainly can — and perhaps must — impeach if the President has committed a crime. But even if Trump’s conduct dodges the statutory raindrops and doesn’t quite meet the definition of a federal crime, impeachment at its core is a remedy for abuse of constitutional power.
The Constitution prescribes impeachment for “treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanors.”
But the term “high crimes and misdemeanors” is not defined anywhere in the Constitution or statute law, and appears to be drawn from English parliamentary practice, which provided for impeachment for crimes or for conduct beyond the reach of established criminal law.
Our own precedent supports the notion that a crime is not necessary for impeachment. President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House (and then acquitted by the Senate) for firing a Secretary of War — certainly not a criminal act.
Drafted articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon included abuse of power and misuse of public office, while one of the proposed articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton (voted down by the full House) related to abuse of power for non-criminal conduct.
Democratic official says Schiff "could have been more clear" when he said committee hadn't talked to whistleblower
From CNN's Manu Raju
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
A Democratic committee official conceded that House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff “could have been more clear” when he told MSNBC on September 17:
The official explained that Schiff was referring to he and the Committee officially interviewing the whistleblower, not the whistleblower’s prior contact with the committee.
What this is all about: Yesterday, a spokesman for the Schiff acknowledged that the whistleblower had contacted the committee staff for guidance before sending the complaint to the Trump administration, but said the committee did not receive the complaint in advance.
President Trump later claimed, without evidence, that Schiff helped write the whistleblower complain.
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Here's what you need to know about the former diplomat testifying today
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Today, former US Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker will appear before three congressional committees, making him the first official to testify in the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower scandal.
Here’s what you need to know about him:
His background: A longtime diplomat and Republican foreign policy specialist, Volker is the executive director of the McCain Institute. He was appointed to the position of special envoy by Rex Tillerson, former secretary of state — though he stayed on at the McCain Institute. He got his start in foreign affairs as a CIA analyst.
As special envoy: Volker pushed to keep US military and economic aid flowing to Ukraine. He was also the US point-man in trying to get dialogue started between Russia and Ukraine over the separatist revolt in eastern Ukraine, now in its sixth year.
He is mentioned in the whistleblower report: The whistleblower complaint mentioned Volker’s name when discussing interactions between him and Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, concerning pushing Ukraine to look into the Bidens. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by Joe or Hunter Biden.
His resignation: He resigned just one day after the release of a whistleblower report alleging a White House coverup of a call between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine.
“Never fully on the Trump train”: Volker is not close with the White House and never had a one-on-one meeting with the President. Volker is “a well-respected straight shooter who is likely to testify in ways that will damage other Trump allies”, wrote one political analyst.
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House Intelligence Committee staff will be the ones to interview Volker
From CNN's Suzanne Malveaux
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff looks on during a news conference Wednesday held along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Tom Brenner/Getty Images
While three committees — Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight — are involved in today’s deposition, the Intelligence Committee staff is doing the questioning.
Here’s how a House Intelligence Committee aide put it:
How Republicans are reacting: Yesterday, Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he protesting the move by Democrats to let the House Intel Committee take the lead in questioning Kurt Volker today.
McCaul wrote: “I was alarmed to learn – less than 24 hours before the first interview is scheduled to start – that it will be led by the Intelligence Committee and that questioning will be done solely by their staff. Also we were told that only a single Republican professional staffer from the Foreign Affairs Committee will be allowed to attend while the majority will have two. These constraints on committee and Republican participation are unacceptable and at odds with House Rules and general fairness. …We demand equal representation and participation in this inquiry, there is too much at stake for America and Congress.”
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What happened yesterday in the impeachment inquiry
Yesterday marked another busy day in Washington as the House presses forward with its impeachment inquiry against President Trump.
Here’s a look at the key developments from the day:
Preserving records: The White House Counsel’s office sent out a preservation email, called a record hold, to all White House employees to preserve any and all records related to President Trump’s foreign calls, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
State Department inspector general meeting: Inspector General Steve Linick had requested an urgent briefing with senior congressional staff members. A Democratic aide who attended the session described it as a “very strange meeting” and said “it was basically just handing over a pile of paper” without explanation.
What Democrats said: House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff said if the White House attempts to “stonewall” the House’s impeachment inquiry, it will be considered obstruction of justice.
What Trump said: President Trump railed against Democrats and the media during public events with Finland’s president. He called the impeachment inquiry “the greatest hoax,” and claimed, without evidence, that House Intel Chair Adam Schiff helped write the whistleblower complain. The committee says it didn’t see the complaint in advance.
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Kurt Volker has arrived on Capitol Hill
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
The former US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker has arrived for his testimony today in front of the House Intelligence, Oversight and Reform and Foreign Affairs committees behind closed doors.
Volker is the first official to testify on explosive whistleblower charges that President Donald Trump tried to pressure Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden, an effort the White House then worked to cover up.
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Twitter removed Trump's Nickleback tweet attacking Joe Biden after a copyright complaint
From CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan
Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images
Twitter said it had removed an edited Nickelback music video President Trump tweeted yesterday after a copyright claim.
Trump’s tweet is still live, but the video can no longer be played.
The edited clip from Nickleback’s 2005 music video “Photograph” targeted Vice President Joe Biden. While Trump has repeatedly accused Biden and his son of corruption, there is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.
The copyright complaint was made by Warner Music Inc., according to information posted in the Lumen database, a project that tracks copyright complaints.
A Twitter spokesperson told CNN Thursday the company responds to copyright complaints sent to them by a copyright owner or their authorized representatives.
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Biden to Trump: "You're not going to destroy me"
From CNN's Sarah Mucha
In his strongest remarks on the Ukraine controversy to date, former Vice President Joe Biden addressed President Trump, saying that he will not be deterred by the attacks launched against him.
Biden added that Trump is “exhibit A” of a president who abuses power.
The former vice president began his speech by characterizing the House investigation into impeachment, saying that the President, “corrupted and weaponized the very agencies of government, to include the national security council, justice department, state department to do his personal bidding, they betrayed the foreign policy and the national security interest is what they asserted, in service of his reelection.”
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President Trump is heading to Florida today for a Medicare event
From CNN's Sarah Westwood, Pamela Brown and Tami Luhby
President Trump is attending an event in Florida today. He’s expected to sign an executive order that underscores the benefits of preserving the status quo for Medicare, in particular Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers.
The event comes a day after Trump lashed out about the impeachment inquiry during a tense news conference with the President of Finland.
Back in Washington, Former US Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker is scheduled to testify in front of three congressional committees behind closed doors.
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The first testimony of the impeachment inquiry is today
From CNN's Nicole Gaouette, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler
Former US Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker is set to appear today before three congressional committees — making him the first official to testify on explosive whistleblower charges that President Trump tried to pressure Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden.
A longtime Republican foreign policy expert who was seen in the White House as not fully “on the Trump train,” Volker is now at the center of the impeachment inquiry examining allegations Trump deployed the machinery of state in a vendetta to target political rivals.
Volker’s testimony, analysts say, could be damaging to the President and his allies.
He is now set to testify before the Intelligence, Oversight and Reform and Foreign Affairs committees behind closed doors.
