Questioning begins in first public Trump impeachment hearing
- 4 years ago
Only one place to start our world news segment today.
To much fanfare, the public-facing phase of the impeachment inquiry against U.S. President Donald Trump has officially kicked off.
For more on this and other news around the world, let's turn to our Kim Da-mi.
Da-mi, let's begin with William Taylor, who was widely seen as the Democrats' "star witness" in this first hearing.
Connyoung, in a televised public hearing on Wednesday, William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine revealed fresh new information.
He testified that his staff heard President Trump speaking on the phone to the U.S. ambassador to the EU at a restaurant the day before President Trump's July 25th phone call with Ukraine's new leader.
"Ambassador Sondland told me that President Trump had told him that he wants President Zelinskiy to state publicly that Ukraine will investigate Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.
Taylor then testified that Sondland told President Trump that the Ukrainians were ready to move forward.
Underlining that he found it to be a confusing, unusual arrangement for making U.S. policy toward Ukraine, Taylor also told House lawmakers that he noticed there were two policy channels operating with Ukraine, a "regular" one a highly "irregular" one.
In addition, a top State Department official, George Kent also testified that he never saw any efforts by U.S. officials to shield from scrutiny a Ukrainian gas company where former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, sat on the board because of Biden's connection to the company.
The man at the center of the inquiry was not happy at all, calling it a sham.
"It's a witch hunt. It's a hoax. I'm too busy to watch it. So I'm sure I'll get a report. There's nothing, I have not been briefed. No. There's nothing there."
In a later press conference, Trump denied making any phone call.
In this week's hearing schedule, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, will testify on Friday.
The public hearings will lead to a vote in the House.
If that passes, it will move to the Senate.
Two-thirds of the Republican-controlled Senate would then have to vote to remove President Trump from office.
To much fanfare, the public-facing phase of the impeachment inquiry against U.S. President Donald Trump has officially kicked off.
For more on this and other news around the world, let's turn to our Kim Da-mi.
Da-mi, let's begin with William Taylor, who was widely seen as the Democrats' "star witness" in this first hearing.
Connyoung, in a televised public hearing on Wednesday, William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine revealed fresh new information.
He testified that his staff heard President Trump speaking on the phone to the U.S. ambassador to the EU at a restaurant the day before President Trump's July 25th phone call with Ukraine's new leader.
"Ambassador Sondland told me that President Trump had told him that he wants President Zelinskiy to state publicly that Ukraine will investigate Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.
Taylor then testified that Sondland told President Trump that the Ukrainians were ready to move forward.
Underlining that he found it to be a confusing, unusual arrangement for making U.S. policy toward Ukraine, Taylor also told House lawmakers that he noticed there were two policy channels operating with Ukraine, a "regular" one a highly "irregular" one.
In addition, a top State Department official, George Kent also testified that he never saw any efforts by U.S. officials to shield from scrutiny a Ukrainian gas company where former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, sat on the board because of Biden's connection to the company.
The man at the center of the inquiry was not happy at all, calling it a sham.
"It's a witch hunt. It's a hoax. I'm too busy to watch it. So I'm sure I'll get a report. There's nothing, I have not been briefed. No. There's nothing there."
In a later press conference, Trump denied making any phone call.
In this week's hearing schedule, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, will testify on Friday.
The public hearings will lead to a vote in the House.
If that passes, it will move to the Senate.
Two-thirds of the Republican-controlled Senate would then have to vote to remove President Trump from office.