The latest on the Trump impeachment inquiry

Our live coverage of the impeachment probe has moved – follow the latest here.

President Donald Trump delivered a blistering monologue to the journalists he allowed into his Cabinet meeting on Monday – making many inaccurate or misleading claims. Here’s a fact check on his statements on the Ukraine scandal:

The whistleblower’s account

The whistleblower’s knowledge

The call document

The whistleblower being ‘gone’

The whistleblower and Adam Schiff

Read more here.

In a one-on-one interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News on Monday night, President Donald Trump lambasted the media, the Democrats, the impeachment probe, and the Bidens, to name a few.

Here’s what he said:

Fact check: A rough transcript released by Trump himself showed that the whistleblower’s primary allegations about the call with Zelensky were correct or very close to correct.

There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter or Joe Biden despite Trump’s repeated statements. 

Here are the latest developments in the House impeachment inquiry into President Trump:

House Democrats stopped a Republican-led effort to force a floor vote Monday on a resolution to censure Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, one of the Democrats leading the impeachment investigation, “for certain misleading conduct” in his characterization of a phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president.

The vote was 218-185.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer moved to table, or kill, the resolution offered by Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona.

Schiff took to Twitter after the vote. Here’s what he said:

Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told CNN that he doesn’t think acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney changed anything with his comments over the last week, but added that he wished “the chief of staff wasn’t holding press conferences.”

“Maybe have like your communications person, your press secretary do that? Have you heard of that before?” Cornyn said.

He also said that he is preparing for impeachment by doing some reading. Cornyn has been reading a new book about Andrew Johnson’s impeachment.

Cornyn wasn’t alone. Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana facing re-election, said he’s been reviewing the impeachment report by the Congressional Research Service.

Republican senators are reacting today to acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney’s attempt to walk back last week’s stunning admission to a quid pro quo involving security aid to Ukraine.

Here’s what they said about Mulvaney:

CNN’s Phil Mattingly and Kristin Wilson contributed to this report.

Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said he thinks there was a quid pro quo between President Trump and Ukraine.

Asked if Trump should be removed from office, O’Rourke told CNN, “It is pretty clear to me and as it should be to anyone who has seen the reconstructed transcript, read the Mueller report, listen to the President in his own words, and now heard his chief of staff admit in front of television cameras there was a quid pro quo, and then to add, this happens all of the time in the Trump White House.”

The former Texas congressman said Trump is “a danger to this country and must be removed from office.”

O’Rourke went on to say that he wants Republicans to get tough on “upholding the rule of law in America.”

Watch the moment:

At least two US officials are expected to testify this week on Capitol Hill as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

Today, CNN Political Director David Chalian looks at the scheduled depositions in the latest episode of “The Daily DC: Impeachment Watch” podcast.

He is also covering:

Chalian is joined by CNN senior writer Zach Wolf and Shane Harris, a CNN contributor and Washington Post staff writer. 

Listen to the podcast here.

Some Democrats had hoped that a narrow probe — focused on whether President Trump put on ice efforts to bolster relations with Ukraine and provide US military aid to the country until it carried through with a political favor — could conclude swiftly, with a potential vote to impeach Trump by Thanksgiving.

But that has proven to be more complicated than it initially seemed, according to multiple Democratic lawmakers and sources.

The reason why: Each witness has so far provided more leads for investigators to chase down, including new names to potentially interview or seek documents from. Plus, Democrats have had to reschedule several witnesses, including some this week in part because of memorial services for the late-Rep. Elijah Cummings, and others because they needed more time to retain lawyers.

Plus, there are several more time-consuming steps as part of the probe, potentially trying to bring in big names like former national security adviser John Bolton, then holding public hearings before a report they’re expected to write with recommendations — all before any votes in the House.

The challenge facing Democrats: They want to conduct a thorough investigation, but prolonging the probe will continue to consume Washington — and risks bumping into the presidential election season if proceedings drag into the new year.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire and Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, asking how they are protecting the identity of the whistleblower amid public backlash and GOP comments. 

Schumer wrote that he was concerned that President Trump or someone in his administration would disclose the whistleblower’s identity.

Read the senator’s letter:

Dear Acting Director Maguire and Inspector General Atkinson:

I am writing to ask what specific steps you are taking to protect the security of the intelligence community whistleblower. As you know, on August 12, 2019, the whistleblower reported urgent, credible concerns about serious misconduct and abuse of power by President Trump. The whistleblower filed a complaint pursuant to 50 U.S.C. § 3033(k)(5)(A), and under the law is entitled to protection against retaliation. 

Regrettably, however, President Trump has attacked the whistleblower as “a fraud,” referred to the complaint as “fake,” and even suggested that the whistleblower’s sources are spies who should be executed for “treason.” The President has also incorrectly stated that he has a right to “confront” the whistleblower, and has said that he is “trying to find out” the whistleblower’s identity — notwithstanding the fact that whistleblower anonymity is protected by law.

In light of the President’s ill-advised statements, his lack of respect for the rule of law and his well-documented habit of condoning violence by his supporters, I am concerned that he may disclose the whistleblower’s identity or cause it to be disclosed by others in the Administration. 

If that were to happen, it will be your responsibility to take immediate action to protect the whistleblower from both workplace reprisal and threats to his or her personal safety. I understand that some security measures may already have been put in place, but I fear that safety risks may intensify in the event that the whistleblower’s identity is disclosed. I also note reports that one or more additional whistleblowers may come forward, creating added security concerns.  I therefore ask that you inform me regarding your plans to ensure that these whistleblowers are adequately protected.

House Republicans are going to try and force a House floor vote today on a resolution to censure Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff “for certain misleading conduct” in dramatizing a phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president.

The resolution, introduced by House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Biggs, says that the actions by Schiff “misled the American people, bring disrepute upon the House of Representatives, and make a mockery of the impeachment process, one of this chamber’s most solemn constitutional duties.” 

While the resolution is privileged, Democrats are expected to hold a vote to table the bill before it can be voted on.

The President expressed his support for the resolution this morning in a tweet.

As he has more than 20 times in the last two weeks, Trump claimed at his Cabinet meeting that the whistleblower who complained about his July phone call with the president of Ukraine “gave a false account” and has been “discredited.”

As CNN explained here, the whistleblower’s account of the call has largely been proven accurate by the rough transcript released by the White House itself. All three of the whistleblower’s three primary claims were correct.

Trump also alleged that the whistleblower has somehow vanished, saying, “They’re gone.” There is no indication that this is true.

Asked if he thought it was a foregone conclusion that the House will vote to impeach him, President Trump said, “Well, I think they want to.”

He added that he thinks “any Democrat” wants to impeach him because “they’re not going to beat me in the election.”

“They want to impeach and they want to do it as quick as possible,” Trump said.

President Trump says his Doral resort would have made an ideal venue for the G7, and bemoaned the plan was scuttled by Democrats.

Trump said he was offering use of the resort for free, and claimed he doesn’t need to promote his businesses as President.

Trump again went after his predecessor Barack Obama for a book and Netflix production deal that were made after he left office, claiming Obama wasn’t scrutinized for business dealings.

Some background: Trump on Saturday abruptly reversed course and announced next year’s G7 economic summit of world powers would not be held at Trump National in Doral, Florida, in a rare departure after facing bipartisan backlash.

The White House had been defending its decision to use Trump’s own property as the site for the G7 in the face of mounting outrage and disapproval. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told CNN that the Doral site would be “significantly cheaper” than other options.

President Trump just wrapped up taking questions at his Cabinet meeting.

Trump did not respond to questions about acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, according to a pool report.

More about Mulvaney: The acting chief of staff has faced intense scrutiny since a headline-grabbing press conference last week in which he said — and then denied — that Trump held up an aid package to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into an unsubstantiated theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was responsible for hacking Democratic Party emails in 2016. 

The deposition schedule this week appears to be narrowing, though it continues to be fluid.

Two congressional sources provide this as latest deposition schedule for this week shared with the committees.

One source said that one reason the others may have been removed is because they still need to find counsel on short notice, and they could be scheduled for next week. Rep. Adam Schiff’s office declined to comment.

Here’s a look at the current schedule:

While Duffey is scheduled, the OMB said this morning he will not comply. 

Three names are no longer on the current schedule: State Department’s Philip Reeker, Suriya Jayanti, who is in the Kiev embassy, and Tim Morrison, a top Russia adviser at the National Security Council

President Trump, speaking in a Cabinet meeting, said Republicans need to remain unified during the impeachment attacks from Democrats.

Trump said Democrats were “vicious” in their attempts to impeach him but they stuck together — which he contrasted negatively to Republicans.

Trump said Democrats did not have someone like GOP Sen. Mitt Romney, who has criticized the President over the past weeks.

President Trump said Republicans need to get tougher amid efforts to impeach him.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Trump said Democrats are trying to hurt Republicans ahead of next year’s elections, and said the GOP needs to fight those attempts.

Trump continued to defend his actions on Ukraine, describing his phone call with the Ukrainian president as “perfect” and describing the investigation as a sham.

The meeting is ongoing.

President Trump is holding a cabinet meeting today — his first since July.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry will not be there, according to the White House.

Why this matters: There has been scrutiny over Perry’s role in the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine. White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed that the President asked Perry to work with Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, on policies related to Ukraine — but Mulvaney denied that their work was part of a “shadow foreign policy” effort. 

Perry said last week that he plans to leave his post later this year

Deputy Secretary Brouillette — who Trump has announced he will nominate to become the next energy secretary — will attend today’s cabinet meeting in Perry’s place.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper is traveling abroad and will also not be at today meeting. Deputy Secretary David Norquist is attending instead.

President Trump will hold a meeting with his cabinet at 11:30 a.m. ET today.

Many members of the President’s cabinet have been mentioned in the impeachment inquiry — which stems from a controversy over a whistleblower’s allegation that Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son.

This is the first cabinet meeting Trump has hosted since July.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney got a round of applause from his colleagues during this morning’s senior staff meeting, a senior White House official tells CNN.

During the meeting, Mulvaney brought up the press coverage he has faced in the days since he admitted to — and then denied — a quid pro quo involving security aid to Ukraine. He acknowledged that it was a “tough week.”

Senior staffers in the meeting responded with a round of applause, which one official characterized as a “show of support.”

The staff meeting came after reporting from CNN and others that Mulvaney’s handling of the Ukraine matter has earned him criticism from the President’s allies and left the President feeling increasingly frustrated with his chief of staff.

President Trump will hold a meeting with his cabinet at 11:30 a.m. ET today.

Many members of the President’s cabinet have been mentioned in the impeachment inquiry — which stems from a controversy over a whistleblower’s allegation that Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son.

Here’s a look at the cabinet members that have come under scrutiny during the inquiry:

President Trump continues to rail against House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff, calling on the House to censure the congressman.

What this is all about: The President has repeatedly slammed Schiff’s description of his call with the Ukrainian President.

We can’t endorse Trump’s claim that Schiff “lied,” since Schiff introduced his comments at by saying he would be outlining “the essence of what the president communicates” — not providing “the exact transcribed version of the call.” Still, Schiff’s remarks did make it easy for viewers to get confused. 

You can read CNN’s full fact check of what Schiff said.

 Here’s Trump’s latest tweet:

It’s another busy week in the impeachment inquiry, with at least seven witnesses expected to testify before Congressional committees.

Here’s a rundown of who we’re expecting to testify:

Impeachment: It’s the word on everyone’s mind right now.

But how much do you actually know about what goes into an impeachment process? Do you know all the players? All the rules?

Test your knowledge with CNN’s quiz here.

It’s another big week of testimony ahead in the ongoing impeachment probe with a parade of US officials headed up to Capitol Hill.

Expected on Tuesday is Bill Taylor, acting US ambassador to Ukraine.

Who’s Bill Taylor? Taylor was thrust to the center of the inquiry when he raised questions of a quid pro quo in text exchanges with former Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker and ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.

Learn more about who’s testifying this week in the video below:

Donald Trump is under severe pressure after a disastrous run which saw his impeachment defense shredded by current and ex-officials and, most stunningly, by his own acting White House chief of staff.

He must also placate fellow Republicans on whom he will depend to save his presidency in any Senate trial, after triggering self-inflicted crises over Syria and the G7 summit that tested his party’s tolerance for its volatile leader.

And the signs don’t look great for an improvement for Trump in the week ahead, with a new battery of State Department officials expected to testify to three Democratic committees taking depositions in the impeachment inquiry about Trump’s alleged abuse of power on Ukraine.

US officials expected to trek up to Capitol Hill this week include the top American diplomat in Ukraine Bill Taylor – possibly as soon as Tuesday. The career foreign service officer was thrust into the public eye following the release of his text exchanges with former Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker and ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.

In the exchanges, Taylor expressed concern about foreign policy moves being tied to political motives, writing that it was “crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.”

Read more of Collinson’s analysis here.

In another sign of the dangerous predicament facing President Donald Trump, his longtime ally Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said in an interview that aired Sunday night that he could not rule out the possibility of impeachment if new evidence emerges.

In an interview on “Axios on HBO,” Jonathan Swan asked the South Carolina senator: “Are you open minded if more to comes out that you could support impeachment?”

“Sure, I mean show me something that is a crime,” Graham replied. “If you could show me that, you know, Trump actually was engaging in a quid pro quo outside the phone call, that would be very disturbing.”

Swan was referencing Trump’s request in a White House phone call to Ukraine’s President for help investigating former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden.

Graham repeated his view – voiced many times in the past few weeks – that Trump’s July phone call with Ukraine did not amount to an impeachable offense, saying according to Axios, “I’ve read the transcript of the Ukrainian phone call. That’s not a quid pro quo to me.”

Get the full story here

The DC Circuit has long been at the center of disputes over potential White House wrongdoing – and President Donald Trump may come to understand that more than most.

Officially known as the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit – and dubbed the country’s “second highest court” – it handles a distinctive caseload testing the power of federal regulators and the executive branch.

The court’s portfolio included Watergate in the Nixon years, the Iran-Contra scandal of the Reagan administration and Independent Counsel Ken Starr’s investigation of President Bill Clinton.

Now, it could help determine the fate of legal issues surrounding the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry and Trump’s desire to withhold personal information and limit his allies from cooperating with investigators.

Read the full article here

Here are the latest developments in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump: