Biden impeachment latest: GOP’s own witnesses contradict main claims in ‘disaster’ first hearing
Without providing solid evidence, Republicans claimed Biden lied about his financial gains
House Republicans held their first impeachment hearing into President Joe Biden on Thursday, with members of both sides branding it a “disaster” for the GOP.
The White House has dismissed the allegations of corruption and the impeachment proceedings as a baseless political stunt. Former President Donald Trump has pushed House Republicans to impeach Mr Biden as revenge for his two impeachments.
All four of the witnesses at the hearing told Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, that they weren’t presenting any firsthand accounts of wrongdoing by Mr Biden.
A senior Republican aide told CNN that “picking witnesses that refute House Republicans’ arguments for impeachment is mind-blowing. This is an unmitigated disaster”.
White House spokesman Ian Sams weighed in on the impeachment hearing.
“These are the Republicans’ own witnesses! Admitting there is not evidence to warrant this impeachment stunt Proving this is nothing more than a baseless wild goose chase,” he wrote on X.
GOP goes into ‘freak out’ mode after ‘star witness’ says some issues may favour Biden
VIDEO: Raskin says Republicans don’t have ‘even a dripping water pistol’ in impeachment case
Senior Republicans says Comer has lost control of hearing as Democrats land punches
Jacqueline Alemany of The Washington Post wrote on X that a senior Republican aide said that Chairman James Comer has lost control of the hearing, which is allowing Democrats to land attacks.
The aide notes that the “witnesses Comer selected have disputed House GOP arguments on the impeachment inquiry,” the reporter writes.
The aide also said that the hearing “has failed to attract mainstream media attention RE more damning evidence”.
“Comer and staff botched this bad,” a House Republican staffer told The Messenger.
The staffer said that the case put forward by the GOP has been “confusing” while the Democrats have been “on message”.
“How can you not be better prepared for this?” the staffer asked.
VIDEO: Jamie Raskin condemns Republicans for pushing Biden impeachment amid possible shutdown
Florida Democrat lays out timeline of impeachment inquiry
Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost highlighted the timeline of the impeachment inquiry and how Speaker Kevin McCarthy changed his mind on whether a vote was needed for the probe in less than two weeks.
He also noted that “Mr Turley is stopping here on the way to his next Fox News hit”.
‘This is an unmitigated disaster,’ GOP aide says
A senior Republican aide told CNN that “picking witnesses that refute House Republicans arguments for impeachment is mind blowing. This is an unmitigated disaster”.
A Republican lawmaker complained about the party’s performance, saying “I wish we had more outbursts”.
Meanwhile, the House Judiciary panel wrote on X that “.@GOPoversight and @RepJamesComer are crushing it at this hearing”.
“Witnesses testify that we’ve passed the threshold of evidence to open the President Joe Biden impeachment inquiry,” they wrote. “Mountains of evidence showing Biden Family influence peddling.”
“Only the beginning,” they concluded.
Democrat slams GOP chairman for interrupting his questioning: ‘He knows I’m right'
Maxwell Frost tweeted on Thursday that he was interrupted by Chair James Comer during the first Biden impeachment hearing “because he knows I’m right. They say that this isn’t an impeachment, it’s an impeachment ‘inquiry’ to get answers. Then they call up witnesses that are just asking more questions and not providing any ANSWERS OR EVIDENCE. This hearing is very unserious”.
Republicans refuse to say if Trump and Hunter Biden should be held accountable for crimes
The Republicans on the panel refused to say if Donald Trump and Hunter Biden should be held accountable for any crimes they may have committed.
Rep Greg Casar of Texas asked: “Will members of the oversight committee raise their hands if you believe both Hunter and Trump should be held accountable for any of indictments if convicted?”
While the Democrats raised their hands, the Republicans remained still.
Democrat mocks Republicans for not being interested in facts
Democrat Jared Moskowitz of Florida mocked the Republicans for using the impeachment process as a form of political revenge.
Moskowitz mocks GOP as the ‘Real House Republicans of Oversight'
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