Impeachment hearing exposes 'absolute coverup by White House', as former top aide dodges questions
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Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee have launched the first impeachment hearings into allegations that Donald Trump obstructed justice and abused power, with the president's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski appearing before the committee as the first witness to testify on questions that were raised by the Mueller report released earlier this year.
The witness had been gagged by the White House, however, and two more aides – Rick Dearborn and Rob Porter – were reportedly told to ignore subpoenas and not attend the session with the Democratic-led panel on the grounds that they are protected by “absolute immunity”.
"The White House has no authority legal or otherwise to give these orders," House Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler said of those gags.
But, Mr Lewandowski nevertheless refused to answer questions from Democrats, citing a gag letter from the White House, where he never worked.
The president’s latest campaign rally on Monday evening saw him attempt to appeal to the Hispanic voters of New Mexico he alienated in 2016, a day bookended by his calls for resignations at The New York Times over the latest sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh and a new poll forecasting Mr Trump’s defeat in key 2020 swing states.
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House minority leader Kevin McCarthy is attempting to downplay the significance of the Judiciary Committee's impeachment panel - not entirely convincingly.
A handy guide to why Trump is visiting his least favourite state for two days this week. It's all about the Benjamins.
Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg is on Capitol Hill today to lobby American lawmakers for "transformative action" to correct global warming.
If you missed her superb interiew with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show over the weekend, Greg Evans has the full story below.
Here's Chris Riotta on Lewandowski's upcoming appearance before Jerry Nadler's crew.
Trump's belated first tweet of the day sees him renewing his attack on The New York Times over Brett Kavanaugh by citing that most reputable and admired bastion of journalistic integrity, Fox News.
Democratic congresswoman and "Squad" stalwart Ayanna Pressley is planning to introduce a resolution today calling for the impeachment of Kavanaugh following the latest sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Kamala Harris is meanwhile asking for a "task force" to look into a matter Chairman Nadler says he does not have time for due to his Trump inquriy.
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham has been talking up the prospects of US airstrikes on Iranian oil refineries and asking the Democrats, RE Kavanaugh's possible impeachment: "If you do this... how do you expect your nominees to be treated?"
Fairly, one would hope.
Trump's director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp is attempting to corner 2020 rising star Pete Buttigieg over the case of Ulrich George Klopfer, an abortionist who operated in the candidate's native South Bend, Indiana, and died on 3 September, only for investigators to find he had kept the foetal remains of more than 2,000 infants.
The state suspended Klopfer's medical licence in 2016 for failing to exercise reasonable care and violating notice and documentation requirements, according to The South Bend Tribune. The Women’s Pavilion clinic where he worked was shut down the same year.
A horrid story and a pretty cheap shot at Buttigieg on behalf of Team Trump by attempting to associate him with the matter.
We are about 45 minutes out from the start of the first so-called impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump.
And, we just got word that the House Judiciary has scheduled yet another hearing for 23 September, with the title of "Presidential Corruption: Emoluments and Profiting off the Presidency."
The US could soon be bracing for yet another major storm front hitting the eastern seaboard.
Let us present, tropical depression Ten:
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