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Trump impeachment news: President considers testifying over Ukraine scandal, as Supreme Court puts hold on release of his tax returns

Follow the latest updates from Washington, as it happened

New York

Monday 18 November 2019 19:40 GMT

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Trump impeachment: Key moments from testimony of Marie Yovanovitch

Donald Trump has said he is “strongly considering” taking up House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s invitation for him to testify to the impeachment inquiry and “speak all the truth he wants”, a welcome also extended by Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who said the president should give his side of the story on Ukraine rather than grumble about the proceedings on Twitter.

The White House has meanwhile scrambled to deny speculation the Mr Trump’s sudden visit to a Maryland hospital on Saturday for a medical check-up was initiated in response to a more serious health complaint.

The president otherwise spent his weekend hitting out at Fox News host Chris Wallace over his treatment of GOP representative Steve Scalise, as his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney in turn comes under fire from House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff for snubbing a subpoena and obstructing the investigation.

Meanwhile, secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US was changing decades-old policy identifying Israeli settlements as illegal under international law, drawing criticism from human rights activists.

Mr Pompeo also refused to defend former Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, after she was attacked by Mr Trump during her testimony last week.

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

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1/26Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Donald Trump

Accused of abusing his office by pressing the Ukrainian president in a July phone call to help dig up dirt on Joe Biden, who may be his Democratic rival in the 2020 election. He also believes that Hillary Clinton’s deleted emails - a key factor in the 2016 election - may be in Ukraine, although it is not clear why.

EPA

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

The Whistleblower

Believed to be a CIA agent who spent time at the White House, his complaint was largely based on second and third-hand accounts from worried White House staff. Although this is not unusual for such complaints, Trump and his supporters have seized on it to imply that his information is not reliable. Expected to give evidence to Congress voluntarily and in secret.

Getty

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

The Second Whistleblower

The lawyer for the first intelligence whistleblower is also representing a second whistleblower regarding the President's actions. Attorney Mark Zaid said that he and other lawyers on his team are now representing the second person, who is said to work in the intelligence community and has first-hand knowledge that supports claims made by the first whistleblower and has spoken to the intelligence community's inspector general. The second whistleblower has not yet filed their own complaint, but does not need to to be considered an official whistleblower.

Getty

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Rudy Giuliani

Former mayor of New York, whose management of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 won him worldwide praise. As Trump’s personal attorney he has been trying to find compromising material about the president’s enemies in Ukraine in what some have termed a “shadow” foreign policy. In a series of eccentric TV appearances he has claimed that the US state department asked him to get involved. Giuliani insists that he is fighting corruption on Trump’s behalf and has called himself a “hero”.

AP

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Volodymyr Zelensky

The newly elected Ukrainian president - a former comic actor best known for playing a man who becomes president by accident - is seen frantically agreeing with Trump in the partial transcript of their July phone call released by the White House. With a Russian-backed insurgency in the east of his country, and the Crimea region seized by Vladimir Putin in 2014, Zelensky will have been eager to please his American counterpart, who had suspended vital military aid before their phone conversation. He says there was no pressure on him from Trump to do him the “favour” he was asked for. Zelensky appeared at an awkward press conference with Trump in New York during the United Nations general assembly, looking particularly uncomfortable when the American suggested he take part in talks with Putin.

AFP/Getty

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Mike Pence

The vice-president was not on the controversial July call to the Ukrainian president but did get a read-out later. However, Trump announced that Pence had had “one or two” phone conversations of a similar nature, dragging him into the crisis. Pence himself denies any knowledge of any wrongdoing and has insisted that there is no issue with Trump’s actions. It has been speculated that Trump involved Pence as an insurance policy - if both are removed from power the presidency would go to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, something no Republican would allow.

AP

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Rick Perry

Trump reportedly told a meeting of Republicans that he made the controversial call to the Ukrainian president at the urging of his own energy secretary, Rick Perry, and that he didn’t even want to. The president apparently said that Perry wanted him to talk about liquefied natural gas - although there is no mention of it in the partial transcript of the phone call released by the White House. It is thought that Perry will step down from his role at the end of the year.

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Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Joe Biden

The former vice-president is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination, which would make him Trump’s opponent in the 2020 election. Trump says that Biden pressured Ukraine to sack a prosecutor who was investigating an energy company that Biden’s son Hunter was on the board of, refusing to release US aid until this was done. However, pressure to fire the prosecutor came on a wide front from western countries. It is also believed that the investigation into the company, Burisma, had long been dormant.

Reuters

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden’s son has been accused of corruption by the president because of his business dealings in Ukraine and China. However, Trump has yet to produce any evidence of corruption and Biden’s lawyer insists he has done nothing wrong.

AP

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

William Barr

The attorney-general, who proved his loyalty to Trump with his handling of the Mueller report, was mentioned in the Ukraine call as someone president Volodymyr Zelensky should talk to about following up Trump’s preoccupations with the Biden’s and the Clinton emails. Nancy Pelosi has accused Barr of being part of a “cover-up of a cover-up”.

AP

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Mike Pompeo

The secretary of state initially implied he knew little about the Ukraine phone call - but it later emerged that he was listening in at the time. He has since suggested that asking foreign leaders for favours is simply how international politics works. Gordon Sondland testified that Pompeo was "in the loop" and knew what was happening in Ukraine. Pompeo has been criticised for not standing up for diplomats under his command when they were publicly criticised by the president.

AFP via Getty

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Nancy Pelosi

The Democratic Speaker of the House had long resisted calls from within her own party to back a formal impeachment process against the president, apparently fearing a backlash from voters. On September 24, amid reports of the Ukraine call and the day before the White House released a partial transcript of it, she relented and announced an inquiry, saying: “The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law.”

Getty

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Adam Schiff

Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, one of the three committees leading the inquiry. He was criticized by Republicans for giving what he called a “parody” of the Ukraine phone call during a hearing, with Trump and others saying he had been pretending that his damning characterisation was a verbatim reading of the phone call. He has also been criticised for claiming that his committee had had no contact with the whistleblower, only for it to emerge that the intelligence agent had contacted a staff member on the committee for guidance before filing the complaint. The Washington Post awarded Schiff a “four Pinocchios” rating, its worst rating for a dishonest statement.

Reuters

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman

Florida-based businessmen and Republican donors Lev Parnas (pictured with Rudy Giuliani) and Igor Fruman were arrested on suspicion of campaign finance violations at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on 9 October. Separately the Associated Press has reported that they were both involved in efforts to replace the management of Ukraine's gas company, Naftogaz, with new bosses who would steer lucrative contracts towards companies controlled by Trump allies. There is no suggestion of any criminal activity in these efforts.

Reuters

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

William Taylor

The most senior US diplomat in Ukraine and the former ambassador there. As one of the first two witnesses in the public impeachment hearings, Taylor dropped an early bombshell by revealing that one of his staff – later identified as diplomat David Holmes – overheard a phone conversation in which Donald Trump could be heard asking about “investigations” the very day after asking the Ukrainian president to investigate his political enemies. Taylor expressed his concern at reported plans to withhold US aid in return for political smears against Trump’s opponents, saying: “It's one thing to try to leverage a meeting in the White House. It's another thing, I thought, to leverage security assistance -- security assistance to a country at war, dependent on both the security assistance and the demonstration of support."

Getty Images

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

George Kent

A state department official who appeared alongside William Taylor wearing a bow tie that was later mocked by the president. He accused Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump’s personal lawyer, of leading a “campaign of lies” against Marie Yovanovitch, who was forced out of her job as US ambassador to Ukraine for apparently standing in the way of efforts to smear Democrats.

Getty Images

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Marie Yovanovitch

One of the most striking witnesses to give evidence at the public hearings, the former US ambassador to Ukraine received a rare round of applause as she left the committee room after testifying. Canadian-born Yovanovitch was attacked on Twitter by Donald Trump while she was actually testifying, giving Democrats the chance to ask her to respond. She said she found the attack “very intimidating”. Trump had already threatened her in his 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president saying: “She’s going to go through some things.” Yovanovitch said she was “shocked, appalled and devastated” by the threat and by the way she was forced out of her job without explanation.

REUTERS

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Alexander Vindman

A decorated Iraq War veteran and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Lt Col Vindman began his evidence with an eye-catching statement about the freedoms America afforded him and his family to speak truth to power without fear of punishment. One of the few witnesses to have actually listened to Trump’s 25 July call with the Ukrainian president, he said he found the conversation so inappropriate that he was compelled to report it to the White House counsel. Trump later mocked him for wearing his military uniform and insisting on being addressed by his rank.

Getty Images

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Jennifer Williams

A state department official acting as a Russia expert for vice-president Mike Pence, Ms Williams also listened in on the 25 July phone call. She testified that she found it “unusual” because it focused on domestic politics in terms of Trump asking a foreign leader to investigate his political opponents.

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Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Kurt Volker

The former special envoy to Ukraine was one of the few people giving evidence who was on the Republican witness list although what he had to say may not have been too helpful to their cause. He dismissed the idea that Joe Biden had done anything corrupt, a theory spun without evidence by the president and his allies. He said that he thought the US should be supporting Ukraine’s reforms and that the scheme to find dirt on Democrats did not serve the national interest.

Getty Images

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Tim Morrison

An expert on the National Security Council and another witness on the Republican list. He testified that he did not think the president had done anything illegal but admitted that he feared it would create a political storm if it became public. He said he believed the moving the record of the controversial 25 July phone call to a top security server had been an innocent mistake.

Getty Images

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Gordon Sondland

In explosive testimony, one of the men at the centre of the scandal got right to the point in his opening testimony: “Was there a quid pro quo? Yes,” said the US ambassador to the EU who was a prime mover in efforts in Ukraine to link the release of military aid with investigations into the president’s political opponents. He said that everyone knew what was going on, implicating vice-president Mike Pence and secretary of state Mike Pompeo. The effect of his evidence is perhaps best illustrated by the reaction of Mr Trump who went from calling Sondland a “great American” a few weeks earlier to claiming that he barely knew him.

AP

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Laura Cooper

A Pentagon official, Cooper said Ukrainian officials knew that US aid was being withheld before it became public knowledge in August – undermining a Republican argument that there can’t have been a quid pro quo between aid and investigations if the Ukrainians didn’t know that aid was being withheld.

Getty Images

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

David Hale

The third most senior official at the state department. Hale testified about the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch and the smear campaign that culminated in her being recalled from her posting as US ambassador to Ukraine. He said: “I believe that she should have been able to stay at post and continue to do the outstanding work.”

EPA

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

Fiona Hill

Arguably the most confident and self-possessed of the witnesses in the public hearings phase, the Durham-born former NSC Russia expert began by warning Republicans not to keep repeating Kremlin-backed conspiracy theories. In a distinctive northeastern English accent, Dr Hill went on to describe how she had argued with Gordon Sondland about his interference in Ukraine matters until she realised that while she and her colleagues were focused on national security, Sondland was “being involved in a domestic political errand”. She said: “I did say to him, ‘Ambassador Sondland, Gordon, this is going to blow up’. And here we are.”

AP

Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal

David Holmes

The Ukraine-based diplomat described being in a restaurant in Kiev with Gordon Sondland while the latter phoned Donald Trump. Holmes said he could hear the president on the other end of the line – because his voice was so “loud and distinctive” and because Sondland had to hold the phone away from his ear – asking about the “investigations” and whether the Ukrainian president would cooperate.

REUTERS

We are expecting a packed week of impeachment hearings this week, with testimony Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Democrats will meanwhile hold their next debate on Wednesday in Georgia.

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Trump slams 'great fraud being played out against the American people'

The president's first tweets of the day are a retweet of Steve Scalise, whose defence he came to yesterday, and an insistence that the Republican Party has never been "so united as it is now".

He again characterises the impeachment inquiry as "a great fraud being played out against the American people by the Fake News Media & their partner, the Do Nothing Democrats" and libels Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff with a vague corruption allegation.

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 12:40

Fox Business host calls Trump 'big dumb baby'

As we saw, Trump was angered by Chris Wallace's performance yesterday.

We can only assume he missed this clip of Fox Business host Lisa Kennedy denouncing his Twitter attack on Marie Yovanovitch on Friday, saying his tweets make him sound like "a big dumb baby".

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 12:55

President 'backs Stephen Miller' amid accusations of racist ideology

Senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller, the man behind many of the administration's most despicable "zero tolerance" anti-immigration measures, reportedly continues to enjoy the backing of the president after the South Poverty Law Center reported the content of some 900 leaked emails he sent to Breitbart News between 2015 and 2016, in which Miller encourages the right-wing site to push stories pressing a white nationalist agenda.

Here's more from Chris Riotta.

Trump 'backs Stephen Miller' amid accusations of racist ideology

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 13:15

President accused of setting 'harmful' precedent by pardoning military service personnel accused of war crimes

The president pardoned three US servicemen accused of war crimes on Friday, a popular gesture that many in military legal circles privately fear could be "institutionally harmful".

Trump’s pardons of serviceman could ‘damage whole military justice system’

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 13:35

Trump backs away from flavoured e-cigarette ban over 2020 fears

Trump has rolled back a proposed ban on flavoured e-cigarettes over fears of damaging his re-election chances.

Under pressure from advisors and lobbyists, the president was persuaded against moving forward with plans to tackle America’s youth vaping crisis on the grounds there could be a backlash from voters in crucial battleground states, The Washington Post reports.

A loss of jobs tied to the ban could affect his popularity, as well as America’s economic growth, The Post adds, two factors of which Trump is keenly aware.

Sam Lovett reports.

Trump backs away from e-cigarette flavours ban over election fears

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 13:55

Conservative talk radio host sacked for criticising Trump

Colorado talk radio host Craig Silverman lost his job mid-way through a segment of his own show on Saturday criticising the president. "You're done," his boss at KNUS told him.

A Trump supporter in 2016, Silverman “stepped back off the Trump train” and rebranded his show as the “Island of Independence” after becoming dismayed by the reality TV star and real estate mogul's performance in the Oval Office.

Talk show host fired mid-show after criticising Trump

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 14:15

Trump will 'strongly consider' testifying to impeachment inquiry

Well this is unexpected. Trump is now saying he will "strongly consider" taking up Speaker Pelosi's offer to testify before the impeachment inquiry.

Whether he means it or is just attempting to lead the conversation away from his health is another matter.

Here's Phil Thomas's report.

Trump says he will 'strongly consider' testifying in impeachment inquiry

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 14:25

Minimal public appearances scheduled for Trump after sudden medical exam

Definite Death of Stalin vibes about the president's currently rather barren schedule, although it should be hastily reiterated that the White House insists he remains in rude health.

Our man in DC, Andrew Feinberg, has this observation:

"A good way to gauge how well (or poorly) folks in the Trump White House think things are going is to check the driveway for cameras in the morning.

"The lack thereof [pictured below] is a sign that no one is willing to go on TV from the North Lawn to speak for the president (and speak to reporters afterwards) on a day when he has zero public events scheduled and questions about his heath are swirling after that unscheduled visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center."

(Andrew Feinberg)

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 14:40

Pardoned soldier offers warning to Trump

Lieutenant Clint Lorance, pardoned by Trump on Friday and released from military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, after serving six years following his conviction for committing a war crime, has been on Fox and Friends this morning.

He gave a heartfelt thanks to the president but said he needs more people "watching his back".

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 14:55

Impeachment inquiry public hearings: Week Two

Struggling to keep track of the impeachment inquiry? This is who's on the menu:

- Tuesday morning (9am EST/2pm GMT): Lt Col Alexander Vindman, Ukraine expert on National Security Council (NSC), and Jennifer Williams, aide to vice president Mike Pence

- Tuesday afternoon (2.30pm EST/7.30pm GMT): Kurt Volker, ex-Ukraine special envoy, and Tim Morrison, ex-NSC aide

- Wednesday morning (9am EST/2pm GMT): Gordon Sondland, US ambassador to EU

- Wednesday afternoon (2.30pm EST/7.30pm GMT): Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary to the Defence Department, and David Hale, under secretary of state for political affairs at the State Department

- Thursday morning (9am EST/2pm GMT): Fiona Hill, ex-Russia expert at NSC

Gordon Sondland (Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty)

Currently, assuming Trump isn't serious, that is all the testimony the House investigators plan to hear, which would mean the House Intelligence Committee moving on to draw up its report, before passing it on to the Judiciary Committee to assess the conclusions and recommendations of Adam Schiff's team.

Joe Sommerlad18 November 2019 15:10

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