Trump news: President abruptly drops sanctions on Turkey, as Republicans storm impeachment hearings

While declaring the end of US sanctions against Turkey and a permanent ceasefire, Donald Trump said during his White House press conference: "We're getting out ... Let someone else fight over this long, blood-stained sand," he said."

Earlier this month, Trump halted negotiations on a $100 billion trade deal with Turkey, as well as raising steel tariffs up to 50% and imposing sanctions on three senior Turkish officials and Turkey's defense and energy ministries.

"The job of our military is not to police the world," Trump said. "Other nations must step up and do their fair share. Today's breakthrough is a critical step in that direction."

On the heels of Mr Trump's announcement in the White House that he was suspending tariffs on Turkey, the president thanked Kurdish general Mazloum.

It's not clear what he is thanking him for, as Mr Mazloum is known for having some harsh words recently as the US has removed itself from Syria.

Meanwhile at the impeachment inquiry, Democrats have expressed their "embarrassment" at Republicans storming hearings earlier today. 

Congressman Mike Quigley said: "We're embarrassing ourselves in front of company," Rep. Mike Quigley, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said.  

Another Democrat, Representative Harley Rouda, said: "I think it's completely inappropriate. I think when the facts are against you, the law is against you, the President apparently committed a crime, you are left with arguing process, and that's what they're arguing."

We're expecting Mr Trump's departure for Pittsburgh from the White House any moment now. He's headed there to give remarks at a shale conference, and will return later this evening.

Watch this space for some off-the-cuff remarks form him (should he give any).

In an odd move, Mr Trump didn't take any questions from reporters today on his way to the plane, according to members of the White House press corps.

It's a departure from his regular approach to the job, where he has been seen frequently battling with the press with Marine One blaring behind him.

He did provide some thoughts on Syria.

"We lost no soldiers, didn't have a soldier hurt, didn't have a finger broken," he said, according to Bloomberg reporter Jennifer Jacobs. "we have it under very good control."

In New York court today, Donald Trump's private attorney said that the president could not be investigated or prosecuted if he is in the White House, even if he shot someone in broad daylight in the middle of Fifth Avenue.

The attorney's argument mirrors a statement from Mr Trump himself — he famously suggested he could very publicly murder someone and get away with it — and comes as the president's lawyer asked the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to block a subpoena for the president's financial records from New York prosecutors.

The judge, though, appeared skeptical, and pressed on the issue of the hypothetical shooting: "Local authorities couldn't investigate? They couldn't do anything about it? Nothing could be done? That is your position?"

The lawyer responded: "That is correct".

Latest Trump tweet, get your latest Trump tweet right here. Fresh off of Air Force One:

Following yesterday's explosive testimony from William Taylor, the head of the US embassy in Kiev, Democrats have expressed an optimism that they have found their smoking gun.

Mr Taylor said he was informed that nearly $400 million in military aid  —that had already been approved — was contingent upon the Ukrainians publicly announcing the opening of an investigation into Joe Biden.

Still, they're warning that it may be weeks before public hearings on the matter, which could prove even more damaging for the president.

A federal judge has ordered the State Department to release Ukraine records within the next 30 days, including communications between Mike Pompeo and Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's personal lawyer.

The judge has now ordered interested parties to come together to discuss the scope of what documents can be released, and for those to be produced in the upcoming weeks.

After the briefings were postponed this morning because Republicans stormed a classified room, this mayhem followed: