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The public impeachment inquiry hearings: Day One
Shane Harris explains what we learned on the first day of the impeachment inquiry’s public phase. Shibani Mahtani on a flashpoint in Hong Kong.
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About Post Reports
Post Reports is the premier daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Every weekday afternoon.
In this episode
Public testimony links Trump more directly to Ukraine pressure
The House held its first public impeachment hearings on President Trump on Wednesday, starting with testimony from the acting ambassador to Ukraine, William B. Taylor Jr., and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for Ukraine.
During the hearing, Taylor told lawmakers of Trump’s personal involvement in the Ukraine pressure campaign that touched off the impeachment inquiry. In a transcript of his closed-door testimony, Taylor described a “Washington snake pit” willing to cut off aid to Ukraine as it battled Russian-backed separatists.
Kent told the House panel that there was no basis for Trump’s assertion that Joe Biden, while vice president, had stopped an investigation into a Ukrainian gas company where his son Hunter served on the board of directors.
At Kent’s earlier closed-door deposition, he told impeachment investigators that the White House directed former Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and Energy Secretary Rick Perry to direct Ukraine policy, sidelining other officials.
“I thought it was interesting how both witnesses tried to frame this question around aid to Ukraine, in terms of the strategic interests of the United States and the historical significance of it,” intelligence reporter Shane Harris says. “It might be the first time the people have really heard from diplomats who serve there on the frontlines, why it is that we’re invested in Ukraine, why we’re investing in Ukraine.”
More on this topic:
- Live updates: Trump asked E.U. ambassador about status of Ukrainian ‘investigations,’ diplomat reveals in new testimony
- New testimony ties Trump more directly to Ukraine pressure campaign
- Subscribe to our new podcast feed: Impeachment Inquiry by Washington Post podcasts
- What’s next in the public impeachment hearings
Violence flares in Hong Kong
Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong show no sign of abating, as tensions between demonstrators and the police grew more violent after the first protest-related death on Friday.
What began in June as demonstrations against a bill that would allow extradition to mainland China has grown in scope, Hong Kong correspondent Shibani Mahtani says.
“They've grown in size and are essentially fundamentally driven by the idea that Hong Kong should be self-governing,” Mahtani says. “That there should be direct elections and that there should not be Beijing interference in Hong Kong society and politics.”
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About Post Reports
Post Reports is the premier daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Every weekday afternoon.