National

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution in the Senate Thursday condemning the impeachment inquiry into President Trump, calling on the House to vote to open a formal inquiry and provide Trump with "fundamental constitutional protections."

"If you can drive down a president's poll numbers by having proceedings where you selectively leak information, where the president who's the subject of all this is pretty much shut out, God help future presidents."

The big picture: The Trump administration has said they will not cooperate with the inquiry because it is "unconstitutional," arguing that the president has been denied his due process rights. Republicans have also alleged a lack of transparency in the impeachment process, staging a protest that delayed one of the House's witness depositions on Wednesday. The resolution calls for Republicans to be granted equal subpoena power in all proceedings.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell worked with Graham to ensure the resolution's language was palatable to the Republican conference, according to a Senate aide.

44 Republican senators have signed onto the resolutions, according to Graham.

"The House of Representatives is abandoning more than a century’s worth of precedent and tradition in impeachment proceedings and denying President Trump basic fairness and due process accorded every American."

Between the lines: Axios' Jonathan Swan notes that influential figures in the Trump base, including Donald Trump Jr., have pressured Graham to take more action as Senate Judiciary chairman to combat House Democrats on impeachment.

A source close to Trump Jr. told Swan: "If you’re going to talk the talk on Fox, you better walk the walk in the chamber. And a resolution is just talk. People expect action."

Asked by reporters if he's being pressured by the White House to launch investigations, Graham said: "Yeah, I’ve been asked to call some people to the committee. That makes no sense to me. ... I’m going to do it the way I want to do it. I’m not going to turn the Senate into a circus."

What to watch: The resolution could force some vulnerable Senate Republicans who have wavered on impeachment and Trump's calls for foreign powers to investigate his political opponents to go on the record.

Go deeper: How an impeachment inquiry works

44 Republicans sign onto Graham resolution condemning impeachment inquiry

Influential figures in the Trump base, including Donald Trump Jr., have pressured Graham to take more action.

Politics

Lindsey Graham

Politics & Policy

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Tuesday that the House will open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

"Today, I'm announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry. I'm directing our 6 committees to proceed with their investigations under that umbrella ... The president must be held accountable."

Why it matters: This is a watershed moment. 31 months after the first House Democrat called for his ouster, President Trump faces the formal impeachment inquiry that could define the rest of his presidency.

Pelosi has resisted calls to impeach Trump for more than a year, even as the number of House Democrats demanding a formal inquiry crossed into the majority in June.

The big picture: The allegations that Trump may have pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden opened the floodgates this week for swing district Democrats and influential holdouts to endorse impeachment, finally pushing Pelosi over the edge.

More than 20 House Democrats endorsed impeachment on Tuesday alone, including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). Democrats remain ~50 votes shy of the 218 to impeach, but momentum is moving in that direction.

Behind the scenes: Pelosi now sees a potential necessity for impeachment even if she dislikes the political impact it could have.

One factor driving Pelosi's thinking: The White House has refused to turn over the whistleblower's complaint about Trump's actions.

Another factor: Pelosi is working to protect vulnerable Democrats who aren't on board with impeachment — assuming they get past the necessary 218 votes needed to initiate formal proceedings.

Between the lines: The White House still has a potential way to halt the escalating momentum for impeachment: turn over the whistleblower report.

The White House is releasing the transcript of Trump's call with Ukraine's new president, but that won't go far enough.

The chairmen of 3 key Democratic committees investigating Trump have demanded the White House turn over documents related to Biden and Ukraine by Thursday, threatening "escalated measures" if the administration refuses to comply.

And the GOP-controlled Senate voted unanimously to urge the administration to release the whistleblower complaint to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

What to watch: House Democrats tell Axios that there will not be a House vote on the formal impeachment inquiry. But they add that this gives ongoing investigations more urgency and emphasis and will speed up the process.

Go deeper: Inside Pelosi's thinking on impeachment

This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.

Nancy Pelosi announces formal Trump impeachment inquiry

Pelosi has resisted calls to impeach Trump for over a year.

Donald Trump impeachment

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Tuesday that the House will open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump.<div><div class="iframe-responsive-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="270" scrolling="auto" src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/4Nhklm50-AeXnLRNE" title="Nancy Pelosi announces impeachment inquiry into Trump" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="display:none"></div></div>

House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Trump — one for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress.

What's next: The House Judiciary Committee will mark up and vote on the two articles this week, before sending them to the House for a full floor vote before Christmas.

Between the lines: Much has been made about the Democrats' decision not to draft an article of impeachment for obstruction of justice related to Trump's conduct during the Mueller investigation.

However, the obstruction of Congress article notes that Trump's refusal to allow executive branch officials to testify in the impeachment inquiry is "consistent with President Trump's previous efforts to undermine United States Government investigations into foreign interference in United States elections."

Go deeper: Highlights from the Democratic press conference announcing the articles

Read the articles of impeachment against Trump

One is for abuse of power and one is for obstruction of Congress.

House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Trump — one for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress.What&#x27;s next: The House Judiciary Committee will mark up and vote on the two articles this week, before sending them to the House for a full floor vote before Christmas.

Data: NewsWhip; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

Interest in the Senate impeachment trial over its first three days was barely half as strong as the first three days of the House impeachment hearings, according to data from NewsWhip exclusively provided to Axios.

The big picture: That was by design. By blocking Democratic attempts to subpoena new documents, the Republican-controlled Senate made sure no dramatic new information would surface during the first few days of the trial — and made it easier for Americans to tune out.

By the numbers: Stories about impeachment during the first three days of House impeachment hearings resulted in 32.5 million interactions (likes, comments, shares) on social media, per NewsWhip data.

There were 17.8 million interactions on impeachment stories during the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the Senate trial. (Note: We counted Tuesday, Jan. 21 — not Friday, Jan. 17 — as the first day of the trial for practical purposes, since that's when the first real action took place with the votes on trial rules.)

Of the 25 biggest stories about Trump during these three days, only three were related to impeachment.

Between the lines: It's not as if the numbers are due to the media not covering the Senate trial as much. Stories during the House hearings averaged 816 interactions per article (40k articles total) compared to 504 interactions per article (35k) during the trial.

Yes, but: This could all change if the Senate votes to call witnesses next week — though the odds of that happening are looking less and less likely. 

What's happening: This dynamic shouldn't come as a surprise: The Democratic-led House was motivated to crank up interest in impeachment by making the hearings as explosive as possible.

Republicans, on the other hand, want the trial done as quickly and painlessly as possible without the opportunity for new evidence to surface or for the case against Trump to build.

They've dismissed the trial as boring, while working to ensure that they're as boring as possible.

The biggest new revelations since Trump's impeachment — the Government Accountability Office report that concluded the White House Office of Management and Budget violated the law by withholding military aid to Ukraine, and Lev Parnas’ allegation that Trump knew all about his efforts to pressure Ukraine — have happened outside the trial.

And don't forget that we already know the ending of this trial, thanks to Trump's red wall in the Republican-controlled Senate that makes his conviction and removal virtually impossible.

On the first evening of the trial, Fox News opted to air prime time opinion hosts, while CNN and MSNBC showed the trial.

The bottom line: The gravity of the charges against Trump is serious, but without something to change the dynamic — like witnesses who could provide new information, or suspense over the outcome — it hasn't been enough to keep the country hooked.

Impeachment trial draws shrugs — by design

Nothing but recycled arguments are exactly what Republicans want for acquittal.

Trump impeachment trial

Interest in the Senate impeachment trial over its first three days was barely half as strong as the first three days of the House impeachment hearings, according to data from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="NewsWhip" data-vars-click-url="https://www.newswhip.com/" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.newswhip.com/" target="_blank">NewsWhip</a> exclusively provided to Axios.The big picture: That was by design. By blocking Democratic attempts to subpoena new documents, the Republican-controlled Senate made sure no dramatic new information would surface during the first few days of the trial — and made it easier for Americans to tune out.

Axios AM

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a letter to members Friday that Congress will move forward with impeaching President Trump for a second time if he does not leave office "imminently and willingly."

Driving the news: House Democrats had a caucus call at noon to discuss the topic of impeachment. Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) told CNN that Democrats could bring articles of impeachment to the House floor as soon as "mid-next week" if Vice President Pence and Cabinet members do not invoke the 25th Amendment.

Pelosi also wrote in the letter that she had reached out to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley to discuss preventing an "unhinged" Trump from accessing the nuclear codes.

"Nearly fifty years ago, after years of enabling their rogue President, Republicans in Congress finally told President Nixon that it was time to go," Pelosi wrote.

"Today, following the President’s dangerous and seditious acts, Republicans in Congress need to follow that example and call on Trump to depart his office – immediately."

Between the lines: Lack of time may be the only thing that saves President Trump from becoming the first U.S. president to be impeached a second time, Hill sources tell Axios.

The big picture: Republicans are openly abandoning him. Top officials are resigning. Talk is rising of a second impeachment, or removal from office via the 25th Amendment.

Trump's national security team has begun operating as if he weren’t the president, but rather a guy in the White House who needs to be carefully managed, Jonathan Swan reports. 

So 61 days after President-elect Biden was declared the winner, Trump was spooked into the concession he never wanted to give, saying on a video last night:

"A new administration will be inaugurated on Jan. 20," he said, reading from a teleprompter. "My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation."

Two of Trump's Cabinet secretaries — Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos — resigned in one day. 

Both Speaker Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for Vice President Pence and members of Trump's Cabinet to remove him via the 25th Amendment.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr said Trump's conduct the day of the riot "was a betrayal of his office and supporters."

Retired four-star Marine Gen. John Kelly, Trump's former White House chief of staff, told CNN's Jake Tapper that Trump is "a laughingstock now." Tapper asked: "If you were in the Cabinet right now, would you vote to remove him from office?" Kelly hesitated a split-second, then said: "Yes, I would."

A Republican congressman said Trump should be removed via the 25th Amendment — Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who said he has become “unmoored” from reality.

The conservative editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, run by Trump's former confidant Rupert Murdoch, calls today for Trump to resign to avoid a second impeachment: "[I]t would give Mr. Trump agency, a la Richard Nixon, over his own fate."

Today's USA Today editorial page: "Invoke the 25th Amendment."

The bottom line: A senior administration official tells me Trump finally conceded because he has "no friends left. He could feel it all slipping away."

Pelosi threatens second impeachment if Trump does not resign

Photo: Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Donald Trump

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a letter to members Friday that Congress will move forward with impeaching President Trump for a second time if he does not leave office &quot;imminently and willingly.&quot;Driving the news: House Democrats had a caucus call at noon to discuss the topic of impeachment. Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) told CNN that Democrats could bring articles of impeachment to the House floor as soon as &quot;mid-next week&quot; if Vice President Pence and Cabinet members do not invoke the 25th Amendment.

Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) ended Democrats' second day of opening arguments in President Trump's impeachment trial on Thursday with an impassioned speech arguing for Trump's conviction.

What he said: In a clip that's sure to be played on cable news all morning, Schiff closed by saying, "If you find him guilty, you must find that he should be removed. Because right matters, because right matters. And the truth matters. Otherwise, we are lost."

The big picture: Democratic House managers have roughly eight hours remaining later today to finalize their case against the president — with today's portion expected to focus on the obstruction of Congress impeachment article.

"He could release the aid or break the law. He chose to break the law," House impeachment manager Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said, referencing a Government Accountability Office report that found the administration violated the law when it withheld military aid to Ukraine.

House impeachment manager Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) pointed to phone calls made between Lev Parnas and Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, as evidence of Giuliani keeping the president "informed about what was going on" regarding an alleged pressure campaign on Ukraine.

Schiff invoked Parnas' recently released notes, arguing they insinuated that the announcement of a Biden investigation was Trump's precondition for Ukrainian officials, not necessarily an actual investigation.

House impeachment manager Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) spent her part of the presentation debunking the Trump administration's position that the Biden family was engaged in corruption in Ukraine. She argued that "Trump didn't care about any of this until 2019" — when Biden looked like a 2020 frontrunner.

The other side: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) latched onto Garcia's presentation about the Bidens, stating on Twitter that it would require both Joe and Hunter Biden to be called as witnesses. He told reporters that he was "surprised" that Democrats made it so central to their early presentation.

Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) characterized impeaching Trump as a political act as extreme as a "death sentence" when speaking with reporters Thursday, saying that he doesn't think the case for impeachment has been made so far.

Spotted on the floor, via Axios' Alayna Treene:

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) distributed several fidget spinners to GOP colleagues on the Senate floor before Thursday's proceedings began, per NBC News.

Senators slouched back in their chairs, some on the verge of nodding off, others yawning.

Democratic Reps. Nanette Barragán and Mary Gay Scanlon watched, while former Democratic Rep. Steve Israel sat in the visitor’s gallery. At one point, Sen. Thom Tillis moved to the visitor’s gallery to get a bird’s eye view.

Senate public galleries held nearly 200 people listening on Thursday, per the New York Times.

Schiff: Putin should not be "thanking God" for Trump

The highlights from all of the public impeachment hearings

Trump-Ukraine scandal: The key players, dates and documents

Fact check ... What Joe and Hunter Biden actually did in Ukraine

What deserves your attention during the impeachment trial

The daily highlights from Trump's impeachment trial

Trump impeachment trial recap, day 3: Schiff argues that "the truth matters"

Lead House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) ended Democrats&#x27; second day of opening arguments in President Trump&#x27;s impeachment trial on Thursday with an impassioned speech arguing for Trump&#x27;s conviction.What he said: In a clip that&#x27;s sure to be played on cable news all morning, Schiff closed by saying, &quot;If you find him guilty, you must find that he should be removed. Because right matters, because right matters. And the truth matters. Otherwise, we are lost.&quot;

The first day of the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump saw a series of procedural clashes over the rules at the heart of the proceeding on Tuesday.

What happened: Senators ultimately approved Senate Majority Leader's Mitch McConnell's proposed roadmap for the trial after a series of votes initiated by Democrats to include more witnesses and evidence failed along party lines.

McConnell's roadmap changed significantly early on in Tuesday's debate — allowing each side 24 hours to present their opening arguments over three days, instead of two. That change means that the first days of arguments would max out at eight hours rather than 12.

Evidence from the House's impeachment inquiry will be entered into the trial automatically unless there are specific objections from a senator, in another change to McConnell's original plan.

The Senate will be able to revisit whether to subpoena witnesses or include more evidence after the forthcoming six days of opening arguments.

The big picture: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tried to issue subpoenas for testimony or documents from: (1) The White House; (2) State Department; (3) the Office of Management and Budget; (4) White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney; (5) Defense Department; (6) Robert Blair, Mulvaney's senior advisor, and Michael Duffey, the OMB's associate director for national security programs; and (7) former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Schumer also pushed a subpoena to require that each side release all evidence gathered from an authorized subpoena when admitting new evidence. 

His other amendments involved giving Chief Justice John Roberts the ability to decide to allow motions on subpoenas and adjusting allotted time for written motions and response.

In the chamber, desks were covered in papers and notepads, including booklets with evidence produced during the impeachment investigation, Axios' Alayna Treene reports from the Capitol.

About 9:30 p.m., McConnell, noting the late hour, asked if Schumer could stack the rest of his amendments so they could vote on all of them at once. Schumer said no and added that they could finish voting on Wednesday — but after a brief recess, the two couldn't reach a deal.

Many of the senators scribbled handwritten notes throughout, and only water and milk were allowed.

To get around the rule of silence, some senators were caught flashing each other notes.

Spotted in the audience: Alyssa Milano and former Sen. Jeff Flake.

Republican Reps. Mark Meadows, Lee Zeldin and Louie Gohmert came in partway through and sat in the back on the Senate floor.

Adam Schiff argues for additional evidence: "The truth will come out"

Pat Cipollone: Democrats want to remove Trump from 2020 ballot with impeachment

Cipollone falsely claims Republicans were barred from impeachment depositions

Trump impeachment trial recap, day 1: Senators approve rules of proceeding

The chamber now moves to up to six days of opening arguments.

Photos: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc; Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The first day of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Senate impeachment trial " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/impeachment-trial-schedule-99cf1fad-a035-407c-977f-093616b98457.html" data-vars-content-id="b466b9d1-43cf-4310-b709-78a9b834c17c" data-vars-headline="Trump impeachment trial recap, day 1: Senators approve rules of proceeding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/impeachment-trial-schedule-99cf1fad-a035-407c-977f-093616b98457.html" target="_self">Senate impeachment trial </a>of President Trump saw a series of procedural clashes over the rules at the heart of the proceeding on Tuesday.What happened: Senators ultimately approved Senate Majority Leader&#x27;s Mitch McConnell&#x27;s proposed roadmap for the trial after a series of votes initiated by Democrats to include more witnesses and evidence failed along party lines.

Axios Sneak Peek

The next phase of impeachment begins at 10 a.m. today with the first public hearing about President Trump's actions toward Ukraine — so here's a look at the witnesses you're likely to see.

Why it matters: Impeachment so far has been a messy and confusing process, with so many subplots that it's easy to lose track of what really matters: whether Trump held up military aid and a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president in exchange for a public promise to investigate Joe Biden's family.

Ambassador Bill Taylor: The top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. He says it was his "clear understanding" that Trump would not release military aid to Ukraine until its president promised to conduct the investigations Trump wanted.

Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent: He says Trump wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to go to the microphones "and say investigations, Biden, and Clinton."

Former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch: The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. She says she was pushed out over unsubstantiated allegations that she was critical of Trump and didn't want Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son. 

Jennifer Williams: An aide to Vice President Mike Pence, on detail from the State Department. She was on the July call between Trump and Zelensky and said she had concerns with the political nature of the call.

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman: A decorated war veteran and the National Security Council's top Ukraine expert. He was on the July call and says Mulvaney coordinated the plan to push Ukraine for the Biden investigations.

Kurt Volker, former Special Envoy to Ukraine: He describes what officials saw as Rudy Giuliani's improper role in U.S. diplomacy.

Former National Security Council adviser Tim Morrison: He was also on the July call, and says he was told directly about Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine to open political investigations. 

EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland: He revised his initial testimony to say he told a Ukrainian official that the country wouldn't get military aid unless it caved to Trump's demands.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian Affairs Laura Cooper: She says it was her understanding that Trump himself directed the freeze on aid to Ukraine, and that officials raised concerns after the aid was suspended.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale: He spoke to what many officials described as Yovanovitch's questionable removal.

Former Russia aide Fiona Hill: She reported to former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and says Bolton believed Sondland and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney were cooking up a "drug deal" with Ukraine.

Democrats have also shown interest in having the following individuals appear, but they have rejected Congress' requests:

Former deputy National Security Adviser Charles Kupperman.

Acting Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought.

Republicans also want Hunter Biden and the whistleblower — both targets of Trump — to appear for public hearings. 

But an official working on impeachment told Axios that the House Intelligence Committee said Hunter Biden and the whistleblower are "absolute nonstarters": "We will not conduct the sham investigations the president demanded that instigated this inquiry." 

A viewer's guide to the impeachment hearings

Who's set to testify and why they matter.

Photo illustration of Bill Taylor, Marie Yovanovitch, and George Kent

Photo Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos by Alex Wong via Getty Images, and Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The next phase of impeachment begins at 10 a.m. today with the first public hearing about President Trump&#x27;s actions toward Ukraine — so here&#x27;s a look at the witnesses you&#x27;re likely to see.Why it matters: Impeachment so far has been a messy and confusing process, with so many subplots that it&#x27;s easy to lose track of what really matters: whether Trump held up military aid and a White House meeting with Ukraine&#x27;s new president in exchange for a public promise to investigate Joe Biden&#x27;s family.

In six months, a phone call between President Trump and Ukraine's president escalated into a full-blown crisis that is culminating in Trump's impeachment.

What's next: Assuming the House approves articles of impeachment later tonight, Trump will face a trial in the Senate next month — which is likely to end in his acquittal, since Senate Republicans have already been openly dismissive about the merits of the case against him.

July 18: State Department and Pentagon are informed Trump is withholding $392 million in military aid to Ukraine, but not told why.

July 25 phone call: Trump asks Ukraine's new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden — Trump's potential 2020 election rival — and his son Hunter. That request is not made public to Americans.

Aug. 12: A whistleblower, who works inside the U.S. intelligence community, files a complaint alleging that Trump used "the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 election."

Sept. 11: The administration quietly lifts the hold on aid to Ukraine under pressure from lawmakers including Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), but without public explanation.

Sept. 24: Pelosi announces a formal impeachment inquiry.

Sept. 25: White House releases a partial transcript of the July 25 call, hours before Trump and Zelensky meet face to face at the UN General Assembly.

Zelensky says he didn't feel pressured during the call.

Sept. 26: The whistleblower complaint is released.

Oct. 3–Nov. 16: Current and former Trump administration officials with knowledge of Trump's Ukraine activity are grilled behind closed doors by members of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees.

Nov. 13–21: Current and former Trump administration officials testify publicly before the House Intelligence Committee.

Dec. 4: Legal experts testify before the House Judiciary Committee on the constitutional basis for and against the impeachment of Trump.

Dec. 9: The House Judiciary Committee hears the evidence behind the impeachment.

Dec. 13: The House Judiciary Committee approves articles of impeachment against Trump. 

Dec. 18: The full House of Representatives debates and votes on the articles of impeachment.

Capitol Hill digs in as Trump's impeachment looms

Trump accuses Democrats of subverting democracy in blistering letter to Pelosi

The road to Trump's impeachment

Trump's call with the president of Ukraine six months ago will culminate in the third impeachment in U.S. history.

President Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands

Trump and Zelensky shake hands during a meeting in New York in September. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

In six months, a phone call between President Trump and Ukraine&#x27;s president escalated into a full-blown crisis that is culminating in Trump&#x27;s impeachment.What&#x27;s next: Assuming the House approves articles of impeachment later tonight, Trump will face a trial in the Senate next month — which is likely to end in his acquittal, since Senate Republicans have already been openly dismissive about the merits of the case against him.

Several of the seats reserved for members of Congress who aren't on the Intelligence Committee were vacant — and more Republicans than Democrats sat in the Ways and Means hearing room that hosted yesterday's impeachment hearing.

The big picture: C-SPAN's cameras only captured the main action, failing to capture the scope of the room and how those in the audience reacted during the marathon hearing.

Four TV screens were used to display a map of Ukraine, text messages shared between the witnesses, and excerpts of President Trump's phone call.

The hearing got off to a slow start, with roughly an hour and a half of opening statements. Even the members appeared to lose energy.

Republicans and Democrats frequently made visible and audible expressions. There were groans when Chairman Adam Schiff interrupted Republican questioning to tell the diplomats that they didn't have to answer certain questions.

A bunch of people in the audience dozed off during the hearing's second half.

Bill Taylor testifies that staffer overheard Trump discuss "the investigations" with Sondland

George Kent defends colleagues against anti-immigrant attacks in impeachment testimony

Ranking GOP member Devin Nunes' opening statement

The highlights from Bill Taylor and George Kent's testimony

Inside the room for the first day of Trump impeachment hearings

C-SPAN's cameras only captured the main action.

George Kent (left) and Bill Taylor (right) swearing an oath.

Several of the seats reserved for members of Congress who aren&#x27;t on the Intelligence Committee were vacant — and more Republicans than Democrats sat in the Ways and Means hearing room that hosted yesterday&#x27;s impeachment hearing.The big picture: C-SPAN&#x27;s cameras only captured the main action, failing to capture the scope of the room and how those in the audience reacted during the marathon hearing.

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