The White House announced on Sunday that it will not participate in the Judiciary Committee’s first impeachment hearing, also indicating that the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry is a “baseless” and “partisan” exercise in their scathing five-page letter to the chairman.
The decision was made by President Trump based on the advice of some of his allies as well as several congressional Republicans who said that they did not want a White House presence at the mockery of an impeachment hearing that might validate the process they call illegitimate and partisan.
Trump will depend on his GOP allies on the panel which include Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, John Ratcliffe of Texas, and Matt Gaetz of Florida, for a stellar impeachment defense during the first hearing of the Judiciary panel on Wednesday.
“Under the current circumstances, we do not intend to participate in your Wednesday hearing,” wrote White House Counsel Pat Cipollone to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), adding that “an invitation to an academic discussion with law professors does not begin to provide the president with any semblance of a fair process.”
Nadler requested that Trump indicate by Sunday whether he himself or a White House attorney would attend the hearing on Wednesday. He also asked Trump to indicate whether he intends to participate in any part of the impeachment proceedings by the Judiciary Committee, which are scheduled to continue next week. Cipollone did leave the option open of the possibility that the White House may participate in future hearings.
Lawmakers will hear about the impeachment process from a panel of constitutional scholars and law professors as well as whether allegations against the president meet the threshold of “high crimes and misdemeanors” as outlined in the Constitution.
Although Nadler has yet to identify any witnesses, Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the committee, has already requested that the panel of witnesses be fair and include an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.
“This is a failure of the Judiciary Committee to be able to talk to fact witnesses, to be able to talk to the people that have actually been a part of this, and actually have the president viably participate in his own defense — which he’s not had the opportunity to do now,” Rep. Collins told Fox News.
The letter by Cipollone on Sunday repeats his past statements on the impeachment inquiry, which he considers to be illegitimate and that it deprives the president of due process. The White House and GOP allies say Democrats have established an impeachment process that prohibits Trump and his attorneys a fair chance to present evidence or cross-examine witnesses.
“It is too late to cure the profound procedural deficiencies that have tainted this entire inquiry,” Cipollone wrote in a letter, “We cannot fairly be expected to participate in a hearing while the witnesses are yet to be named and while it remains unclear whether the Judiciary Committee will afford the president a fair process through additional hearings.”
Meanwhile, Democrats say that they have given the president adequate due process. Wednesday’s hearing will begin a series of hearings by the Judiciary Committee as it prepares to draft articles of impeachment. The goal is to finish the impeachment process by the end of the year.
To USA, wake up the PC Liberal Communist Democrats today are using this Impeachment Hearing in order not to attack President Trump, it’s to destroy Christian Christmas that’s their true agenda, just like Muslim BHO was implementing his hate for Christian and not to allow the Military to have religion within the Military. Wake up to the truth Merry Christmas God.
That’s right George. No one cares that Trump is being impeached and it is not because he is guilty of all the accusations made against him that include impeachable crimes and misdemeanors. It is all a cover to attack Christmas. It appears that those who choose the comments to post here are victims of “spongy head syndrome” brought on by the wearing of a Chinese made Make America (actually China) Great Again hat.
Good this is nothing more than a kangaroo court and is political to the core all because the 2016 election did not go as planned. The Democratic Party acts like children who when the game doesn’t go their way storm out pick up their toys and go home. What a disgrace but they will continue this miscarriage until they destroy the President his family his supporters and the Republican Party. Their new God is Soros who is funding these Democrats in everything they do. Sort of like the $24,000 given by Ukraine to Clinton campaign. They were very surprised as was the world over the 2016 outcome. The world will be surprised again in 2020.
Hard to believe these Brain Dead Liberals want to Impeach the GREATEST President in the History of our Country…
They aren’t. Obama left office as prescribed under our election laws with one of the highest approval ratings of any president since those records have been kept at 58%
PS. The current guy’s approval was only at 40% right after his election and even BEFORE he was inaugurated. Thus the empty stands during the ceremony. He currently rates a low of 38% on the ABC poll and 46% on the Rasmussen. The Rassmussen, by the way, is ranked 24th out of 28 or accuracy.
The demonrats are not AMERICANS nor do they care what they do to destroy AMERICA they are worthless pieces of garbag. They should all be tried for treason and put in jail. They have done nothing for us and are working hard to take away our freedom they are all brainless idiots that hate our President they should all be deported to the country they love and get out of our country
MR. PRESIDENT, get your Team to swat the Democraps aside, like a fly on the wall.
Keep doing what you have done so far ….. TRUMP IN 2020 !
How can a cockroach swat a fly?
BEST PREZ EVER!! TRUMP 2020! Dems-libs still lying and crying for the next five years as they swim around in the sewer drinking the black water!!
Trump one uped the demos.They hoped he would be there so they could zee him flinch or lose his temper.he’s smarter than that. Nadler nodded off for most of it. The demos proved nothing and their scollars didn’t know anything. They were at a loss except forth scollar. The female scholar took a shot at tumps youngest son. She crossed the line and it tells me that’s she is one angry and unhappy person. Taking her agression out against a child is assault to me..the demos need to go, the quickest way.. Yesterday’s demo cherade was boring and full of lies. Now the republicans reved it up by asking the correct hard questions. who had o viable answers.they seemed to at a loss,better yet,frozen like a deer in the road In the cars headlights, And going off on the demos. Kuddos to them and to hell with the demos and their kids a illegal activities. They will be gone in November 2020. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!!!!
The more successful President Trump is the more these communists want him out. No different than communist China wanting to destroy a very successful Hong Kong and turn it into a POS like China.
Can you imagine all that Pres. Trump would have gotten done for us had he not have to contend with the crap the sore losers dish out?
I’ve read that Shifty is the son-in-law of George Soros – if true, it sure explains a lot. He is also said to have corrupt dealings with other countries. Wouldn’t be surprised. Not matter what they throw at him, we will not vote for anyone else in 2020. Actually, here’s a president
who deserves a third term in office. Rome wasn’t built in a day and he’s go so much more work to do.
As to the infant Canada elected – baby Justin – we heard your crap; so very school yard of you. I know I won’t be visiting Canada while you are in office.
Lord bless the Trump family and cover them with your divine protection as politicians sway voters to believe twisted lies to change an election that was won fairly. I am a believer that all mankind are stewards of creation and responsible for sharing our world with future generations by laws that protect and preserve our economy and our country as well as this world called home.
Maybe Pres. Donald Trump could become Vice President under a Pres. Mike Pence two terms in office. Another thirteen years from now close to the presidency? Or another Trump Ivanka(?) runs in 2024 and President DJ Trump becomes her advisor.
I DO hope that we WILL see PRISON sentences against NUTCASE “jerry rigged” Nadler, Senile Nancy Pelosi and Dog Pile Schiff. They should be sent to PRISON hauled away in HANDCUFFS (NO bail – they are a “flight risk”) awaiting TRIAL, guilty of SEDITION and TREASON, CRIMES against the POTUS. They need to have their “golden parachute” retirements REVOKED as well. They ALSO need to be tried for DERILECTION OF DUTY. This is NOT political “fun and games” but an EGGREGIOUS breech of JUSTICE, which MUST NOT be tolerated. POTUS TRUMP is INNOCENT of ALL charges and these individuals KNEW it. ALL of this is COLLUSION to a CRIME. Team Trump and his allies 2020 – KAGA (Keep America GREAT AGAIN).
Lord bless the Trump family and cover them with your divine protection as politicians sway voters to believe twisted lies to change an election that was won fairly. I am a believer that all mankind are stewards of creation and responsible for sharing our world with future generations by laws that protect and preserve our economy and our country as well as this world called home.
I dont blame the President for not participating. The whole impeachment is a farce. Prejudiced “witnesses”, all hearsay, Republicans not being able to call their own witness or ask certain questions to the dems “witnesses”. Now, does this seem fair and impartial? I think not.
Talk about Hitlaer and Stalin and others like them. The Democrates even act pompous and arrogant in this ridiculous Scheme. Democrates are totally mentally ill. Once you tell a lie you have to keep lies or be a total fool.Democrates do you understand?
It’s ashamed the demos spend so much money on this matter. It’s just so wrong, they can waist time and money on this false impeachment charge. The president should start growing the demos who are causing this country a lot of tax payers dollars that could be used for a good purpose.
Democrats love spending money , the taxpayers that is they hate to spend their own . Even more they love to get paid for doing nothing that might be constructive to America . We’re they to work and do their elective duty , they might just inadvertently make Trump look good . But no they would rather have a modern day version of the Salem Witch Trials not realizing that all they are doing is making themselves look dumber than they already do .
unfortunately the money is ours and not theirs It’s the taxpayers that are paying for all this nonsense. It needs to stop and we need to contact our reps to take care of this before they totally bankrupt the people of this great country…
Very sad day for our country where the demos go for impeachment without evidence , no facts , no witness , no violations . All hearsay!
Where the congress with the democratic majority can hijack the system and the process. the good news is the Truth Will Come Out. AMERICA WAKE UP….VOTE THE DEMOCRATS OUT….
I fully expect at some time to see Adam Schiff sworn in to testify and then charged with lying to Congress after he commits sworn perjury.
I think the Senate will call all of Trump’s accusers(since 2015) to the stand to testify and every liar found lying in the Senate trial will be declared in contempt of the Senate trial for impeachment by the Supreme Court Chief Justice and the penalties will be severe with a steep fine and time in prison.
You all have to excuse Bill Lingle because he only has a brain the size of a pea, that’s why his nickname is ole pea brain.Boy is that fitting.On another item, Washy. Post has moved ahead of the nyt for being the no. 1 jerks in the so called media world barring none.
Simple he don’t want to support the Coup being committed on a setting President and give the Comunist Democratic Bastards any leverage. I do hope the American citizens wake up and put an end to this coup in 2020 voting. The POS Piglosi, Schiff and the rest of the coup body get prosecuted as soon as possible for treason.