Given whistleblower protections. This morning, the president and republicans are trying to show a united front. How long is that going to last . Were watching all of this from both ends of pennsylvania avenue. I want to start with jeff bennett. Kelly odonnell is at the white house for us. Jeff, as we come on the air, i want to start with Chuck Schumer. Hes going to be on the senate floor introducing something to try to protect alex vindman. Were going to talk more about what vindman said in this testimony in a second but whats schumer supposed to say . Hes prepared to announce that hes sending a letter, hallie, to the Army Secretary and the army chief of staff trying to get whistleblower protections for Lieutenant Colonel alexander vindman. Its important to point out that vindman in his testimony makes clear that he is not the whistleblower, but schumer says that he wants guarantees that vindman is protected from reprisals given his testimony, his bombshell testimony before congress. S
Veteran tonight about how a politics of this is getting tough for the president s party. And this day in the life of californians in the fire zone. No power, no school, no home to return to. No telling how far an ember will carry. Tonight it meant fire swirling around the library and grave site of a former president. All of it as the 11th hour gets under way on a wednesday evening. Well, good evening once again from our nbc news headquarters here in new york. Day 1,014 of this trump administration. Another day of nearly hourly developments in the krimpeachme inquiry including more testimony, and the clock is under way toward tomorrows initial vote of the house. This is a resolution to lay out the impeachment process in effect. In the meantime and looking ahead tonight, House Democrats have told former National Security adviser john bolton they want him to testify about the Trump White House and ukraine. Tonight boltons lawyer says hes not willing to appear voluntarily but that he stand
Get some other government Business Done while the impeachment debate is still on the house side of the capitol. I think its pretty clear our democratic colleagues do not have a great affinity for President Trump, but the country cannot afford for democrats in congress to take a oneyear vacation from any productive legislation just because theyd rather obsess over impeachment. We begin the hour up on capitol hill where democrats are constructing their impeachment case against the president one Building Block at a time. Today two more witnesses offering their own perspective on the inquiry especially regarding the shadow Foreign Policy on ukraine led by Rudy Giuliani. Catherine croft a special advisor on ukraine for the state department up first. Her Opening Statement says she took calls from a lobbyist who wanted the u. S. Ambassador to ukraine gone. She says she was told that President Trump ordered his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney to put an informal hold on security aid to ukra
First the breaking news. Democrats releasing a trove of impeachment transcripts. Trump and his defenders Holding Money to ukraine. The president s acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney had the office of management and budget put a hold missiles because they were concerned that russia would react negatively to the provision ofandahalf ly jave ukraine. All other parts of the u. S. Government involved in the javelin deal supported it. Were learning Christopher Anderson, a career foreign officer testified the president s special envoy to ukraine believed Rudy Giuliani was an obstacle to improving relations and putting pressure on russia. Theres a third testimony that were seeing tonight for first time from top pentagon official laura cooper. The Deputy Assistant secretary of defense telling lawmakers about a meeting back in july where officials raised concerns about whether it was illegal for trump to withhold crucial military aid for ukraine in exchange for dirt on joe biden. Cooper saying
The european union, gordon sondland, a point mant on ukraine situation, told ukrainian officials they need to deliver, quote, specific investigations in order to secure the white house meeting they so desired with President Trump. That is according to vindmans opening start reported yesterday. But the fact that the 400 million in aid including the desperately needed military assistance to beat back the russians, that was also being used by the president , that didnt become clear until the next month, vindman testified yesterday. After that john bolton told vindman to prepare a decision memo by august 15th for bolton and other Senior Administration officials to present as a Trump Administration wide interagency argument to President Trump to release the assist answer funds to ukraine as soon as possible. Vindman wrote that memo or that argument and a day later bolton, secretary of state mike pompeo, secretary of defense mike he s and others met with the president in bed minister and lea