Announcer this is cnn breaking news. Hi there. Im brooke baldwin. Youre watching cnn. Thank you for being with me today. All eyes on democrats who in different ways to pose a pla problem for President Trump staying in the white house. Joe biden and nancy pelosi. Joe biden is expected to speak as donald trump continues baseless accusations against joe biden and his son hunter in the ukraine. The comments come as sources tell cnn Speaker Pelosi is addressing a resolution to address the phone call with the ukrainian president , happening as calls for impeachment are
growing. Among them a group of moderate freshmen lawmakers in Swing Districts with all of National Security backgrounds. Well talk with one in a few moments. Speaker pelosi and biden are about to speak as President Trump gives yet another reason why he originally withheld millions in military aid from ukraine after that whistleblower complaint came to light. One day ago he cited corruption. And now hes pointing the blame at europe. Listen to this. We want to make sure that country is honest. Very important to Talk About Corruption. If you dont Talk About Corruption why give money to a country that you think is corrupt . One of the reasons the new president got elected is he was going to stop corruption. My complaint has always been and i withhold again and will continue to withhold until such time as europe and other nations contribute to ukraine, because theyre not doing it. Just the United States. Were putting up the bulb of k e money. Why is that . Trump insists never any quid pro quo involving ukraine and a phone call with its president about biden and his son. Start with Cnn Political Courter at the hotel where biden will be shortly speaking. Arlette what will he be calling for . Reporter in a short while, joe biden will speak here in his hometown of wilmington, delaware and talk about President Trump not complying that impeachment should be proceeded upon and biden will go further than ever before than calls for impeachment today. What a top Campaign Aide told us earlier this afternoon. They said hell make the point trumps latest abuses are on top of all of his prior abuses and going to call on trump to comply with all of Congress Outstanding lawful requests for
information and the ukraine matter and in the other investigations, and if trump does not comply, congress has no choice but to impeach. Now, joe biden has been at the center of this controversy relating to President Trump and ukraine and the whistleblower after it was revealed that the president spoke with the ukrainian president trying to pressure him to investigate joe bidens son hunter biden. Theres no evidence of wrongdoing on the bidens part, now you see the former Vice President go farther than ever before in regards to impeachment and as you see other democrats across the country, across party spectrum, who are also now coming forward saying that impeachment must be pursued. We will hear from joe biden expected here within the next hour to talk about these comments. Brooke . Well stand by for that and take it. Arlette, thank you for now. So will trump become the third u. S. President to face impeachment . The drum beats are indeed getting louder and louder. We are learning house speaker
nancy pelosi plans to put a resolution on the house floor tomorrow addressing ukraine. She meets with all of the democrats in her chamber, just two hours from now. Shes been talking with the democratic chairs of six House Committees today sounding out their views on whether to get Impeachment Proceedings rolling. Speaker pelosi told our correspondent jeff zeleny that democrats will have no choice but to move forward with an inquiry. The number of democrats calling for that Impeachment Inquiry keeps grows. Look at your screen. Look at that. 158 at last count. Veteran congressman john lewis giving a fiery speech on the house floor today. We cannot delay we must not wait. Now is the time to act. I have been patient when we tried every other path and used every other tool. I truly believe the time to begin Impeachment Proceedings against this president has come. Congressman lewis voice adding to those democrats who have been demanding impeachmented proceedings for months. We need to actually start doing our job, and part of that is opening an Impeachment Inquiry ive called for since december 2017. Its the right thing to do regardless of the politics and you see more and more democrats moving in this direction. To be clear, theres not a single democrat whos moved from proimpeachment debate to against it. Right. And then also this. Seven firstterm House Democrats all from competitive Swing Districts all military or intelligence or national xu Security Penning this oped in the Washington Post saying if allegations of ukraine are true it is an impeach ant offense. Sunlen serfaty is with me now. Pelosi resisted impeachment now saying we have no choice, planning to put this resolution out on the floor. Whats the temperature in capitol hill . Different than just 24 hours ago, brooke. Feels like essentially an air of inevitability to all this amidst fastmoving developments on the part of House Democrats today. You mentioned the rapidly growing numbers of House Democrats that are now coming out saying that they are in support of impeachment and certainly notable among those numbers is who exactly is coming out. You mentioned those moderate House Freshmen from Swing Districts, came out with an oped. Many allies and Close Friends of Speaker Pelosi aligned with her strategy from the start saying, yes, add my name to this impeachment group. Significant not only in numbers but significant in who is calling for impeachment. Of course, the biggest factor here is Speaker Of The Housenancy pelosi. As you said, she has been huddling with folks all day the last 24 hours. She will meet with Six Committee chairs today. Kind of to talk strategy and then that big, key, important meeting at 4 00 p. M. Today with the entire House Democratic guac is where we believe of some sort of plan will emerge from that meeting and how democrats will exactly proceed next. If they indeed will move towards formal Impeachment Proceedings. We know that pelosi will speak moments after that. Potentially well hear her ultimate decision, of course, shes been reticent in the past. Again it feels like the tide has shifted up here on capitol hill and we know according to sources shes paying attention to you a the voia all the voices within her caucus. Well pay extra attention coming up next. My next guest says President Trumps July 25th Call with his ukrainian counterpart is a game changer and a critical reason why this democratic
congresswoman a navy veteran flipped urging the Second District from blue to red in the midterm and why she signed on to this joint oped. Six fellow Freshmen Writing in the allegations are true the time for impeachment has come ands the congresswoman is with me now in washington. Congresswoman, pleasure to have you on thank you. Thank you, brooke. You issued this statement saying President Trump has betrayed the public trust, adan donald his obligations to the constitution and you write that allegations of Gross Misconduct meet the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors. Congresswoman, do you think this incident with ukraines president makes the justification clear to you and to the American Public . Brooke, this makes it crystal clear. At this point you have the president of the United States enlisting a foreign leader to conduct an investigation to do nothing but smear and malign his political opponent to bolster his chances for reelection,
then on top of that, withholding foreign aid in the amount of 250 million, this is just clearcut. This is beyond the pale, and this is an offense if it Isnt Impeachable what is . So youre saying crystal clear, your oped mentions a potential quid pro quo. Right . Wi withholding aid in exchange for information on the bidens. Does it matter the president did not provincially mention money in the phone call . Doesnt matter. Could be explicit. Even an explicit connection between the two. I mean, put your shoes in the president of ukraines feet. President zelensky. The president of the United States promised this 250 million in Security Assistance youre in position as well in 2014, your country invaded by
russia and crimea and its critical assistance to provide protection for your National Security. Then youre asked to conduct an investigation to smear the political opponent of the president of another country. How could it not be immiss itpl connected . The speaker read your oped flying back to washington and got a heads up of it coming out in the post. Have you, any colleagues of yours heard from the Speakers Office and do you know her reaction to your decision . We all spoke to the speaker before this. I mean, i was 20 years in the navy and i know you never want to surprise anyone in the Chain Of Command and the speaker values all of our opinions, and was very glad to have the discussion with us and understand that we had made this decision. I made this decision independently. Then through discussion with my colleagues found that we were all on the same page. This was glaring misconduct and
it just met a threshold that we felt was imperative we move forward and fortunate to have sorry colleagues in the National Security myself in the military and former cia as well. The seven of us came together and said we have to do this and speak as one voice to make sure the American Public understands that we see the severity in this. When you gave Speaker Pelosi the heads up what was her reaction to you . Her reaction is as it always has been whenever ive let her another about a decision ive node, elaine you represent your district and do what is right tore your district and pivoting 0en that in this case, what i did was what i think will set congress to make a tough decision. Okay. And we know that later this afternoon shes speaking with your caucus. If she listens to you, if they takes your words to heart what is next, congresswoman . In terms of selling this to anAmerican Public . Take it to a Primetime Address . What could she do, do you think . Im learning. Watching the broadcast here. Former vice President Biden will be speaking, then i will be attending the caucus meeting at 4 00 and i know that thats a very good forum for all of us to speak and leadership and the speaker all other members listen closely to what we have to say as colleagues and what were going to do for decisions around the country and next after that, just based off what ive learned during your broadcast she will make a Public Statement at some point today. Okay. Congresswoman luria, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you for all your years in the navy serving this country as well. Thank you. Breaking News Coverage continues as we hear from vice President Biden shortly. Talk about the latest trump scandal and whether it will stick. Even before the events of today, a warning issued from veterans of hillary clintons
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is that ive tried to avoid the situation that were in now, because it was very divisive for the country. This administration has done irreparable not irreparable. Lets hope its reparable but we must repair and we must heal. For me relating that to yo yo and chris, it is about the arts. I always believed that the arts would bring us together. And we can come together, listen, be inspired, laugh, cry, just enjoy and put our differences aside, thats a very positive thing. When we hear the Battle Hymn Of The Republic it arouses such emotion in all of us that we are united. So i thank atlantic festival, used to be called a different name when i was in high school. I apologize. The atlantic for recognizing the role that music and the arts play in our lives and i do believe that that is a path that
can unify us, one way. The you asked about, what . Let me justsy that last tuesday, last tuesday, september 17th, was constitution day. The anniversary of that day when Benjamin Franklin came out of Independence Hall and people said, dr. Frank lip what lin wh have . A republic or a monarchy . A republic if we can keep it. That very day last tuesday erupted this remarkable set of facts, on constitution day, and it was about the i. G. , Inspector General, at the office of the director of National Intelligence saying that there was a whistleblower complaint. And then we learned that it was
going to be blocked from being presented, and that the dni was not going to allow it to come forward. So let me just say this. I have more experience in intelligence than anybody in the congress. At least 25 years. I was a member of the committee. I was the top democrat. I was the adam schiff. We didnt hav