Republican lawmakers storm hearing room, disrupting Trump impeachment inquiry

The Never Trumper Republicans, though on respirators with not many left, are in certain ways worse and more dangerous for our Country than the Do Nothing Democrats. Watch out for them, they are human scum

Trash talking spoiled brat.

He knows he’s in trouble....

Looks like in Germany before 1939.

If Trump declared himself President for life and locked up the opposition, there'd still be people, including on this site, who'd support him.

^You're joking, right?

A rogues gallery of morons pictured here: You've got Matt Gaetz, who drink drives and gets bailed out by Daddy; Gym Jordan who turned a blind eye to sex abuse at Ohio State; and Louis Gohmert who had a meltdown about an alleged affair during the Strzok hearing. The very best and brightest Republicans, clearly.

Republicans who are members of the three congressional committees conducting the inquiry have taken part in the process throughout.

It's pretty amazing that the bubble can convince their base that Republicans have been "locked out" of the "secret hearings."

Why do Dems always insist on secret closed door members only meetings.

They don't always.

Whatever happened to transparency and accountability?

It still exists. Why won't Donny practice it by letting people testify and providing documents in discovery.

Why are Dems afraid of the spotlight?

They aren't. It's the investigatory stages before the grand jury hears evidence to hand down an indictment. Investigations and grand juries, as Trunpophilescwell know, are not open to the public.

The republicans in the senate can vote to have witnesses if they want to hear from these people. Witnesses are available for examination and cross-examination in the trial.

The vulgar current occupant of the White House, doing what he does best, with the help of his followers in the U.S. Congress.

It’s ironic that he was a registered Democrat most of his adult life and switched his political party affiliation as opportunists do.

What a disgusting show of immaturity and disrespect for our Constitution. But as has been mentioned, when you have a trio of clowns like Jordan, Gaetz and "Loony Louie" Gohmert, expect anything. I wouldn't put it past them to start waving Russian flags from the rafters. What an embarrassment...

Trump is a BOSS.

Trump 2020

Trump 2020 - 2030: Rikers Island...

Trump should do the honourable thing and resign and hope for a pardon

Unfortunately, honour is a quality he totally lacks. And so do many of his party, trying to disrupt a legal investigation like spoilt children.

This is a sign of worse things to come. Trump cultists will do anything to protect their Lord and Savior.

Truly appalling.

Repugnant. Sore losers.

Bass4funk: Having sex in private, no matter how disgusting you think it is, is not the same as letter foreign countries interfere with the security of your own country and bribing other leaders for your own financial and political benefit. And neither is wearing a tan suit or sleeveless dress a crime. Roll on 2020.

There were Republicans inside the SCIF, as part of the committee.

Testimony that is likely to contain national secrets should be given inside a secure facility.

The chairman agreed to make transcripts, sans national secrets, available to all of Congress. I believe that will happen.

Anyone who wasn't invited with a legal reason to be there needs to be arrested, lose their clearances, and be blocked from joining any committees where a clearance is required. Put the action on their "permanent record."

Anyone who entered the room without permission should be arrested and charged with a crime.

Lawmakers can't be prevented from doing their jobs according to the US Constitution, so any punishment would need to be a work-release program. Basically, if they break almost any law on the way to or from or during Congressional work, they get a pass. That's the hard part for the charges.

OTOH, when Democrats stole all the "W" keys off computers, they didn't get charged with theft of govt property, so ...

Burning BushToday  07:07 am JST

Why do Dems always insist on secret closed door members only meetings.

I don't know why you're so bothered. You appear to think that Trump has nothing to hide and therefore nothing to worry about, so surely you're confident that Republican Senators will acquit him. So what does it matter how the Democrats go about these proceedings?

Memory serves that the GOP Congress held their endless Benghazi investigation behind closed doors.

Look - this stage is like a grand jury. They gather and collate info and than make it public for consideration. Do the GOP feel that grand jury hearings should be open to the public? That would defeat the purpose.

This looks like a stupid frat boy stunt.

And note from the picture that every one of them is a dude who looks like a stupid former frat boy.

What a bunch of crybabies.

Testimony that is likely to contain national secrets should be given inside a secure facility.

remember all the retracted information in the public release of the Mueller report because the AJ didnt want shown because of national security reasons. The Republican suffer from selective amnesia

BlacklabelToday  10:35 am JST

if these had been Democrats...

But they weren't Democrats. If they had been I would be shaking my head at such a pointless stunt. I assume though that you think it was up there with firefighters saving babies from burning buildings.

The usual rabidly zealous dingbats in that photo: Mark Meadows, Louie Gohmert, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan . . .

Why are Trumpets so afraid of due process and the rule of law? Why do they hate the constitution?

I will not be satisfied with just Trump's impeachment and removal from office. I want all the congressional Republicans who have stone walled and supported Trump to be censured and expelled. Those individuals who have actively supported Trump should be charged with criminal conspiracy.

No, if you look at every economists model, No one is Wall St. likes these Democrats and if taxes go up and people don’t spend....

Republicans, the party of Wall Street. Pathetic.

Why do Dems always insist on secret closed door members only meetings.

Whatever happened to transparency and accountability?

"Non-committee members are not allowed in the room during the deposition. Those are the rules. No exceptions made." -- Republican Trey Gowdy - June 15, 2015

Those individuals who have actively supported Trump should be charged with criminal conspiracy.\

And witness tampering. Let's not forget Matt Gaetz's little stunt. https://www.vox.com/2019/2/26/18241996/matt-gaetz-michael-cohen-trump-twitter-threat

How do you call a political process when you’re being shut out and you’re not allowed to view any evidence, you’re not allowed to interview any witnesses, you’re just supposed to except the allegations are not allowed to confront them or be allowed to take part in the political process? 

Republican committee members are allowed to view the evidence and are allowed to interview witnesses. Nobody is required to 'except' the allegations, and the authorised Republicans, i.e. committee members, are most certainly allowed to take part in the political process, as they are doing. Your comments are totally unfounded.

Trump has deployed his "Stormtroopers"! Except they were inplain clothes instead the brown shirt uniforms!

Oh I think Trump will survive all of it. But, before the end, it will be obvious that he broke the law for personal gain, and it will be obvious that Congressional Republicans helped him get away with it.

That's how it will be written in the history books.

. . . so until the process is 100% fair, they’ll continue to moan . . .

Let's see here: There are about 45+ GOP committee members who are present at these hearings. They get to listen to witnesses and then ask them questions. What is so secretive about that? As far as the Republicans who were not allowed into the room, if they really wanted to be there, then maybe they should have asked for better committee assignments from their own leadership.

Oh, and if the Republicans really want to hear witnesses like Ambassador Taylor speak in public, why not invite them to read their opening statements on the White House steps? Let's see how that works out for them.

Be careful what you wish for.

. . .upping their hatred to DEFCON 11,

You do realize that the higher the DEFCON number, the lower the threat is, right?

We are witnessing the "last days of the Trumpian Empire". The cowardly Repug enablers, "tired of winning", refuse to fall on their swords and instead storm the secure hearing room in an attempt to distract from the spectacle of Trump's falling house of cards. If justice were to be served, this would all end in a presidential perp-walk out of the Oval Office with the hapless dummy Pence waving his former boss bye-bye.

if these had been Democrats

When did they ever do this during Benghazi or PizzaGate hearings?

the evil of OrangeManBad.

Yes

On the positive side we finally found something that Dems in Congress will even work Saturdays to do.

To protect our democracy - something the GOP - Guardians of Putin - would never do, unless he ordered them to...

next thing you know they will be working through vacation days too.

Work, instead of playing golf....

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-150-days-presidency-trump-golf-club-1090729

Love how many liberal “SCIF” experts there are all of a sudden.

Spent 27 years in the US military working with DIAM 50-3 and ICS 705-1 - want to compare knowledge?

And what exactly is "BS" about the Biden scandal?

That it never existed in the first place and was the product of the imaginations of Dmytro Firtash (also known as "Dmitry Firtash"), Rudi Guliani, and other Trump henchmen which later got amplified by right-wing conservative media and then spread like manure by loyalists on websites like this one.

Really? Lawless lawmakers.

Why do Dems always insist on secret closed door members only meetings.

Just following advice from Republicans with experience in the matter on how to hold effective hearings:

Former Rep. Trey Gowdy, the man who led an 11-hour public congressional hearing on the Benghazi consulate attack, said Monday that he believes such hearings are “utterly useless”—now that they’re used to investigate President Trump’s inner circle.

Gowdy, now a Fox News contributor, joined Fox & Friends to weigh in on last week’s House Oversight Committee hearing involving former Trump “fixer” and personal attorney Michael Cohen.

“What we learned this past week is how utterly useless public congressional hearings are,” the South Carolina Republican said. “I think two closed-door sessions this past week on the Senate and House side with the intelligence committees were very helpful. That is why they’re bringing Cohen back.”

In October 2015, Gowdy was the point man who grilled Hillary Clinton during 11 hours of questioning before the House Select Committee on Benghazi over the terrorist attack that killed four Americans in 2012, when the then-presidential candidate was secretary of state. Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, chaired that committee and the House Oversight Committee at the time.

“The closed-door hearings are constructive,” Gowdy continued. “You get an hour to ask questions as opposed to five minutes.”

Link: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trey-gowdy-who-led-11-hour-benghazi-hearing-declares-public-congressional-hearings-utterly-useless

Trump's allies sought to put the focus on what they portray as unfair Democratic tactics rather than on the president's conduct.

WTF Trump uses his executive privilege every chance he gets to go around the house and congress, explain to me how democratic that is, hypocrisy of Republicans is thicker than shite

The ‘orange man bad’ meme is a useful one. Apparently it can be employed without even bothering to think about what Trump actually did in a specific situation.

Blacklabel: "if these had been Democrats we would be reading about their bravery and courage and how they are motivated only by wanting to protect our Democracy from the evil of OrangeManBad."

So, you suppor this action and think these men are brave and courages, and protecting democracy? Okay, noted. Don't forget this when you backtrack and say you didn't support it, or didn't know what they did was illegal and a major breach in security when they took in electronics.

It looks like a scheme to:

1) impress the boss

2) identify and intimidate a whistleblower (how many cameras and smart devices did they bring into that room illegally?)

Unfortunately, it doesn't matter because more whistleblowers are coming forward. It doesn't matter who the original whistleblower is. There is too much evidence and too many witnesses to discredit the original whistleblower. The tactics that they used on the Mueller report aren't working, so the Republicans and the President are freaking out!

So I assume Dems will just start trying to impeach Trump again the day after he is re-elected.

If he is re-elected and if he continues to blatantly break the law, yes.

Never ending, these first 3 years shouldn’t even count for his 8 year limit.

If this were even remotely the standard, we'd still be stuck with Obama. You people are hypocritical to the n-th degree.

Limited, the Dems keep forgetting to mention that crucial point, so until the process is 100% fair, they’ll continue to moan, but I can’t wait to see and hear the moaning of the Dems when they hear McConnell say, “NOT guilty!” Then hopefully we can can put this all behind us, let Trump continue his job and the Dems work on finding a decent and real articulate candidate that energizes and excites people.

Moscow Mitch will go whichever direction the wind is blowing!

Mitch McConnell Contradicts Trump's Claim They Spoke About His Ukraine Call

https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/mitch-mcconnell-denies-trump-ukraine-call.html

But limited of what they can view.

Incorrect.

They still can’t call witnesses.

Being in the minority sucks.

Anyway, he won’t be removed, so it’s all good.

Bit Senate republicans will be on record as not opposing Donny's corruption. That's gonna sting in an election year.

As one witness put it, 'It was a bunch of Republicans eating pizza and pretending to be brave'.

Brave is a funny word for these sorry excuse of human beings who offered their balls as sacrifice to their orange God!!!!!

So I assume Dems will just start trying to impeach Trump again the day after he is re-elected. Never ending, these first 3 years shouldn’t even count for his 8 year limit.

The only thing this clown is going to get elected to is Library Custodian at Rikers Island. Maybe Manafort can run his campaign and Cohen can be his assistant...I was going to say Crazy Rudy but he'll be locked down in the Psych Ward...

Republicans brought cellphones into the facility even though electronic devices are forbidden and an Intelligence Committee official said some refused to remove them. The House parliamentarian ruled that the Republican lawmakers violated House rules, the official added.

Huh? They brought electronic devices into a SCIF? That's a big time foul - what are they doing, beaming everything back to Moscow? This needs investigated.

This looks like a stupid frat boy stunt.

And note from the picture that every one of them is a dude who looks like a stupid former frat boy

Agree, but Loony Louie Gohmert looks like a reject from a Hee-Haw audition...

I'm only surprised that in jeopardizing the country's national security for their butt-kissing of Trump, they didn't demand to know where Hillary's emails were, declaring it a breach of national security.

Honestly, Matt Gaets, who has been seeking a higher office while making racist comments and having to walk them back time and again, should be arrested, and all of these lawmakers, some of whom ran when questioned, should go on the record as obstruction justice in an impeachment trial, and ultimately this act, supported by Trump, become yet another article of impeachment against him. I love how these clowns think that the actions they are taking are actually helping him, when in fact they are just adding to his woes, and their own. Supporter of sexual predator Jim Jones sure has forgotten his hypocrisy on national security.

On the positive side we finally found something that Dems in Congress will even work Saturdays to do. 

next thing you know they will be working through vacation days too.

With Moscow Mitch refusing to bring over 100 pieces of House-passed legislation to votes, what's the point of continuing to legislate? Didn't think that one through, did you?

Oh no, it's the arch-enemy of the Trump cultist: someone who knows literally anything!

Well put!

No, the Dems and Mueller wrote it and now Pelosi, shifty Schiff and President Swalwell want to make history again.

Incorrect. Try again.

Pretty much every leading economist, also Liz doesn’t do well with Blacks and Native Americans...Gee, I wonder why.....

They are aboutcas accurate as the polls that showed Donny losing.

Limited, the Dems keep forgetting to mention that crucial point, so until the process is 100% fair, they’ll continue to moan,

A limited number of republicans, but what they get to see and hear is the same as the limited number of Dems who also get to see and hear the same evidence. Keep trying.

but I can’t wait to see and hear the moaning of the Dems when they hear McConnell say, “NOT guilty!” Then hopefully we can can put this all behind us, let Trump continue his job and the Dems work on finding a decent and real articulate candidate that energizes and excites people.

Moscow has already put out campaign ads saying he won't I've the evidence a fair hearing, so this is no surprise. If the senate had to follow thecaame rules as actual, unbiased juries; Murder Mitch would already be removed from participation.

That’s what the Democrats continue to do and continue to fail.

Democrats do try to be correct. Smooth.

Yup, they all said that including FNC in 2016....lol

Glad you agree the economic models you cited aren't accurate. Smooth.

So I assume Dems will just start trying to impeach Trump again the day after he is re-elected.

Nixon was also re-elected!

Trump is dismantling the American democracy with "Thug Actions"!  When will you guys realise he is working for Kremilin? There is no stupidest people, only more stupid people!

Those individuals who have actively supported Trump should be charged with criminal conspiracy.

Extremism is not an appropriate response to extremism.

If they've conspired criminally, they should be charged. If you start retroactively charging people for supporting a duly elected leader is the path to fascism.

Anyone who has done anything criminal should be charged. But it needs to be carefully considered whether their actions are just distasteful, or actually criminal. The former deserves derision, the latter derision and prosecution.

typo: letter - letting

Pretty much every leading economist, also Liz doesn’t do well with Blacks and Native Americans...Gee, I wonder why......

Neither does the current president! I wonder why..........

Blinded by the white.

And they’ve been failing so far. 3 years attempt is a long time...

Never mind the growing pile of evidence to the contrary.

Not me, Warren said they would work, every other Economist said the opposite, but she won’t be President especially she can’t get the Black vote.

You literally went from brandishing economic models to disparaging them when referenced by Warren. Smooth.

McConnell knows that. Lol

You praise Moscow for obstructing but disparage the Dems for allegedly doing the same? How is it different?

Yeah, sure. But thank God we have the courts now that Mitch put in more conservative judges and then there’s the SC. Either way, it won’t be good legislatively doesn’t the Dems.

Even conservative judges respect the law enough to not allow Donny to break it. Even moderate righties and lefties are growing weary of his shenanigans.

Speaking of the courts, Donny recently lost again. The appeals should be enjoyable to watch unfurl.

Trump is not going to be removed from office.

nobody is expecting that especially when the Republicans will block it in the Senate, what wont be removed is all the illegal corrupt things Trump has done, still a year to go far more shite to dig up about Trump , and as that mountain of shite continues to grow come 2020 well see if people want to keep smelling the foul odor that comes from the oval office or they want to clear shop. Trump not being impeached doesn't take away the proven corruption illegal doings by him and his administration and certainly doesn't make him innocent.

retracted or redacted? Very different things.

And what exactly is "BS" about the Biden scandal? Afaics, it is real, unlike the string of hoaxes that the swamp has created to hurt Trump.

On the positive side we finally found something that Dems in Congress will even work Saturdays to do.

next thing you know they will be working through vacation days too.

I have google too, where both of those documents are posted in unclassified form.

you sure didn’t start referencing DNI.gov website docs when classified emails were being sent all over the place in public email systems. Got a google reference for that one?

A limited number of republicans,

But limited of what they can view. They still can’t call witnesses. Anyway, he won’t be removed, so it’s all good.

Moscow has already put out campaign ads saying he won't I've the evidence a fair hearing, so this is no surprise. If the senate had to follow thecaame rules as actual, unbiased juries; Murder Mitch would already be removed from participation.

Yeah, wished Dems thought that way about Reid....

Never mind the growing pile of evidence to the contrary.

Yeah, we keep hearing that for years now. Lol

You literally went from brandishing economic models to disparaging them when referenced by Warren. Smooth.

Not me, I invest, this is what everyone is saying. Anyway, Wall st. hates her and she won’t get minority votes, not to mention the political body slam from the President should she be the nominee.

You praise Moscow for obstructing but disparage the Dems for allegedly doing the same? How is it different?

Payback.

nobody is expecting that especially when the Republicans will block it in the Senate, what wont be removed is all the illegal corrupt things Trump has done,

You mean allegedly done, but never, ever proven. So after 3 years of wasted and extensive searching there wasn’t anything. Also, the Dems wouldn’t sell out to remove Clinton, the GOP will not do so with Trump as well.

still a year to go far more shite to dig up about Trump ,

Oh, I’m sure the Democrats will try hard to find anything.

and as that mountain of shite continues to grow come 2020 well see if people want to keep smelling the foul odor that comes from the oval office or they want to clear shop.

...or if they want to lose money and pay double taxes under the Democrats and less prosperity, go ahead, but I doubt it, that’s why we are all here.

Trump not being impeached doesn't take away the proven corruption illegal doings by him and his administration and certainly doesn't make him innocent.

Uh-huh...ROFL...sure.

Democrats do try to be correct. Smooth.

And they’ve been failing so far. 3 years attempt is a long time...

Glad you agree the economic models you cited aren't accurate. Smooth.

Not me, Warren said they would work, every other Economist said the opposite, but she won’t be President especially she can’t get the Black vote.

Being in the minority sucks.

McConnell knows that. Lol

Bit Senate republicans will be on record as not opposing Donny's corruption. That's gonna sting in an election year.

Yeah, sure. But thank God we have the courts now that Mitch put in more conservative judges and then there’s the SC. Either way, it won’t be good legislatively doesn’t the Dems.

I see all that Trump BS about Biden has driven his poll ratings up to 35%, well ahead of the rest. Trump helping Biden.

I also see the polls in Swing States where 53% oppose impeaching the President, which helps Trump.

Republican support for impeaching Trump doubled in the past few days amid escalating Ukraine scandal

As well as opposing it in Key Swing States in just a few days.

The protesting Republicans yelled complaints that the Democrats in charge of running the inquiry were conducting the process in private

...err, and are they wrong about this? My understanding is that impeachment proceedings have always been in the open, and not conducted in secret by a partisan cangaroo court. Maybe some Trump hater can explain that.

Afaic, this article is a wonderful example of how to twist a story into the opposite of what it is.

3 years? Are you again erroneously claiming Mueller worked for three years?

No, but the Dems have and failed so far...

Pure speculation.

No, if you look at every economists model, No one is Wall St. likes these Democrats and if taxes go up and people don’t spend....

But liberals never think about this things. They can only think of RUSSIA or UKRAINE! Lol

Incorrect. Try again.

That’s what the Democrats continue to do and continue to fail.

They are aboutcas accurate as the polls that showed Donny losing.

Yup, they all said that including FNC in 2016....lol

Republican committee members are allowed to view the evidence and are allowed to interview witnesses. Nobody is required to 'except' the allegations, and the authorised Republicans, i.e. committee members, are most certainly allowed to take part in the political process, as they are doing. Your comments are totally unfounded.

That’s not entirely true.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/10/15/hume_pelosi_delaying_impeaching_vote_smart_politically_she_can_hold_secret_hearings_and_selectively_leak.html

This way, she gets all of the fruits of this peculiar investigation that she announced going on and none of the downside. And they are conducting a very unusual investigation. You look back to the Nixon impeachment, which is the most widely accepted impeachment inquiry that we ever had. 

It was overwhelmingly voted for but in addition to that the proceedings were very balanced, very fair, Republicans had their -- Nixon had his lawyers involved in the process in the House, they were allowed to call witnesses, take testimony. None of that is happening here. This is all being done behind closed doors, it is being done with the Republicans permitted to attend and asked questions but not to call witnesses, and what happens of course is the witnesses come, they appear, and then select portions of their testimony, which is not being made public, are leaked and they are creating the impression you would expect leaks from that side of the aisle to create and it's working like crazy. 

So I assume Dems will just start trying to impeach Trump again the day after he is re-elected. Never ending, these first 3 years shouldn’t even count for his 8 year limit.

Wow Republicans really hate the law.

No, but the Democrats do.

Just the usual misbehaving republican kids trying to prevent a legal process by the congress.

What legal process? Shutting the GOP out of hearings is legal? Hmmmm...

Memory serves that the GOP Congress held their endless Benghazi investigation behind closed doors.

Yes, but the GOP didn’t hold them against Obama or were trying to impeach him.

So what does it matter how the Democrats go about these proceedings?

Let me tell you in the US back in 1998 if you don’t know this, but the Democrats were just out rage at the way Republicans were handling the impeachment against Bill Clinton. How do you call a political process when you’re being shut out and you’re not allowed to view any evidence, you’re not allowed to interview any witnesses, you’re just supposed to except the allegations are not allowed to confront them or be allowed to take part in the political process? This is what the Democrat party has become a complete donkey joke.

The Democrats have made the House of Representatives a total joke.

Trump is not going to be removed from office.

Trump and his fanatic republicans are the cancer of United States..

The Democrats bubonic plague of the United States.

Wow Republicans really hate the law....its expected most criminals do..

as did the Democrats back in 1998 when it wasn’t working for them.

Republican lawmakers, encouraged by President Donald Trump to get tougher in fighting Democratic efforts to impeach him, stormed into a high-security hearing room 

Trump is a BOSS.

Trump 2020

if these had been Democrats we would be reading about their bravery and courage and how they are motivated only by wanting to protect our Democracy from the evil of OrangeManBad.