22 Nov 2019

Donald Trump lashes out at democrats after public hearings

From Morning Report, 7:38 am on 22 November 2019

President Donald Trump has lashed out at Democrats, calling them "human scum," as two more key witnesses testified before the House Intelligence Committee.

A former White House Russia expert and a diplomat based in Kiev are giving evidence in the fifth and final day of the public impeachment hearings.

At the beginning of the hearing, top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes continued his support for Mr Trump.

Central to the inquiry is a controversial phone call where Donald Trump appeared to pressure Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democrats in exchange for US military aid and arranging a visit to the White House.

The day after that phone call, a diplomat in the US embassy in Kiev, David Holmes overheard a call between the ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, and the president.

RNZ's correspondent in Washington is Harry Horton.