This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
On Wednesday, House Democrats voted to open an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, marking a significant shift in the party's stance on the issue. The move comes as Democrats are marching ahead with closed-door questioning of witnesses, including Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, a White House expert on Ukraine.
According to an aide in the room, Speaker Pelosi emphasized that 'nobody came here to impeach a president, and no decision has been made to impeach the president.' However, she added that a decision had been made to open the impeachment inquiry, and that the terms of the investigation would be conducted in the 'fairest possible way.'
Republicans, on the other hand, have expressed concerns that the process is rigged against them, with Representative Mark Meadows stating that the resolution 'affords us the same opportunities we have now, which is to beg Chairman Schiff for due process.'
Thursday's vote comes as Democrats are pushing forward with their investigation, with Representative Ro Khanna praising Speaker Pelosi's 'methodical, deliberative approach' in building the evidence against the President.
