What Went Down On Day 1 Of The Impeachment Hearings

Well, Schiff’s opening statement is certainly different from the one he did during the Maguire hearing: no pretending he’s the president via weird imagined dialogue. He got in trouble for that one, given that Trump twisted Schiff’s attempted … comedy? This statement is fact-laden and gives the stakes — Schiff saying the very institution of the presidency is under trial in these hearings.

Schiff’s opening statement is setting the stage by talking about the yearslong conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This is the backdrop that Democrats want to establish — a beleaguered ally whose much-needed military aid from the U.S. was suddenly in question because of Trump’s actions. Kent and Taylor both spoke vividly about the consequences of withholding aid to Ukraine in their closed-door depositions, and we’re likely to hear more about those stakes from them today.

Case in point: Schiff’s opening statement (as prepared) contains the phrase “quid pro quo” just once.