What Went Down On Day 1 Of The Impeachment Hearings

Taylor said a few minutes ago that throughout his long career, he’s never seen foreign aid conditioned on an investigation of a political opponent in the U.S. That might seem like a small point, but it helps undercut the idea that asking for this kind of “favor” is just how diplomacy works. Taylor, Kent and other witnesses have all stressed just how abnormal this request and the pressure campaign was.

In response to Galen – I think part of the challenge here is the many possible purposes of this hearing. Who are they trying to persuade? Who is the audience? Is this about reaching public opinion? Establishing a media narrative? Creating legitimacy for the process itself?

Goldman, the counsel, is lingering over Sondland’s use of “stalemate” with Taylor as a euphemism for quid pro quo. Even though Sondland explicitly said Trump said there was no quid pro quo, he goes on to describe one and Taylor seems to have understood it as such.