What Went Down On Day 3 Of The Trump Impeachment Hearings

I don’t know, Nathaniel — the use of “improper” as opposed to “inappropriate” signals to me a new shift in what’s at stake here, and that is the challenge for Democrats today — they have to build the case that not only was Trump’s request to Ukraine inappropriate, but it was also an abuse of his presidential powers.

Except he stumbled over his words a bit there, Sarah. I get the sense that Schiff was trying to get Vindman to repeat his concerns in a nice, quick sound bite, but I don’t think that was it.

When is a “favor” a “demand”? “The power disparity between the two leaders” makes it so, Vindman says. That echoes testimony last week that Ukraine needs the U.S. as an ally so much that a polite request would reasonably be read as more than that.