Public hears impeachment testimony

WASHINGTON—As the U.S. House of Representatives’ televised impeachment hearings kicked off Wednesday morning, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., called them “nothing less than an impeachment process in search of a crime.” Acting U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine William Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent are the first witnesses to testify in front of TV cameras. Both have already answered questions behind closed doors.

What do lawmakers expect to learn from the hearings? Democrats said the American people will hear for themselves evidence that President Donald Trump leveraged military aid to Ukraine for political favors. But defenders of the president pointed out that no witnesses have openly accused the president of proposing a quid pro quo. GOP representatives have submitted a list of witnesses they would like to question, but Democrats have the final say on who testifies, and it’s unclear if they’ll accept any of the names on that list.

Dig deeper: Watch the hearings on C-SPAN.