THE US JUDICIARY COMMITTEE will begin hearings next week in the latest phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, who has been invited to attend.
The Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives, Jerry Nadler, announced that new public hearings, which could lead to articles of impeachment, will start 4 December.
Nadler has issued an invitation for Trump to attend.
“The committee looks forward to your participation,” Nadler said.
At a rally in Florida, Trump took the opportunity to attack and mock the investigation into his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals.
Trump held what his campaign dubbed a “homecoming rally” near Miami on Tuesday, continuing to lash out at the ongoing impeachment inquiry in a state that will be crucial to his 2020 reelection bid.
The rally was Trump’s first in the state since he officially changed his residency last month from Trump Tower in New York to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.
He received a warm welcome from the roaring crowd at an arena in Sunrise, on Miami’s outskirts.
The House Intelligence Committee is now preparing a report on its findings, while the House Judiciary Committee is moving forward with its own hearings before it is expected to consider formal articles of impeachment.
Trump spent much of his rally railing against Democrats, accusing them of “trying to rip our nation apart” with investigations.
“First it was the Russia hoax,” he said, “and now the same maniacs are pushing the deranged … impeachment.”
Trump insisted he had done nothing wrong in his dealings with Ukraine and argued anew that Democrats were only trying to take him down because “they know that they cannot win the next election.”
Still, he said voters weren’t being persuaded — despite polling to the contrary — and tried to assure his audience that “we won these last two weeks so solidly”, despite damning public testimony and unflattering press reports.
At the same time, Trump described his supporters as the “super elite”.
“You people are successful as hell,” he told them. “You’re smarter. You’re better looking. You’re sharper.”
With reporting from Dominic McGrath
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