Is the GOP poised to ditch Rudy in order to save Trump?

Are Republicans preparing to cut Rudy Giuliani loose to save Trump?

Igor Derysh

Impeachment hearing questions took a sudden turn as GOP appears to put distance between Trump and his lawyer

11/21/2019 16:22 EST

Former White House national security aide Fiona Hill, left, and David Holmes, a U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, are sworn in to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Impeachment: Trump’s Ukraine extortion scheme comes clear — all roads lead to Putin

Amanda Marcotte

With the gaps filled in, Trump's plot to extort Ukraine into helping him rat-f**k Biden in 2020 becomes clear

11/21/2019 14:30 EST

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Press Watch: What did the vice president know? Don’t fall for Mike Pence’s non-denial denials

Dan Froomkin

Gordon Sondland clearly implicated Pence in the Ukraine extortion scandal — and the veep's "denials" are ambiguous

11/21/2019 14:00 EST

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Giuliani brags he’s still pushing for Ukraine to implicate Biden, even as Trump faces impeachment

Igor Derysh

"I was in contact with two [Ukrainian officials] today," Giuliani told Glenn Beck on Wednesday

11/21/2019 12:31 EST

Former White House national security aide Fiona Hill, arrives to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Russia expert Fiona Hill rejects GOP’s “fictional narrative” that Ukraine meddled in U.S. election

Shira Tarlo

Fiona Hill, Trump's former Russia adviser, testifies that it wasn't Ukraine that tried to mess with U.S. elections

11/21/2019 12:05 EST

Lev Parnas and Devin Nunes (AP Photo/Getty Images/Salon)

Indicted Giuliani associate Lev Parnas helped Devin Nunes with investigations in Europe

Igor Derysh

Lev Parnas didn't just aid Giuliani's Ukraine escapades, he also helped Nunes, says his lawyer

11/21/2019 11:11 EST

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks to journalists during a news conference during a NATO Foreign Ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. ( (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Mike Pompeo reportedly plans to quit, run for Senate before Ukraine drags him down

Igor Derysh

Secretary of state reportedly wants to bail, launch Senate bid before impeachment maelstrom sucks him to his doom

11/21/2019 07:00 EST

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper, right, and State Department official David Hale, are sworn in to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The latest GOP defense of Trump evaporates with a whimper

Amanda Marcotte

In a evening hearing, Republican efforts to deny Trump withheld aid to Ukraine as part of extortion campaign fail

11/20/2019 19:38 EST

Tucker Carlson claims he didn’t use anti-Semitic trope despite suggesting Vindman has a dual loyalty

Matthew Rozsa

Accusing Jews of being disloyal to the countries where they reside is anti-Semitic. There is a long history of it

11/20/2019 19:35 EST

Mike Pence and Gordon Sondland (Getty Images/AP Photo/Salon)

Gordon Sondland implicates Mike Pence in Ukraine “quid pro quo” at bombshell impeachment hearing

Igor Derysh

Sondland testifies he mentioned Ukraine "quid pro quo" to Mike Pence. Veep claims conversation never happened

11/20/2019 18:30 EST

Donald Trump (Getty Images/AP Photo/Salon)

FBI seeks interview with Ukraine whistleblower: reports

Shira Tarlo

The whistleblower's complaint to the intelligence community set off the impeachment inquiry into President Trump

11/20/2019 18:06 EST

Donald Trump (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Using familiar defense, Trump claims not to “know” Sondland very well. Evidence suggests otherwise

Igor Derysh

Trump claims that Sondland's testimony exonerated him, even though the ambassador admitted to a “quid pro quo”

11/20/2019 14:21 EST

Donald Trump (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky/Evan Vucci)

Pentagon confirms $35 million in aid still being withheld from Ukraine despite impeachment inquiry

Shira Tarlo

The White House's unusual decision to freeze millions in aid to Ukraine in July is central to the impeachment probe

11/20/2019 13:33 EST

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland gives his opening statement as he testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

“We followed the president’s orders”: Sondland gives up Trump — and everyone else

Amanda Marcotte

Former Trump loyalist Gordon Sondland rats out Trump and multiple senior White House officials in Ukraine scheme

11/20/2019 12:45 EST

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland is sworn in to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Massive blow to Trump: Gordon Sondland pins Ukraine “quid pro quo” on president

Shira Tarlo

EU ambassador describes Ukraine "quid pro quo" to Congress: "Everyone was in the loop. ... The answer is yes"

11/20/2019 11:43 EST

Devin Nunes and Gordon Sondland (Getty Images/Shawn Thew/Drew Angerer)

“Nunes read the wrong opening statement”: GOP strategy flops as Sondland throws Trump under the bus

Igor Derysh

“Nunes' opening statement suggests GOP didn't know Sondland was flipping until the last minute," one reporter notes

11/20/2019 11:04 EST

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, director of European affairs at the National Security Council (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Army steps up protection of Vindman as White House pushes talking points attacking service member

Igor Derysh

The Trump administration attempts to discredit Vindman, even though he still works at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

11/20/2019 10:50 EST

Alexander Vindman, Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump (Getty Images/AP Photo/Salon)

Are Republicans even trying to defend Trump? Or just doing Vladimir Putin’s bidding?

Heather Digby Parton

Trump's Ukraine extortion scheme is now clear — but the entire Republican Party has become a Russian asset

11/20/2019 10:25 EST

Ambassador Kurt Volker, left, former special envoy to Ukraine, and Tim Morrison, a former official at the National Security Council are sworn in to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. ( (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Even the Republican witnesses make Donald Trump look like a depraved criminal

Amanda Marcotte

GOP-called witnesses Kurt Volker and Tim Morrison portray Trump as a conspiracy theorist who must be controlled

11/19/2019 19:15 EST

Alexander Vindman and Jim Jordan (Getty Images/AP Photo)

Jim Jordan’s attacks on Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman at impeachment hearing badly backfire

Igor Derysh

Jordan and the GOP tried to raise doubts about Vindman's credibility and loyalty. The Army officer brought receipts

11/19/2019 17:30 EST

Brett Kavanaugh; Donald Trump (Getty/Salon)

GOP senator: The Trump impeachment inquiry is like the “Kavanaugh hearing without the vagina hats”

Igor Derysh

Kennedy falsely calmed that "this will be the only partisan impeachment proceeding in the history of the" U.S.

11/19/2019 17:23 EST

Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump (Getty Images/AP Photo/Salon)

Trump assails Nancy Pelosi for impeachment quote — but it actually came from Fox News

Shira Tarlo

"She wants to change our voting system. Wow, she's CRAZY!" Trump declared

11/19/2019 15:15 EST

Vindman responds to “vile” attacks on impeachment witnesses: “I will be fine for telling the truth”

Igor Derysh

Fox host Laura Ingraham was among those who questioned Vindman’s loyalty to America after he contradicted Trump

11/19/2019 14:17 EST

Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, left, and National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, are sworn in to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Impeachment: There goes Trump’s “hearsay” defense; GOP tries to out whistleblower

Amanda Marcotte

Lt. Col. Vindman and Williams blow a hole through another Trump defense — and implicate Pence in Ukraine scandal

11/19/2019 13:25 EST