This week on "Face the Nation," November 10, 2019: O'Brien, Kennedy, Swalwell
Closed-door impeachment proceeding end ahead of public phase
The impeachment inquiry into President Trump is entering a new phase as the House Intelligence Committee plans to hold the first open hearings next week.
To prepare for the public phase, Republican leadership is now temporarily moving Rep. Jim Jordan, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, to the Intelligence panel leading the depositions.
Some of the officials who previously testified behind closed doors have been asked to appear in the public format, starting with Amb. William Taylor, senior U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, George Kent, deputy assistant secretary in the European and Eurasian Bureau at the Department of State on Wednesday, and by former ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch for Friday's hearing.
In transcripts released this week, current and former administration officials testified that it was clear Ukrainian leadership believed $400 million in U.S. military aid was tied to the Ukrainian president publicly announcing investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden.
Administration defiance of impeachment probe
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has knowledge of "many relevant meetings and conversations" connected to the Ukraine pressure campaign that lawmakers are not yet aware of, according to a letter Bolton's lawyer sent lawmakers on Friday. Bolton, however, did not show up to his scheduled testimony on Thursday.
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney also failed to appear for his deposition scheduled for Friday morning. According to a lawyer for Mulvaney, the White House directed him not to comply with a subpoena issued to him the night before, claiming he had "absolute immunity" from appearing before Congress.
Democrats leading the investigation have cited the administration's defiance as evidence of obstruction of Congress by the Trump White House.
The growing 2020 ticket?
The Democratic field is getting even bigger as Michael Bloomberg prepares to enter the primary race.
Bloomberg announced in March that he would not run for president, but signaled he had not closed the door entirely just last month, when the former New York City mayor told CBS News' Margaret Brennan that he has "reservations" about the Democratic field.
"I have my reservations about the people running and their campaigning, the promises they're making that they can't fulfill and their willingness to admit what is possible and what isn't and their inconsistency from day to day... This is not the way to run a railroad," said Bloomberg.
Bloomberg formally filed paperwork late Friday to place his name on the ballot for the Alabama Democratic presidential primary next year, and is set to make an announcement "in the near future," which could be as soon as Monday.
"Face the Nation" Guest Lineup:
- National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien
- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana (@SenJohnKennedy)
- Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California (@RepSwalwell)
And, as always, we'll turn to our political panel for some perspective on the week:
- Stephen Hayes of The Dispatch (@stephenfhayes)
- Margaret Talev of Axios (@margarettalev)
- Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic (@JeffreyGoldberg)
- Antjuan Seawright, CBS News Contributor and Democratic Strategist (@antjuansea)
How to watch "Face the Nation"
Date: Sunday, November 10, 2019
TV: "Face the Nation" airs Sunday mornings on CBS. Click here for your local listings
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With the latest news and analysis from Washington, don't miss Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan) this Sunday on "Face the Nation" (@FaceTheNation).
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