Impeachment watch: House Republicans stage a stunt amid growing support for impeachment

House Republicans turned Capitol Hill into a circus on Wednesday, as a group of GOP lawmakers stormed a secure area where an impeachment deposition was set to take place.

Republicans hoped the stunt — which had the blessing of Donald Trump himself — would get their supporters worked up about the fact that witnesses were being deposed behind closed doors. Some even wanted to be arrested in order to gain sympathy, according to Fox News’ Chad Pergram.

However, the stunt came off as ridiculous and irresponsible, after the Republican lawmakers endangered national security by bringing their cellphones into the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), in clear violation of SCIF rules. Not to mention, many of the members who “stormed” the SCIF are members of the committees conducting the depositions and had access to the room — making their behavior even more absurd.

At the end of the day, the stunt was an attempt to change the impeachment narrative — which is decidedly abysmal for Trump.

In other impeachment news:

• A Quinnipiac poll out Wednesday found support for impeachment at its highest level yet, with 55% approving of the impeachment inquiry. The jump in support comes from independent voters, who now back the inquiry by 21 points with 58% supporting the inquiry versus the 37% who disapprove. Independent support for the inquiry shot up from last week, when 50% of independent voters approved of the inquiry and 45% disapproved. That rise in support comes after a number of Trump officials have testified that Trump did, in fact, demand that Ukraine investigate Joe Biden in exchange for crucial military aid.

• On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that the Ukrainian president felt pressured by the Trump administration’s tactic — blowing up Trump’s claim that his interactions with the Ukrainian president were “perfect.”

• The New York Times also reported that Ukraine knew of the military aid freeze, meaning they certainly could have felt pressure to open an investigation in exchange for the aid.

• And even worse for Trump, the two associates of Rudy Giuliani who were arrested and charged with campaign finance violations tied the case directly to Trump. According to the New York Times, the men, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, said some of the evidence in their case may fall under executive privilege.

• Depositions are on hold Thursday, as members pay respects to the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), who died last week.

Come back tomorrow for more impeachment news.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.