Congressional impeachment testimonies from career diplomats aren’t exactly ripe for laughs, but there was one moment on Wednesday that drew snickers in the hearing room.
During the public hearing of diplomats Bill Taylor and George Kents, ardent Trump defender Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) used his allotted time to rail against Democrats for rejecting Republicans’ request to make the whistleblower whose complaint led to the impeachment probe testify.
“There is one witness, one witness that they won’t bring in front of us, they won’t bring in front of the American people, and that’s the guy who started it all: the whistleblower,” Jordan declared dramatically.
The Republican lawmaker went on to baselessly claim that House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) knows the identity of the whistleblower and that the whistleblower is “biased” against Trump.
“I say to my colleague, I’d be glad to have the person who started it all come in and testify,” Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) said after Jordan yielded the floor to him.
“President Trump is welcome to take a seat right there,” he continued while gesturing toward where Taylor and Kent were sitting, prompting spectators to burst into laughter.
Watch Jordan and Welch below:
Rep. Jim Jordan complains Democrats won't have "the guy who started it all" testify.
Dem Rep. Pete Welch: "I'd be glad to have the person who started it all come in and testify. President Trump is welcome to take a seat right there." pic.twitter.com/DDsh4PTcNi
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 13, 2019
