Witnesses arrive as Trump impeachment probe goes public in political drama

The impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Donald Trump will reach a critical juncture on Wednesday when lawmakers launch their first televised public hearings, marking a new phase that could determine the fate of his tumultuous presidency.

Democrats leading the U.S. House of Representatives probe have summoned three U.S. diplomats - all of whom have previously expressed alarm in closed-door testimony about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine - to detail their concerns under the glare of wall-to-wall news coverage this week. The public hearings are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday.

With a potential television audience of tens of millions looking on, two witnesses – William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs - will testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday about whether Trump improperly pressured Ukraine for his own political benefit.

Taylor, a career diplomat and former U.S. Army officer, previously served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and is now the chargé d’affaires of the U.S. embassy in Kiev. Kent oversees Ukraine policy at the State Department.

Taylor and Kent, who had already agreed to testify but still received subpoenas to appear, arrived separately under heavy security. Both previously have testified to lawmakers in closed sessions. Journalists streamed into the hearing room ahead of the scheduled beginning of the session at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT).

Trump’s fellow Republicans, who will also be able to question the witnesses, have crafted a defense strategy that will argue he did nothing wrong when he asked Ukraine’s new president to investigate prominent Democrat Joe Biden, a former U.S. vice president and key 2020 re-election rival.