Protest from Republicans during Trump impeachment hearings

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The impeachment hearings regarding alleged abuses of power from Donald Trump were brought to a sensational halt after a group of more than 30 Republicans brought chaos to Wednesday’s proceedings. Republicans lashed out at committee leaders behind the impeachment probe and demanded the release of transcripts amid what they called a Soviet-style investigation of the president’s business dealings with Ukraine. A scheduled testimony from a Pentagon official was delayed by more than 5-hours after Republicans stormed into a House intelligence committee hearing inside a secure room at the Capitol. The group led by Florida congressman Matt Gaetz and House minority whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana rushed into a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (one of several secure rooms throughout the Capitol) that are limited to members of relevant committees.

Scalise said the closed-door hearings were an attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election a year before Americans go to the polls. Republicans also brought their mobile phones into the classified room and appeared to be able to tweet from inside. It is raising national security concerns and potentially violating House rules. 2 Republican congressman, Mark Meadows (a member of the oversight committee) and Mike Conaway (a member of the intelligence committee) reportedly warned Republicans rushing the room to get rid of their phones. Democratic congressman Adam Schiff (chairs the intelligence committee) also called the Sergeant-at-Arms to disperse Republicans who aren’t members.

The Sergeant-at-Arms and other officers asked Republicans to remove their phones from the room and they refused. Gaetz (a loyal Trump supporter) was asked earlier this month to leave another committee hearing that he wasn’t a member of after he tried to gatecrash it. Republicans have pivoted from challenging the substance of the testimonies, which have become increasingly damaging to the president with their protest. They are now attacking the process itself, in spite of the fact that Republicans also sit on impeachment committees. They receive the same information and have the ability to question witnesses as their Democratic peers.